This ongoing pandemic may have given you cause to rethink your position on how we treat, in this case, food animals, whether in the live markets of the Far East or in the uncivilised conditions of factory farms in the western world. In both cases either through the transference of viruses from one species to another or by greatly assisting virus mutation through the over use of antibiotics, we risk another outbreak in the future. If this is the case, you may find a piece I wrote back in 2004, useful. The following is included in my book An Autobiography of Sorts in a section called A Deeper Connection on pages 125/126.

A Deeper Connection

…..This is a life force over which we have, for far too long, arrogantly exercised our power and superiority. Why do we choose to show such contempt for other manifestations of this life force? There is no need to create such appalling suffering for pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys, whales, bulls, reindeer, bears, greyhounds, foxes, dolphins, turtles, mink, horses, fish, elephants, tigers etc, etc. None of this is necessary. None. I really don’t understand why we have not grown beyond this behaviour ethically, environmentally or health wise. Actually I do understand; in the case of meat eating or blood sports, for example, it’s killing merely for pleasure*, where the life of another creature is less important to us than the satisfaction of our taste buds or the fun of the chase. Given conscious choice and without the justification of need, the killing becomes, let’s face it, a thoughtless and brutal self-indulgence so deep seated in our culture that it is seldom addressed. It is considered so normal that few give it a second thought. Maybe we need to take time out to reflect as to whether such actions can be part of, or are consistent with, a genuinely civilised society. I am deeply and totally convinced that our cultural myopia towards viewing other forms of life as simply fodder or clothing or experimental tools or sport is fundamentally blocking our ability to see life as inter-connected, as part of ourselves. If we could but see it, we could then engender the principle of co-existence in deep respect of what other species, both plant and animal, need and want. If we can make this paradigm shift I am sure we will look back in amazement at our sickening arrogance and insensitivity with a profound sense of shame.

While I write this the swallows are amassing and fattening up for their annual flight to Africa; the dragonflies are active in laying their last eggs in the pond; the squirrels are conscientiously burying the hazelnuts amongst the flowers and the craneflies are punching their ovipositors into the lawn and the last flush of autumn flowers are dignifying the perennial beds. Isn’t all this extraordinary, doesn’t it raise joy in our hearts, doesn’t it confound ours minds as to how all this came to be? Aren’t these the feelings which we try to evoke in some small way in our work? So why can’t we extend this wonder outwards to all other species? If we are so rightly concerned with the expression or re-expression of beauty and vitality in our culture why do we allow and condone the callous, life-denying ugliness of the killing houses, however well disguised their products, whether on our backs or on our feet or on our plates? As an animal do we not consider our own lives as precious? So why not others? The right to life in all it’s manifest forms is unfortunately a context far removed from our present speciesism.

*Exceptions: Where there is no other choice: Survival in a life threatening situation: The regrettable but sometimes necessary management of wildlife populations for other than pleasurable reasons.