Animals - One of the primary rules of healthy living is to do no harm.

One of the primary rules of healthy living is to do no harm. 

Scientists are uncertain how many animals inhabit planet Earth. According to a recent study in the journal PLoS Biology, there are 8.7 million species of animal life on our planet—and every year, new species are discovered. Each and every creature is an integral part of the tapestry of life. 

When one creature disappears the fabric of the biosphere begins to unravel. The great unravelling that is underway now is completely caused by humankind. We tend to view the world we live in—and often all other life, except domestic animals—as the “other.”

Our belief in human supremacy (often referred to as anthropocentric thinking) allows us to place ourselves at the centre of the universe. We view our uniqueness as a sign of separation from the rest of life that swirls around us and within us, what a sad mistake.

We raise and kill billions of animals each year. These non-human beings are raised to never fulfil their life to enjoy the company of their kind, to breed naturally and raise their young. All are killed when they are in their adolescent stage of growth and have finished their initial growth spurt. They are never given the chance to experience their full life. We have despoiled the land, the air, and the waters of the world in our quest to raise food for the animals we eat. And we damage our own health in the process.

This extinction of land life is matched in the world’s oceans. Oceans are being emptied of native fish at an alarming rate to satisfy our appetites. Commercial fishing operations needlessly kill sea creatures that are not viable in the market or are too small and waste them. At the present kill rate, the seas will be virtually empty by 2050.

The Human Ecology Project Newsletter will keep you up to date with how to live a healthy life while respecting the right to life for the animals we share the world with.