Natural History GCSE is being planned to reconnect teenagers with wildlife | inews

This is such a welcome introduction as a GCSE subject – something many of us have wanted to see for years. The stats on UK childrens’ ability to ID various species are atrocious and suggest we need this taught in schools immediately. Teach them and they’ll understand the natural world more and care more to protect it, maybe even work in ecology and conservation fields. Let’s hope this happens. Kudos to the Green party for pursuing the idea to a practical outcome.

https://inews.co.uk/news/education/gcse-natural-history-teenagers-british-wildlife-1355206

Animal intelligence has been widely underestimated, says primatologist Frans de Waal – The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2016/05/05/animal-intelligence-has-been-widely-underestimated-says-primatologist-frans-de-waal/

I spent many of my formative years feeling confused and frustrated at the way most humans appeared to categorise all other animals as “dumb”. They somehow use this assumed lesser or non-existent intellect to justify using and abusing other species (think: farm animals, think: lab animals). I still feel confused and frustrated; but this article and new research gives us hope that we can finally comprehend some of the understanding, awareness and ‘intelligence’ of other animals, and then learn to respect and honour it.

I cringe at how much laboratory animals must suffer at our violent, arrogant hands.

Standing up to the Left on Animal Rights | jayforjustice

https://jayforjustice.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/standing-up-to-the-left-on-animal-rights/

Remember: the animal rights movement is a social justice movement. If you believe in freedom of speech, the right to a peaceful life without the threat of violence and war, protecting the young and innocent from violence and abuse, if you believe in protecting and defending female rights and control over their own reproductive system, if you believe in absolute equality, liberty and justice as a whole, then why aren’t you also defending all non-human animals’ rights? We are all animals. Respect for life is respect for life, regardless of the species that life belongs to.