Facing the inevitability of our own mortality is never a pleasant task, yet it is a crucial step in ensuring that our final wishes are honored and our loved ones are cared for. Surprisingly, approximately 70% of Americans have not yet drafted an up-to-date will, leaving their assets and legacies at the mercy of state laws. This article serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of creating a legally binding document that outlines how you wish your property and other assets to be distributed after your death. As the saying goes, "Making a will is the best way to protect your loved ones and contribute to the people and causes you love the most." By taking the time to prepare a will, you can ensure that your wishes are carried out, providing peace of mind for both yourself and your family. A will isn't just for the wealthy; it …
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The concept of animal welfare might appear straightforward at first glance, but delving into the intricacies of measuring it across different countries reveals a complex and multifaceted challenge. Identifying the best and worst countries for animal welfare involves navigating a labyrinth of variables, from the number of animals slaughtered annually to the living conditions of farm animals, the methods of slaughter, and the laws protecting animal rights. Various organizations have taken on this daunting task, each employing unique methodologies to rank countries based on their treatment of animals. One such organization is Voiceless, which developed the Voiceless Animal Cruelty Index (VACI). This hybrid approach assesses animal welfare through three categories: Producing Cruelty, Consuming Cruelty, and Sanctioning Cruelty. Another significant player in this arena is the Animal Protection Index (API), which evaluates countries based on their legal frameworks and assigns letter grades from A to G. Despite the efforts of these …
Here in the United States, wildlife management has long prioritized hunting and ranching on public lands. But Robert Long and his team at Woodland Park Zoo are charting a different course. Leading the charge towards noninvasive research methods, Long, a senior conservation scientist based in Seattle, is transforming the study of elusive carnivores like wolverines in the Cascade Mountains. With a shift toward methods that minimize human impact, Long’s work not only sets a new standard for wildlife observation but is part of a growing trend of change in how researchers look at animals. “To this day, many of the wildlife management agencies and entities are still aimed at maintaining populations of animals for hunting and fishing and resource use,” Robert Long, a senior conservation scientist in Seattle tells Sentient. Long and his team at the Woodland Park Zoo study wolverines in the Cascade Mountains, and their work is at …
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has been embroiled in a series of scandals that paint a troubling picture of the company's ethical and legal standards. Over the past two decades, Sanofi has faced more than $1.3 billion in fines from U.S. state and federal agencies, revealing a pattern of misconduct that spans bribery, deceit, overcharging veterans, and animal cruelty. Despite widespread abandonment of the controversial forced swim test by other major pharmaceutical companies, Sanofi continues to subject small animals to this debunked method. This is just one facet of the company's troubling history. From allegations of bribery and deceptive marketing to overcharging Medicaid patients and military veterans, Sanofi's actions have repeatedly drawn the ire of regulatory bodies. In May 2024, the company agreed to a $916 million settlement with the state of Hawaii for failing to disclose critical information about its drug Plavix. Earlier this year, Sanofi settled a $100 million …
Cattle farming, a cornerstone of the global agricultural industry, is responsible for producing vast amounts of meat, dairy, and leather products consumed worldwide. However, this seemingly indispensable sector has a dark side that significantly impacts the environment. Each year, humans consume an astounding 70 million metric tons of beef and over 174 million tons of milk, necessitating extensive cattle farming operations. These operations, while meeting the high demand for beef and dairy, contribute to severe environmental degradation. The environmental toll of cattle farming begins with the sheer scale of land use dedicated to beef production, which accounts for approximately 25 percent of global land use and land use conversion. The global beef market, valued at around $446 billion annually, and the even larger dairy market, underscore the economic importance of this industry. With between 930 million and over one billion heads of cattle worldwide, the environmental footprint of cattle farming …
Horse riding has long been celebrated as a harmonious partnership between humans and horses, but beneath the surface of this age-old practice lies a troubling reality: the physical toll it takes on the animals. Despite the romanticized image of horse riding, evidence suggests that it often inflicts painful deformities and long-term health issues on these majestic creatures. Vegans and animal rights advocates have raised concerns about the ethical implications of riding horses, highlighting the discomfort and distress caused by the weight of a rider, the use of metal bits, and spurs. These elements, combined with the natural anatomy of horses, which has not evolved to carry human weight, contribute to a range of serious health problems. This article delves into the most common deformities induced by riding, shedding light on the often-overlooked suffering of horses in equestrian activities. Horse riding is not good for horses as it often causes them …
In an era where sustainability is becoming a paramount concern, the intersection of animal welfare and environmental impact is gaining significant attention. This article delves into the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)—a widely recognized model for evaluating the environmental impacts of products—with considerations for animal welfare, particularly within the agriculture industry. Authored by Skyler Hodell and based on a comprehensive review by Lanzoni et al. (2023), the article explores how LCA can be enhanced to better account for the welfare of farmed animals, thereby providing a more holistic approach to sustainability. The review underscores the importance of combining LCA with on-farm welfare assessments to create a more comprehensive evaluation model. Despite LCA's status as a "gold standard" for assessing environmental impacts, it has been criticized for its product-based approach, which often prioritizes short-term productivity over long-term sustainability. By examining over 1,400 studies, the authors identified a significant gap: only …
In an era where the global appetite for meat shows no signs of abating, the staggering scale of animal deaths for food production is a sobering reality. Each year, humans consume 360 million metric tons of meat, a figure that translates into an almost incomprehensible number of animal lives lost. At any given moment, 23 billion animals are confined within factory farms, with countless more being farmed or caught in the wild. The sheer number of animals killed daily for food is mind-boggling, and the suffering they endure in the process is equally harrowing. Animal agriculture, particularly in factory farms, is a grim tale of efficiency and profitability overshadowing animal welfare. Around 99 percent of livestock are raised in these conditions, where laws protecting them from abuse are scant and rarely enforced. The result is a significant amount of pain and misery for these animals, a reality that must be …
In an era where transparency and ethical consumption are becoming increasingly important, documentaries have emerged as powerful tools for educating the public and driving change. Surveys indicate that feature-length documentaries are particularly effective in inspiring people to adopt vegan lifestyles, and many of Mercy For Animals' social media followers credit films like *Earthlings* and *Cowspiracy* for their dietary transformations. However, the conversation doesn't stop with these well-known titles. A new wave of documentaries is shedding light on the often concealed and disturbing realities of the global food system. From exposing spiritual and ethical dilemmas to uncovering the dark intersections of industry and government, these films are challenging viewers to rethink their relationship with food and the environment. Here are six must-watch documentaries that the meat industry would rather you not see. Photo: Milos Bjelica Surveys have shown that videos, specifically feature-length documentaries, play an important role in inspiring people to …
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are poised to revolutionize our understanding of animal communication, potentially enabling direct translation between animal and human languages. This breakthrough is not just a theoretical possibility; scientists are actively developing methods for two-way communication with various animal species. If successful, such technology could have profound implications for animal rights, conservation efforts, and our comprehension of animal sentience. Historically, humans have communicated with animals through a mix of training and observation, as seen in the domestication of dogs or the use of sign language with primates like Koko the Gorilla. However, these methods are labor-intensive and often limited to specific individuals rather than entire species. The advent of AI, particularly machine learning, offers a new frontier by identifying patterns in vast datasets of animal sounds and behaviors, much like how AI applications currently process human language and images. The Earth Species Project and other research …
