Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves: Why Animals Matter for Pandemics, Climate Change, and Other Catastrophes

by Jeff Sebo

In 2020, COVID-19, the Australia bushfires, and other global threats served as vivid reminders that human and nonhuman fates are increasingly linked. Human use of nonhuman animals contributes to pandemics, climate change, and other global threats which, in turn, contribute to biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and nonhuman suffering.

Jeff Sebo argues that humans have a moral responsibility to include animals in global health and environmental policy. In particular, we should reduce our use of animals as part of our pandemic and climate change mitigation efforts and increase our support for animals as part of our adaptation efforts. Applying and extending frameworks such as One Health and the Green New Deal, Sebo calls for reducing support for factory farming, deforestation, and the wildlife trade; increasing support for humane, healthful, and sustainable alternatives; and considering human and nonhuman needs holistically. Sebo also considers connections with practical issues such as education, employment, social services, and infrastructure, as well as with theoretical issues such as well-being, moral status, political status, and population ethics.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Philosophy, Science, Activism

Audible Audio

Published June 21, 2022

About the author

Jeff Sebo is associate professor of environmental studies; affiliated professor of bioethics, medical ethics, philosophy and law; director of the animal studies master’s program; director of the mind, ethics and policy program; and co-director of the wild animal welfare program at New York University. His books are Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves (Oxford University Press, 2022), Chimpanzee Rights (Routledge, 2018) and Food, Animals and the Environment (Routledge, 2018).

Reviews

[Daniel Hageman · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I personally enjoyed the depth of philosophy brought into this book, I'm not sure that it makes it as a whole as approachable to a broad audience as I think something covering these topics needs to be. Thankfully, much of niche philosophical discussion is left to the final chapters, as oppose to entangled throughout, so it's fairly easy for readers to entertain the bulk of the book without getting too heavily into the weeds.

With respect to its discussion of population ethics, it's unfortunate that there this remains to be yet another rendition of said topic that fails to take seriously minimalist axiologies and 'solutions'. The recent essay, by Simon Knutsson, would be very helpful for Sebo to consider and incorporate.

https://centerforreducingsuffering.or...

[Heather Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive and easy to read book about why we should care about the fates of animals in the Anthropocene – both for their sake and our own - and the actions we can take to help them. Sebo identifies the main problem areas as factory farming, deforestation, and wildlife trade, and looks at their effects on animals and ourselves. Particularly in the current global crises – pandemics and climate change - our interrelations with animals and our entwined fates are more salient than ever. He examines the practical considerations toward overcoming some of the barriers to change and making required trade-offs. He advocates for some specific actions – research, advocacy, reduced support for industries that harm animals, education and employment in animal-related careers, and perhaps most importantly, legal and political recognition of animals as more than objects/property for their inclusion in social and political decision-making. This sort of work is important for framing our interactions with animals as we move into the future.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has not been a special area of interest for me, but that changed after I was about a chapter in. The author is very clear and his argument is compelling. Recommended.

[Tyner Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply compelling, persuasive, thought provoking, and inspirational. Highest recommendation for anyone interested in animal protection and philosophy.