Tuesday, July 7, 2015

would it really be so bad if the human species became extinct?

 And if the answer is yes, then why are we working so hard to achieve exactly that?

The graphic in a previous post shows how different species will gradually disappear (or not so gradually given that nearly 1000 species have gone extinct in the past 500 years already) if we don't change our ways soon. Because while past mass extinctions occurred primarily due to natural causes, one species in large part is causing the current ecosystem crisis. Poaching, habitat destruction, global warming and excessive use of water (even if you're not ethically opposed to eating other animals, from a water use point of view alone animal agriculture needs to be scraped off our plates already) all contribute to the demise of fellow species.

Now let's say you actually don't care about other species dying off and are only concerned with human survival. Then wouldn't it be ironic if the species thought to be the most intelligent became extinct due to its own stupidity? Because that's exactly the driving force (that, and greed) threatening to drive us off this planet. 

What's fascinating though is that while other species could function just fine or even better without Homo sapiens, our species is fragile enough that our very existence depends on the beings we consider vastly inferior to ourselves. Like bees. And bats. Imagine that! We need bees and bats (among others) to survive, so perhaps it's time to put aside our smug superiority complex and realize we're not only risking the extinction of other species, but of ourselves as well. Let's be clear: humans need this earth if they want to survive, Earth does not need us.

Going back to the title question, I have to admit there are times when I feel human extinction would be an overall gain for the rest of the species co-habiting our lovely planet. That sentiment could certainly be construed as misanthropic, but our species is so anthropocentric that overall we don't seem to give a damn about how much cruelty and death we inflict on others, and on darker days I feel it would serve us exactly right to get a taste of our own bitter medicine. So, let's get our collective act together and behave in ways that would make human extinction a true tragedy for all species. Agreed? 

Note: Watched the 2007 documentary The 11th Hour after drafting this post, and even though the many experts offered excellent ideas, it was striking that none of them mentioned animal consumption. To be fair there were two images of factory farming in the film, but no one actually said, let's stop eating animals. Disappointing, but not surprising. Guess I'll have to watch Cowspiracy for that!

Comments

veganelder said...

I second your statement: "So, let's get our collective act together and behave in ways that would make human extinction a true tragedy for all species." I'm sort of wobbly about whether that's anywhere on the horizon though.

I would urge some consideration of whether the issue of human driven planetary destruction isn't more properly attributed to human societies infected by western European colonial/capitalist mindsets and dynamics. For instance the destruction of the Amazon rainforest isn't being implemented by the human tribes indigenous to that area...rather it is being driven by those humans infected with the western European mindset seeking "profit" by clearing the rainforest for animal agriculture. If I look around the globe...most (not all, but most) locales where environmental destruction is horrendous are those where the colonial view of mother Earth as a "resource" holds sway.

That way of destructive thinking about mother Earth and her Earthlings is not ubiquitous...it is endemic to western European ideologically infected cultures. I'm starting to wonder if I don't paint with too broad a brush if I am repulsed by all human animals. Maybe I would be wiser to focus on the most virulent (in terms of destructiveness) of human cultural groupings...that of the western European ilk.

I wonder about that...more and more.

Your observation about the documentary "The 11th Hour" is reminiscent of my previous observation about books which purport to be about concern or "truths" about our sister/brother Earthlings but avoid embracing and/or encouraging the vegan philosophy...well...whether book or documentary...they end up sounding sort of stupid and deluded.

In the end, I wonder how effective it might be in terms of halting the awfulness, to appeal to "self-interest", when that very same self-interest dynamic seems to be what is creating the problem in the first place. Seems paradoxical, eh? To appeal to narcissistic interests to interrupt narcissistic driven behaviors....almost sounds like trying to solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created the problem...doesn't it?

have gone vegan said in reply to veganelder...

....almost sounds like trying to solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created the problem...doesn't it?

Yep, it does indeed. Now if we could only figure out how to change thinking/behaving and preferably quickly and permanently to boot. Sadly though, a part of me feels that if enough people go vegan to make a real difference, it'll likely be because they don't have a choice. Whatever will be left of both natural and man-made resources will necessitate plant-based living even if vegan ethics aren't the primary reason. Hoping I'm wrong though!

