DO ANIMALS DESERVE TO BE GIVEN THE SAME RESPECT AND DIGNITY THAT WE AFFORD THE MEMBERS OF OUR OWN SPECIES? Animal Liberation

What does it mean for an animal to have rights? Legally, “Animal Rights” tends to mean the rights of nonhuman animals not to be exploited for human purposes and that the interests of non-human animals should be given the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings. Animal Liberation refers to the action of freeing nonhuman animals from exploitation by humans. An animal rights discussion is framed in the legal perspective, but this guide includes philosophical and non religious perspectives of animal liberation as well.

Three Senses of Animal Rights The moral-status sense: Animals have at least some moral status. Animals do not exist solely for human use, so they should be treated well for their own sake. The equal-consideration sense: We must give equal moral weight to humans’ and nonhuman animals’ comparable interests. The utility-trumping sense: Like humans, other animals have vital interests that we must not override (with few if any exceptions) even in an effort to maximize utility for society.

Animal Rights & Atheism Religion focuses on humans, and generally pays very little attention to nonhuman animals. Religion is often viewed as a hierarchical system of oppression. Is religion antithetical to animal liberation due to it’s oppressive and human-centric nature?

Factory Farming Factory Farming is the process of raising livestock and other farm animals in close quarters to maximize efficiency. Animals kept in these conditions often experience injury, disease, and premature death.

Animal Agriculture & The Environment Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than all transportation combined. Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet.

Animal Welfare Act of 1966 The Animal Welfare Act was signed into law in It is the only Federal law in the United States that regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers. The act fails to address the care and treatment of farm animals used for food or small animals used for testing such as rats and mice.