12/07/2017
Hi everyone! Please take a minute to read this. From today until December 20th, effective altruist philosophers are fundraising for the Humane League, which is demonstrably one of the world’s most effective charities. The Humane League fights factory farming by persuading individuals and organizations to adopt behaviors and policies that reduce farmed animal suffering. This is very important, not only because it will significantly reduce non-human animal suffering, but also because it will benefit humans. Here are just two reasons why. First, abstaining from purchasing meat will do more to reduce your carbon footprint than anything else you can do. So, environmentalists should want to donate to the Humane League. Second, workers in factory farms are horrifically exploited and, ceteris paribus, it’s obviously better not to support human exploitation than to support it.
The Humane League is the only organization to have been rated a top charity by independent research organization Animal Charity Evaluators (https://animalcharityevaluators.org/donation-advice/recommended-charities/) during every period of its existence. The Humane League is committed to evidence-based advocacy, regularly undertaking and publishing research through Humane League Labs, to identify and act on best practices in animal advocacy.
Farmed animal suffering is a pressing and under-recognized issue of staggering dimensions, with over *60 billion* terrestrial animals and many more fish raised and killed in factory farms (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/factory-farming-animal-cruelty/) each year globally. These animals endure a lifetime of suffering, typically confined in crates so small that they cannot turn around or walk a single step, and subjected to numerous painful industry practices, such as tail-docking and debeaking without anesthesia. The Humane League exists to help combat and ultimately end these practices.
The Humane League works towards this goal through a combination of corporate campaigns and grassroots outreach. Animal Charity Evaluators estimates that, in 2017, The Humane League’s corporate campaigns will help cause 60–190 policy changes affecting 100 million–3 billion laying hens and broiler chickens each year. Their grassroots outreach exposes hundreds of thousands to carefully-tailored leaflets, videos, and humane education presentations, and in 2016 they were instrumental in mobilizing a victorious campaign banning the worst forms of confinement for calves, hens, and pigs in the state of Massachusetts.
By donating to The Humane League, you can literally help save thousands of lives and move us ever closer to ending factory farming. Last year, philosophers collectively raised about $60,000 for the Against Malaria Foundation. I would like to see if we can do even better this year. Any gift will help. For just about every $11 donated, the Humane League can convince someone to go vegetarian for a year. Here is a more specific breakdown of how $1,000 donation would be used (https://animalcharityevaluators.org/charity-review/the-humane-league/).
To donate, click the link below. Philosophy departments are having a friendly competition to see who can raise the most. So, feel free to select Seton Hall Philosophy when you donate!
The Humane League (THL) fights factory farming by persuading individuals and organizations to adopt behaviors and policies that reduce farmed animal suffering. THL has a very good claim to being among the best animal advocacy organizations in the world. They are the only organization to ...