And you're likely quite right that sweeping generalizations about the entire human species may not be called for. It's the profit-even-at-the-cost-of-everything-else mindset that we need to eradicate. How can human animals be so smart and yet so stupid at the same time? :(

Debra Roppolo said...

I have to agree with you: humans are without question the worst thing that has ever happened to this planet. We have done nothing that has improved it one iota. (I figure my misanthropy balances the anthropocentrism of the majority.) Extinction of our species would be the best thing for every other species.

have gone vegan said in reply to Debra Roppolo...

Can't say I disagree with anything you said. Wish I could, but I can't. Sigh.

Hi Friend,

Wouldn't ya know it: My most recent post is penned by a veganic farming friend of mine who presented some pretty scare statistics about our water and land usage in non human animal agriculture.
It takes one acre of land to feed 156 people an eight ounce portion of cooked flesh. The same acre of land will feed 14,600 people the same size portion of beans and rice. It takes 100 gallons of water to produce 4 ounces of dried rice and beans and a whopping 1085 gallons to produce 10 ounces of raw ground beef.

I have often said to people that the earth has no real use for humans and that we are destroying it at an alarming rate - all for the almighty dollar, for status, for power and because we can.

I have to agree with veganelder that western imperialism is largely responsible for this decline. Indigenous peoples lived side by side with nature for centuries

We are guilty of living unconsciously and grossly overestimating our value to mother earth and other species.

I have a vested interest in wanting humans to survive the holocaust we are creating for ourselves, other than that of eliminating the human induced suffering of other species. Simply put, I would like my children and especially my grandchildren to carry on and live in a world of which we all could be proud- a world of kindness, compassion and respect.

Cowspiracy is a fantastic doc that that everyone needs to see and to consider. Log onto my website and comment on my post "Answering the Question, "Why Are you vegan?'. I am having a Giveaway. If you win an would like to receive this doc, let me know.
Take care,
Respectfully,
Anne

I read that post! Quite impressive. I mean, scary stats, but maybe that'll wake up those who need further convincing.

Boy, I sure wish more folk had the same vested interest that you do. And it puzzles me to no end that more of them don't. You would think that people with kids and grandkids would be even more appalled by the state of the world they're leaving for them, but overall they don't seem to be at all. It's like I don't understand how anyone who has a daughter or granddaughter can claim not to support women's rights. Makes no sense to me whatsoever. You don't want equality for them, when your role would seem to dictate that you would want the best for them? Don't get it. Nope, not at all.

I have the Cowspiracy doc myself, but hope that many people enter your Giveaway! Some fabulous prizes for sure. Nice of you to do! :)

Krissa said...

This is such a great post! I'm getting over the worst flu I've had in years and still not up to par so my comment won't do it justice. It's something I think about a lot, how much different (better) life would be for other species if we'd never been here. I'm not sure what would happen to the unfortunate ones we've forced to become dependent on us....they'd most likely survive in small numbers from their captivity situations and then once free, re-establish themselves. Our species as a whole is so arrogant. And I used to like to give the benefit of the doubt and think it's largely ignorance, which some of it is, but we truly are so ridiculous as to believe that we're "above" bees and bats to use the examples you've given.

I got this link inside a newsletter I got a few weeks ago, can't remember which group, but it's interesting and on topic so I hope it's ok to add it here. I'll look into Cowspiracy, but have a feeling it might be one of the ones that knocks me down emotionally. ... But yep, I think it would serve our species as a whole right also to find out what it's like to suffer the fates we've subjected so many others to even though there are individuals who I don't want to suffer, but....ours is the one species that can honestly be said about, whatever happens to us, our fate...we deserve.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/21/mass-extinction-science-warning

have gone vegan said in reply to Krissa...

Hey Krissa, hope you're completely flu-free fast!

And thanks for adding the link. Interesting indeed. I really wish the human species would stop being so complacent about our home and the fellow beings we share it with, and hopefully articles like the one you linked to will help all of us to wake up already.

