It is a
well-known truth that we all love kittens and puppies and we think monkeys and
pandas are cute. However, does that make us animal lovers? I used to think
so, but lately I have been seeing it differently. The definition itself
suggests that an animal lover cares for all animal species, yet there is no
single person I know that loves spiders, or bats. Because of the large effects
that humanity has on nature, species are already being extinct at rates never seen
before due to increased farming, urbanisation, and industrialisation.
Recently,
one of my lecturers said that people don’t really care about animals unless
they are fluffy and cuddly. The cruel truth behind those words upset me a lot. For
example, did anybody know that wind turbines kill up to 900,000 bats per year? Apparently, the turbines cause changes in air pressure as they move, which could make a
small animal’s lungs explode. This is a very disturbing fact and yet no one is
voting against wind turbines in order to save these currently endangered
species.
Another
example are oil spills in oceans, which are the cause of death for millions of
sea birds, marine mammals and fish. Oil spills in the oceans are technically a
death sentence for sea birds, because once their feathers are covered in oil,
they lose their ability to fly.
Furthermore,
oil also destroys their natural waterproofing and insulation, leaving them
vulnerable to hypothermia or overheating, and not to mention that swallowing
some of the oil can severely damage their internal organs and lead to death. Did
you know that the Exxon Valdez oil spill killed somewhere between 250,000 and
500,000 seabirds, plus a number of shore birds and bald eagles? Not to mention
BP’s oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico or Alaska. What about the marine mammals
like whales, dolphins and seals? Oil damages whales and dolphins’ ability to
breathe as it clogs their blow holes, and leaves seals vulnerable to
hypothermia by coating their fur.
Both of
these cases bring up ethical issues, because we do need wind turbines in order
to generate electricity. One turbine is enough to provide half of the
electricity needed for a single home for an year. As for oil, it is much needed
for petrol and many machines. So it turns out that in order to satisfy our own
needs, we are killing billions of animals each year. Of course, nobody spilled
oil in the ocean on purpose, but still the accidents ended the lives of many
species.
Do you
think it is fair to kill so many sea birds and marine mammals in order to get
oil? Do you think that bats deserve to die, so that farms can get electricity?
A
completely different, yet related topic is hunting. Did you know that currently
the Atlas Bear is under extinction, because it was hunted for sport? Not to
mention how many deers and other forest inhabitants are murdered just for fun. Do you think this is fair at all? If we learn that someone has been
keeping their kitten or puppy hungry, we already have a number of organisations
with cruelty lines, so that we can report it. However, we cannot report that a
deer has been murdered just for sport or in order to become a decoration to
one’s home.
Have a look
at this video for example.
Cruel isn’t
it? It is one thing to kill an animal for food and completely different to kill
it for fun. What is your opinion?
S.
Well, in fact nowadays hunting is only for sport. It's not like anybody needs to kill for survival. Generally speaking, if we are talking about hunting animals that are under extinction, then I am strongly against. However, other species like some birds, wild boars and deers, why not.
ReplyDeleteExcept for other countries where hunting is still used for food as they don't have as much advancement as 1st world countries. However, yes I agree in countries such as hunting is not needed for survival.
DeleteI'm interested to know why you are accepting to animals such as boars and deers to be hunted as they are not endangered, do you not think that if hunting continues that these animals may too become extinct?
L.C
In fact, wind turbines are not only dangerous for small animals, but also for people. They generate very low frequency sounds and infrasounds when the wind is turbulent. Although we cannot hear it, our body responds to that sound and if can damage our health in many ways. For example, it can cause chronic sleep deprivation, memory dysfunction and nausea. So, as it turns out, we are killing not only animals for money, but also ourselves. Its sad.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting fact, it seems it now will become a debate over sustainable energy vs our own health. Seems like a never ending cycle where no outcome will please everyone?
DeleteL.C