Our New Site
July 19, 2012 by Michael Mountain
We’re moving to a new site: Earth in Transition. You’ll find our new posts, along with the Zoe archives, on the new site. We’ll look forward to seeing you there.
When You’re Dead, Are You Really?
July 12, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Have you ever imagined being dead and buried … and then waking up in a coffin, like in an Edgar Allen Poe story? Or being paralyzed, not dead, and trying to scream as they take your liver out? Or perhaps, when Fido or Fluffy died, you insisted on calling the vet anyway – just to be sure. You’re not just paranoid.
Zoos Trying to Play Noah
July 5, 2012 by MichaelMountain
With a bit of divine intervention, taking a few animals into Noah’s Ark might have worked to repopulate wildlife a few thousand years ago. But it certainly wouldn’t today. Captive breeding isn’t about conservation of species; it’s about conservation of zoos. And the primary work of zoos is to entertain (not educate) the public. That’s why millions of dollars are being spent on these breeding programs, rather than on protecting wildlife.
When Religion Means Cruelty to Animals
June 18, 2012 by MichaelMountain
Rabbis and imams argue that a law prohibiting kosher and halal methods of slaughter would prevent people from practicing their religion. Animal rights philosopher has an interesting take on this. And here’s my view, too.
Where the Earth Has Legal Rights
June 7, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Bolivia’s Law of Mother Earth recognizes that all living things have certain legal rights, and that the natural world has equal status to human beings.
Can Zoos Save Animals from Extinction?
May 28, 2012 by Michael Mountain
What happens when the primary mission of a zoo, which is to entertain people, meets up with a secondary mission to become involved in conservation programs?
“Melancholia” and Climate Change – How the World Ends
May 23, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Is the arrival of the doom-laden, rogue planet Melancholia, in last year’s movie of the same name, a metaphor for what’s happening as climate change overtakes the Earth?
Why Chimpanzees Kill
May 21, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Chimpanzees don’t pretend to each other that the wars they’re fighting are “good wars” – fought for ethical purposes, in which “we” are on the “good” side. That’s a uniquely human wrinkle on violence.
All You Can Eat
May 10, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese. We’re not only eating ourselves to death; the “food” we eat is actively poisoning us. And some of it is poisoning the planet, too.
What’s Up with the Genesis Awards?
May 7, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Two big no-no’s at this year’s Genesis Awards. The HSUS needs a whole new selection committee, plus it should have raised holy hell and walked away from the relationship with Animal Planet.