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Saturday, June 20, 2015

some thoughts on fathering

 Can't believe it's been nearly a year already since my dad passed away, and that he won't be around this Father's Day. Although, to be honest, he wasn't around much period while his five kids were growing up, and made no secret of the fact that he had zero interest in parenting. (In case you think I'm exaggerating, each one of my siblings grew up being told that he would leave as soon as they turned 16, and he finally made good on his promise when my turn as the youngest came around.) In spite of this, three of my siblings and I had made some sort of peace with him before he died, and accepted his lack of involvement in our lives as something that wasn't to be taken too personally. A good role model for being a father he wasn't, but it could have been worse.

So with Father's Day around the corner (tomorrow!), and my post on mothering just behind me, I thought I'd take some time and continue talking about parenting. If, as I argued in my previous post, mothering is a role we don't really value, then fathering is a role valued even less. Sure, we pay lip service to the idea of celebrating the role of fatherhood, but even the holiday itself isn't emphasized as much as its counterpart.

Understandable, as regrettably, raising the next generation is still often thought of as women's work. Consider again that most men won't have to figure out how they'll combine work with child rearing, won't get asked how they'll accomplish that feat, and won't have to deal with the consequences of taking time out of the labour force to raise their kids if that's their choice. But that career comes first for men is still a given for most.  

As I also stated in the mothering post, the qualities of being a good parent -- nurturing, protecting, guiding, etc., are not, in my opinion, gender specific, and I think it's a shame that we've allowed outdated stereotypes to determine parenting roles. I've long felt that a mature and healthy adult is, for example, strong and sensitive, caring and assertive, rational and warm, empathetic and independent, and to label any of those traits as either masculine or feminine is both silly and limiting.

In that sense, I don't think a child needs both a mother and a father as claimed by those who champion traditional family values, as much as they need an adult in their lives who has the full range of qualities that every grown-up should have. Where it's helpful to have two adults involved in child-rearing is that it lessens the load, and hopefully provides a role model of what a positive relationship can look like. But whether those two adults are of the same gender or not is irrelevant, and I can tell you from personal experience that my own particular family would have been much better off if it had been "broken" far sooner.

And if mothering and fathering doesn't get the status it deserves among humans, then the industrial agricultural complex pretty much strips any status for other species. No respect is given to the natural bonds of motherhood and fatherhood, and parenthood is only valued if it benefits humans. Think puppy mills, zoos, aquariums, and of course all the victims considered food animals. A depressing thought indeed.

So once again I want to end with a reference to two of my favourite human dads, who daily give me hope, and who beautifully illustrate what fatherhood could and should be all about. :)

Comments

Hi Friend,
So sorry to hear that your father was not present for you when you were growing up and beyond. By now you know that I do not have fond feelings for the man who called me his father. He demanded respect from us rather than trying to earn it. He was domineering, cruel, unloving, demanding, physically and emotionally abusive to us, our mother and nonhuman animal companions.....And yet he could be kind on occasion. I could never understand this. Knowing that he could be kind made me feel guilty about hating him until my daughter and sister both said to me that he was a bad man who occasionally did good things. This still did not make him a good man. I felt strangely better after that.
The way we view fatherhood in this society can be strange. I am a child of the fifties, a time in which there were very strict rules about who did what in the family. So, I am not sure how much this has affected our current view of mothering and fathering. I do know that my husband did many more things with and for our children than his own father and that my son in law is involved much more in his children's lives than his own father was.
This may be a function of both parents working outside the home in today's oh so busy society-the chores, duties and responsibilities simply have to be divided more equitably. But I do think the attitude that raising the kids is the mother's job will take a little longer to change.
As to whether or not a mother's love is in thought and deed deeper than that of a father's, I have no clue! I had a terrible father and am not a father myself. I watched and benefitted from the love of my mother and I know how much I love my own kids.
I am reading a book entitled, "When Elephants Weep" by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. It is about the emotional lives of other species. In it he gives examples of fatherly love from marmosets, owl monkeys, beavers and the kiwi, ranging from slight to intense devotion. He states that this occurs about ten percent of the time. Humans are animals. Where we fit in and how we fit in to this equation is a mystery to me. Certainly many more than ten percent of human fathers love their children deeply and care for them and would protect them with their own lives.
No question that using nonhumans for our own purposes in the cruelest of ways deprives them of the right to live in emotional freedom, to love their families, to choose how to love and rear their own children. What we as species are doing to our brethren is unconscionable.
Many thanks for posting.
Anne

Hi Anne, although my father wasn't a great dad, we were still fortunate that he was physically and emotionally absent rather than abusive, and in a sense we suffered more harm from the parent who was present, but nonetheless managed to grow up without getting too screwed up. Then again, that may have been a generational thing as well, as I don't think parenting was as scrutinized as it is today.

