I agree with you in principle, but until at which point we have the technological and production capabilities in place to fully feed the planet without the need for livestock and other animal sources of nutrients, the distinction has to exist. We may have gotten to the point of being technologically capable but the human population is very much reliant on animal sources to sustain itself. And so the distinction is necessary. I’m not arguing that it’s right or just or morally correct. But it’s where we are and what is required to continue existing as a species.
And by no means am I saying that those animals we see as livestock don’t deserve to be treated with care and respect while they are alive. I just believe the distinctive categories of pets and livestock are an unfortunate requirement of our current situation.
the human population is very much reliant on animal sources to sustain itself
Do you have a source for that? What % of the global meat consumption is actually necessary and what is just for pleasure? And don’t get me started on food waste…
what is required to continue existing as a species
Do you mean scale up as a species? We’ve existed for how many thousands of years in a sustainable way?
the distinctive categories of pets and livestock are an unfortunate requirement of our current situation
A requirement for what? You said we need animals to sustain ourselves. What do we need the distinction of pets for?
You wanna share your opinion as it differs to mine, I’m happy to engage with that. But I am absolutely not interested in whatever tit for tat, nit-picky debate that wants to be.
I’m saying as long as the consumption of animals and animal products is part of the most viable means for satisfying the nutritional debt of the human species, the human psychological need to distinguish between pets and livestock is necessary.
Do we need, or is it right to keep pets? is its own set of moral questions.
I agree with you in principle, but until at which point we have the technological and production capabilities in place to fully feed the planet without the need for livestock and other animal sources of nutrients, the distinction has to exist. We may have gotten to the point of being technologically capable but the human population is very much reliant on animal sources to sustain itself. And so the distinction is necessary. I’m not arguing that it’s right or just or morally correct. But it’s where we are and what is required to continue existing as a species.
And by no means am I saying that those animals we see as livestock don’t deserve to be treated with care and respect while they are alive. I just believe the distinctive categories of pets and livestock are an unfortunate requirement of our current situation.
Do you have a source for that? What % of the global meat consumption is actually necessary and what is just for pleasure? And don’t get me started on food waste…
Do you mean scale up as a species? We’ve existed for how many thousands of years in a sustainable way?
A requirement for what? You said we need animals to sustain ourselves. What do we need the distinction of pets for?
I’ll pass.
You wanna share your opinion as it differs to mine, I’m happy to engage with that. But I am absolutely not interested in whatever tit for tat, nit-picky debate that wants to be.
I’m saying as long as the consumption of animals and animal products is part of the most viable means for satisfying the nutritional debt of the human species, the human psychological need to distinguish between pets and livestock is necessary.
Do we need, or is it right to keep pets? is its own set of moral questions.
We’ve had the capacity for feeding the entire population without animal products since before iron.
We’ve had the capacity to do so with an overabundance of calories that the population keeps growing larger since the Haber process was discovered.
Arguing that we should distinguish between animals and livestock until we can live without animal products is incredibly disingenuous.
Until A, no B doesn’t work as an argument when you already have A.
Edit: I’m not the same person you were talking with before.