Energy Rationing

1848:

Edited by CJ Tointon

The purpose of a 'big brain' is not for feathering our own nests, but for 'doing good', whether mentally, physically or spiritually. It's what we DO that counts and this hinges on choice. The best choices we make often come out of our taking an initiative. We've weighed our options, remembered our signed (or unsigned) contracts and not forgotten our responsibilities. Going by these guidelines seems to fit with us being guardians. We are guardians of children, animals and possessions. This presents us with choices. We can either take care of the things for which we are personally responsible - or treat them abusively.

Our relationships are our own responsibility and each initiative we make is a call on our energy supplies. By deciding on our priorities and how much energy we can afford, we might consider Going Vegan, supporting Animal Liberation, thinking in a non-speciesist way. But if non-human species are low on our priority list, we come back to that thinking: "Why use up valuable energy on Animal Rights?" This is where the mystery of energy comes in. It seems to self-generate when we do good stuff - like becoming active in Animal Rights. We can find a whole new purpose for living and likely it will be a lifetime's job. I can only speak for myself; but I'm drawn to this idea of being a guardian and an advocate. You might feel the same way, but wonder about all the energy it will involve.

A lot of our energy must be self-generated from doing what we love doing, in much the same way that athletes get their energy from daily training. As activists and advocates, our main energy comes from the thought that we're guardians. I know parents can identify with this. They get very altruistic - for their children. Being childless and aware of animal issues, I want to be as useful as possible to other undefended beings, especially the current fifteen billion animals in human custody.

Back to energy. Love is the best known source of it. Love shines so brightly if only by contrasting so completely with the crude energy of the smash-&-grab mob. Their way is to treat animals with no holds barred. Cruelty is just part of a familiar dark world in which there's no redeeming feature. In that harsh world, animals are made to work for us. We drain their life from them. And all in the name of Energy - for humans! We hear the half-convincing farmer say that he loves his animals. But in truth the care he shows his inmates is in the interests of humans not animals. He knows that animals respond better and grow faster when treated better. His theory: "More is gained from them the less they're abused." Omnivore theory: "Food is cheap. It's easily extracted from animals".