I, in turn, am sorry for the suffering your father inflicted on you, your siblings, your mom, and household companions. He was not a nice man, and I think your daughter's and sister's summation of him sounds spot on.

Strides have been made, thankfully, in the way younger generations parent, and I hope that gender equality (although still far off) will continue to make inroads on institutions like the family.

I'll have to read that book! Beyond knowing that male seahorses are the ones to give birth and that male penguins take care of the eggs, I really don't know enough about male parenting styles among other species. Perhaps some of them would even put male human parenting to shame? :)

Hi Friend,

Families can be complicated organisms.
"When Elephants Weep" is an interesting, informative and important book. Too bad that it takes studies and a book like this to point out the obvious:that other species have emotions on which they act.
We seem to see it and accept it in our animal companions but are loathe to admit that cows, pigs, orangutans and so on have feelings,feel joy, grieve, are capricious, fun loving and grumpy. If we recognize and accept this we will have to change the way we use and treat them. As I said in my latest post, "Give these beings back to their families".
Take care,
Anne

I think If we recognize and accept this we will have to change the way we use and treat them hits the nail on the head, and may be why so many people would rather not look at the issue too closely.

Krissa said...

I "knew" it was Esther's dads!!! :) ... I had to think back over the years to make sure I'm not wrong about this and I don't think I am. The only family of non-human animals that I've ever personally witnessed with both mother, father and babies are the sheep at the place I visit that I've mentioned before. And while the babies did used to more often than not stay closer to their mother, they definitely are close with their father too and you can really see that they're a little family who love each other. They aren't living a natural life by any means, but at least they weren't ripped apart when the babies were just-born or younger. Seeing them together is a special thing and I'm glad for them that they have each other. :)

have gone vegan said in reply to Krissa...

Ha ha, of course! :)

Yeah, I'm glad their sanctuary is host to a bunch of families -- April and her 5 piglets, William, Catherine and George the goats, the chickens who adopted their own chick, and bonded friends (the big pigs, horse and donkey) who were allowed to come together instead of being separated. It's a happy place, and a space that gives me hope.

veganelder said...

Great post. You will likely enjoy the writing about this topic over on the VINE sanctuary blog. (http://blog.bravebirds.org/archives/1394)

Fathering...Mothering...it's tricky stuff. My sisters thought our father was terrific...I had a more ambivalent take on him.

Your post made me think of the title of a book by Bruno Bettelheim...it's called "A Good Enough Parent"...maybe that's the best we can hope for and anything beyond that is a gift.

Most relationships are not "terrific" and in the end...parenting is about being in a relationship...one of unequal power. That's the kind of thing we human animals seem to have serious difficulties with...at least in Euro-American societies.

Like I said...parenting is tricky stuff.

have gone vegan said in reply to veganelder...

Hi veganelder, I DID enjoy that post, immensely, and pattrice's brilliance never fails to disappoint me. Can't wait for their own press to become reality.

I love how she questions the automatic assumptions that are made, and shows so clearly the underpinning patriarchal mechanisms at play. I wish I had her gift of illumination! And communication. :)

Ha, just saw that you referenced her writing in your "didn't do a post" post, and will go back there a bit later to comment, and hopefully catch up with the rest of your musings... see you then!

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Sunday, May 10, 2015

some thoughts on mothering

 By age twelve I had already decided that motherhood wasn't for me, in part because I didn't want to risk subjecting a child to the same kind of screwed-up childhood I was experiencing myself. Imagine my surprise then when decades later I've ended up doing a form of mothering anyway, in a classic case of role reversal with my aging mom. And while there are challenges to taking care of a parent who didn't particularly take good care of you, there are rewards as well. These include closure, working through unresolved issues, grieving a relationship that never was, and providing the kind of nurturing and caring that my younger self craved but didn't receive enough of. And as odd as it may sound, providing this kind of care for someone else is self-nurturing too. I can even see how having had my own kids may have speeded up this healing process, although biologically it's too late for that now. Which isn't to glamorize or minimize any of the hard work involved in taking care of a living being, whether they're eight months old, or eighty-eight years. 

