Fighting For Animal Rights

Who says only humans have rights. Animals have rights too although it is often overlooked by many simply because they are not up to par with the human race. They are the inferior species, it is true but it does not mean we can just trample on their rights just like that because they are living beings that can feel and get hurt too. Not everyone treats animals this way but it can’t be denied that there are those who enjoy inflicting pain and making these poor animals suffer for their own enjoyment. In the likes of these people are hunters, poachers, and everyone else who patronizes cruelty to animals in one way or the other.

Many times society has been torn as to what to feel and how to act on circumstances where animal life is not given importance at all. Science, after all, uses animals in their research and every other industry that require a testing of some sort before they can safely sell their products to their end consumers – humans. Shops that sell animal-related souvenirs or exotic delicacies are also included in this list. And if you look at it, our society has embraced some sort of tolerance to these behaviors over the years and some even consider it as part of the norm.

This dispute once again gave rise to questions about the legal personality of non-humans.

The 21st century has seen many attempts to recognise animals as legal subjects — from granting them protection from cruel treatment, to arguments for recognising them as legal persons and granting them property rights — but there has been discomfort in giving them a plenary membership within the human legal community. Scholars like Benjamin Berger have argued that it is the contrived attempt to treat humans and animals similarly that has obscured our understanding of animals as legal subjects, while moral philosopher Peter Singer contends that the idea of the species divide itself is feigned, and so the moral and legal distinction irrelevant.

(Via: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-legal-status-of-animals/article19710497.ece)

What confuses the majority are the conflicting perspectives of society in general over the very core meaning of animal rights and as to which animals have rights to be upheld and which ones aren’t that important. Remember that we are omnivorous eaters and meat is a big part of our cuisine, so it is understandable that we are torn over this subject because we eat fish, poultry, beef, etc. in our day-to-day meals. So, does that mean we stop eating meat from now on?

The Israeli march is expected to surpass a 1990 event in which 25,000 people marched for animal rights in Washington, DC.

Keynote speaker at Rabin Square at approximately 9:30pm will be Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the largest animal-rights organization in the world. Also coming to Israel for the event is James Aspey, a global animal-rights activist based in Sydney, Australia.

The march’s theme this year is “It’s in our hands.” Participants will be advocating for the rights of wild animals, strays and animals held in the entertainment, medical experiments, food and clothing industries, as well as for banning the sale of fur products in Israel, banning import of live animals for slaughter and increasing the national budget for spay-neuter programs.

(Via: https://www.israel21c.org/tel-aviv-to-host-worlds-largest-animal-rights-march/)

The issue of morality is the main reason why some people are fighting for the rights of these animals, aside from them not being able to fight for their rights themselves. If you think about it, there shouldn’t really be an issue on animal rights at all if we only learn to coexist with each other and respect the rights of one another. But unfortunately, there will be casualties as some species have to sacrifice in order for the human race to push forth the innovations and development we are all aspiring for.

While we can’t totally obliterate the conflict with animal rights, just being a little more sensitive about not hurting any animal in our daily life and not supporting any forms of cruelty towards the animal species as a whole is already a great start. You don’t necessarily have to become a vegan to make a point. The issue here is the senseless violence animals have to endure for human’s pleasure. Steer away from those and you are doing the best that you can in your own little ways.

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The Problem With Hygiene

Everyone understands the essence of a good hygiene. Of course, you don’t want to be that stinky person most people want to avoid. And it also plays a big role in your success or failure in life. The majority of us take a bath daily and spend a good deal of our time inside the bathroom, so it’s safe to say we spend years in total doing our personal thing in the comfort of that enclosed space. Women probably spend more time because they have to deal with more feminine issues than men do and they have their monthly period to deal with and other icky “girl” stuff.

There is nothing wrong with taking care of your hygiene because it has a big impact on your health. The problem now arises on the trash we leave behind from using the loo. Sanitary products like tissue paper, tampons, napkins, etc. can create a big problem once they pile up. It is even more taxing if they are flushed down the drain. While most of these products say it is safe to do so, we don’t really have an idea what happens to them after.

Sanitary products are made from approximately 90 per cent plastic and, along with their plastic packaging, generate a mammoth 200,000 tonnes of waste per year in the UK alone. That's plastic which can take up to 500 years to decompose and potentially release harmful chemicals into seas and rivers if not disposed of correctly. Fish have even begun ingesting it, causing damage to their insides.

Statistics show that the average woman in the UK uses more than 11,000 disposable menstrual products in her lifetime and spends over £18,000 on the luxury of having them. In 2010, a UK beach clean found an average of 23 sanitary pads and nine tampon applicators per kilometre of British coastline. As demand is so high, companies pile up more stock than necessary, and stores end up disposing of new, unopened packages that aren't bought, says Hayley Smith, founder of Flow Aid, an organisation that campaigns for free sanitary products for homeless women.

(Via: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/thinx-reusable-sanitary-products-environment-waste)

Perhaps a lot of women will feel bad after knowing this as if the pain and suffering they have to go through during that day of the month isn’t enough of a burden for them but we can't deny the need for many of these sanitary products to keep them sane and clean because women have special needs after all. Yet no amount of rationalizing will erase the fact that most sanitary products are made of 90% plastic. And we all know that plastic is (very) bad for the environment, right?

Perhaps it is no coincidence that the record-breaking fatberg was discovered during a week of coordinated nationwide beach clean-ups, run by volunteers (Monster fatberg found inside London sewer, 13 September). Fatbergs like the “monster” found in Whitechapel could easily be avoided, but it’s time for an honest discussion about the causes. It’s not just cooking oil but a range of other items that we flush down our loos.

Tampons are widely believed to be flushable but swell up in sewers, combining with oil to create impenetrable blockages. Blocked sewers overflow into rivers, leading to the oceans, hence the huge clean-ups needed every year to rid our beaches of so-called sanitary waste. 

(Via: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/18/how-to-win-the-battle-against-sanitary-waste)

Now you know. Your waste doesn’t just disappear off the face of the planet once it disappears from your sight. This trash accumulates in the drainage or sewer and can block the pipes. It becomes a major headache during the rainy season because it contributes to the flooding in your area. What’s worse is when they end up on natural water sources like the river and they get washed to the beach and endanger the lives of marine life in the ocean.

Conservationists are hyping up the issue because we all experience the negative impact of climate change for quite some time now. We have witnessed the intense power of hurricanes and the destruction it leaves behind. Many other natural calamities have intensified and became a really big threat to human lives and properties. Since we (especially women) can’t avoid the use of these hygienic products, developing better waste management techniques and systems is an acceptable solution to this problem that the government should look into now, not tomorrow.

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