Many forms of energy

1630: 

That we believe animals (i.e. food animals) are low on our priority list, and that we think their treatment is not very important, reflects a rather alarming attitude in humans. And yet it’s probably coming from a very basic survival instinct, connected with saving energy. We are brought up to think that animal food is the best source of energy, and that in turn is linked to an attitude about energy itself, and where it comes from and how it can be most usefully produced.

Energy comes in different forms and qualities. I don’t believe that all energy is simply a quantitative resource, like the finite quantity of fuel in the petrol tank of a car. There are sources of energy other than food. But if we only see energy as precious stuff which we can run out of, we might not push ourselves too hard, for fear of draining it. Part of that logic makes us reluctant to squander energy for fear of ending up with none left for essentials - if we risk energy supply, we risk not completing our long list of responsibilities.

But we're between a rock and a hard place here. If we preserve what energy we have, and not risk it or waste it, our energy could be drained by guilt - the guilt which comes from doing nothing. So, we weigh up our options, think about our responsibilities, look after the things we own, ‘things’ we're in charge of, like home, kids, friends and work commitments. We know that each will take a portion of our energy. And after that, we think that there's not much left over for things lower on our priority list.

This brings us to why there is so little concern for animals’ rights, because to fight on the animals' behalf seems particularly energy consuming, and everyone knows that animal issues aren't as important as human issues!!!

If we do choose to promote animal rights, working rather like a ‘guardian’ for them, what will that involve? First up, it will take energy. That brings on a fear of becoming energy-poor, because of it. But many Animal Rights activists soon enough find that's NOT true. By ploughing energy into what one considers to be important, energy doesn't deplete, it builds. And this leads to a review of this whole idea of energy-use.

Energy comes from various sources. Unlike money, it isn't accumulated or used up in the same way, but can be produced out of meaningful activity, doing things we believe in. By serving the interests of animals-in-extremis, one would be acting out of love, which most would agree is the best known source of energy. And that's in sharp contrast to the much cruder means of energy-production, where animals are made to work for us by draining their energy for ourselves.

We’re told that the farmer loves his animals, but in truth any care shown to them is for keeping them alive for human benefit, not for the animals’ benefit; attending to their welfare only means the animals will respond better and grow faster, so that more 'energy' can be extracted from them.