Animal Law Reform South Africa held a panel on October 14th 2021 in which they discussed integrating legal and policy efforts into animal welfare, social justice and better environmental health. CAAWO’s own Executive Director, Tozie Zofuka, spoke at the panel. The discussion was centered around the importance of seeing humanity and nature as one in order to tackle the climate crisis effectively.
Where Animal Welfare Began
Long before currency, consumerism, and industrialisation, humans considered humanity to be a part of nature. It was the belief that every living or natural being was needed for the survival and health of the whole earth. There are many reasons why this belief faded into obsoletion, one of which being the philosopher René Descartes. Descartes perceived and framed humans as being wholly separate from nature and other living creatures and his view was extremely influential in the conception of modern science.
This is a problematic attitude to have because when something is seen as an asset to be used rather than an important part of our ecosystem, it is inevitably exploited. From a young age we learn about the circle of life, how every single part of our natural world is integral to the survival of the whole. However, this theory is rarely put into practice in the modern world.
Our global socioeconomic systems are built on consumerism, profit, and the exploitation of nature for our own temporary fulfillment. We see and feel the negative effects of this today through climate change, global warming, and their consequences. In order to correct climate change, we need to remember the importance of our earth’s ecosystems as life-giving entities rather than profitable operations.
This re-education needs to begin now and it is crucial to incorporate animal welfare and environmental health in schooling from a young age to fully understand the connection between humans, non-humans and the environment.
If you want to contribute positively to the integration of the environment, human, and non-human beings, please donate to CAAWO and support our work. It would be most appreciated.