But while today celebrates the role of mothering, I would argue that it's a role we don't really value. We don't define it particularly well, or even give much thought as to whether we should take it on. Folk who opt out of parenthood are often characterized as being selfish and shallow, whereas those who don't give it a second thought, who automatically assume that that's what people do, are lauded as being unselfish and giving. Never mind overpopulation and the various environmental implications. This isn't to say that no one should have kids, but that anyone contemplating having them ought to give serious thought as to the consequences, because not doing so is the actual selfish and shallow act. Parenting, in my view, should be thought of as a privilege rather than a right, and with rights come responsibilities.

Because what other enterprise in our society is as unregulated, unlicensed and unreviewed? Do anything else -- drive a car, buy a gun (in itself an insane act, in my opinion), or enter any number of professions -- and you'll likely need a licence or at least some form of training. But become a parent, and hey, no demonstration of skills or aptitude required. Parenting has to be one of the least paperless activities around, even though it's purported to be the most difficult task there is. Hmmm. 

And as for value, what do we pay people to be parents? To prepare the next generation to become responsible and model citizens? What is this most important work worth? Then compare that to what we pay hockey players, basketball stars, actors, CEO's, and whatever redeeming title you can manage to come up with for anyone whose last name is Kardashian, and it boggles the mind. 

What about all the shelters, programs and services set up for domestic abuse victims? Women and children mainly, although men fall prey as well at times. Take Back The Night has been around forever it seems, and the stats on sexual assault don't appear to be dropping either. So if we value the labour of women when it comes to raising kids so much, why don't we take the man out of the home and off of the street when violence occurs rather than forcing the woman to flee?

And what of this role called mothering? What does it mean to be a mother? We don't spell it out clearly enough methinks, but to my mind mothering involves nurturing, raising, protecting, teaching, guiding, caring, playing, helping, mentoring, setting a good example and being an effective role model. 

What about fathering? Not a term we hear as often as mothering, but surely it also means protecting, raising, caring, guiding, nurturing, helping, setting a good example, teaching, playing and being an effective mentor and role model. Notice that all of these attributes are shared by both male and female parents, although unfortunately the onus is still on mothers to do the lion's share of raising kids. Because when are men ever asked, for example, how they'll combine childcare and work?

Notice too that all the qualities of being a good (or good enough) parent are not species-specific. If we really value mothering, shouldn't we recognize and respect the mother-child bond wherever it occurs? Take a look at any undercover footage of factory farming, and you'll see just how much we actually value mothering.  Sadly, as with human mothering, not that much.

But veganism can change that. Does change that. And to end this post on a positive note, here's a video of a fabulous new mother, and a nod to two human dads who prove that nurturing, protecting and providing is everyone's job, although these two do it particularly well. 

Comments

veganelder said...

Hooray for you...for everything! :-)

I was just thinking about this caring stuff the other day, one of the bunnies who lives with us has a neurological problem with one back leg and can't get around at all. Part of caring means a butt bath daily. I've come to truly appreciate the self-nurturing (your word...a good one) aspects of caring for her. At first I dreaded it, now it is one of the best parts of the day (for me...she's not too happy about it...but tolerates it). The stuff about giving to get has more power than we often appreciate.

Give you a hug from me please. :-)

have gone vegan said in reply to veganelder...

Hug taken, thank you! :)

Bunny butt baths, hmmm. My first thought was, rather you than me, but it's amazing what we can end up doing for our loved ones that we initially likely could not even have envisioned ourselves capable of.

As for giving (which of course you can do in so many different ways), I'm currently reading Peter Singer's The Most Good You Can Do, a book about effective altruism. Thought it might be interesting to explore the best possible ways to give (especially financially) when resources are limited. And apparently Nick Cooney has just written on the same subject.

Krissa said...

This is so well written and encompasses so much of so many things I have thought and felt myself. Thank you for putting it into words so well.

For reasons too many to go into, I will leave my thoughts about human mothering out of this. But I will say that it is so sad to me that our species is the one and only species that I know of that deprives other mothers and their children of their place as mother and child in so many different ways.

I've been having massive computer problems and the link you have on here isn't "blue", but I'm going to copy/paste it. I'm not on Facebook though so not sure I'll be able to see it, but thanks for sharing anyway because I'm sure it's well worth watching.

There's more I could write, but it wouldn't add anything to what you wrote so I will leave it at, this is a great post!

have gone vegan said in reply to Krissa...

Thanks Krissa! :)

Yeah, it's sad isn't it, that our species is so callous when it comes to dividing mothers and children, even though it's the only species that can actually name the bond it destroys.

Sorry to hear about the computer problems. Might I suggest that you keep either Esther's or the sanctuary page open in a separate window? That way it'll be easier to have a peek whenever you need a lift! :)

Krissa said...

OH!!! I was hoping it might be Esther! Her family is so awesome!!! Thanks for the video!! I'm missing some of it as I type so I'll re-watch!!! :)

Krissa said in reply to Krissa...

Happily Ever Esther...:) I sure hope you can go visit them some day. ... It was so nice to see (I can't get the audio on this computer, if there is any) the wonderful life that Esther and her family have been able to give others. :)

have gone vegan said in reply to Krissa...

Me too! :)

Aw, no audio? That's sometimes the best part of the videos as Steve (he's usually the narrator) has a great voice and an infectious laugh to go with it.

Krissa said in reply to have gone vegan...

I'm so glad I checked to see if you'd replied because in the meantime, I dug through the basement and got some cheap speakers out to get audio on here. The only way to get audio on this laptop is through the output and, having destroyed many a pair of ear buds using them to get through the nights and to sometimes fall asleep....I didn't have any way to hear it, but now I do. And now I know that the independent little one is Peggy. :) I love their voices. :) Happiness has a sound, eh? :)

have gone vegan said in reply to Krissa...

Yep, it sure does. And it's so nice to watch their happy family grow. Have no idea how they do everything they all do within 24 hours (although I suspect they have a strong support network), so it's even more amazing that they manage to keep their many online Esther-addicted fans media-fed as well! ;)

Hi Friend,

Ah yes, the subject of parenting-no great manual for that. We just all think that we will do a better job than our parents did. I am extremely fortunate to have been loved by a wonderful mom, who is never far from my thoughts. This is not the case for my father, who was not a good human being or husband or father. But yet, I grew up wanting to be a mother more than anything else in this world. And being a grandmother is an added bonus.

But parenting is not for everyone, that is for sure. I think it is a very unselfish act to make the decision not to have children if it is not right for oneself.

I believe that the violence we show to mothers and families of other species is as Dr Tuttle says, directly related to our meat eating culture of domination. We cannot be peaceful and loving and kind in our own lives when we are perpetrating such atrocities, whether we are perpetrating the abuse or paying for it.

Dr Tuttle goes on the say that the beginning of herding signaled the beginning of the subjugation of the Sacred Feminine and I think this is true. Women, Femininity and Motherhood used to be revered. Until we get back to that we can not expect any kind of viable peace on earth.

I met Esther's two dads at the First Annual Veg Fest in Montreal, QC, Canada this past September. The story of loving Esther and then becoming vegan the moment they sat down to another breakfast of bacon is life altering. The change was instantaneous and now they are developing a Farmed Animal Sanctuary in Ontario. This is heartwarming and beautiful. These stories give me hope.

Thank you for a very thoughtful post.
Take care.
Anne

And thank you for your thoughtful comment! :)

Ah yes, love the two dads. Their story and their compassion and method of advocacy give me hope as well. And if their personalities are the same offline as they are online, then I'm even more impressed. I really don't have their level of patience, and would likely be far more snarky with, for example, all the questions they continually get bombarded with. No, those two are ideally suited to building and maintaining both a sanctuary and a strong social media presence, AND (unlike myself) being effective and snark-free advocates and educators.


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