The fact is, cats play different predatory roles in different natural and humanized landscapes. By William S. Lynn, Arian Wallach and Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila A number of conservationists claim cats are a zombie apocalypse for biodiversity that need to be removed from the outdoors by " any means necessary " – coded language for shooting, trapping and poisoning. Various media outlets have portrayed cats as murderous superpredators . Australia has even declared an official "war" against cats . Moral panics emerge when people perceive an existential threat to themselves, society or the environment. When in the grip of a moral panic , the ability to think clearly and act responsibly is compromised. While the moral panic over cats arises from valid concerns over threats to native species, it obscures the real driver: humanity’s exploitative treatment of the natural world. Crucially, errors of scientific reasoning also underwrite this false crisis. The (Shaky) Case Against Cats Conservationists and the media often claim that cats are a main contributor to a mass extinction , a catastrophic loss of species due to human activities, like habitat degradation and the killing of wildlife. As an interdisciplinary team of scientists and ethicists studying animals in […]
Latest Articles
The Benefits of Adaptive Reusing Old Buildings into New
Takeaways: Reusing old buildings instead of building new ones can benefit communities, inhabitants and the environment.
Reusing these buildings helps maintain the community's roots...
How Replacing Coal with Renewable Energy Could Pay for Itself
Takeaways: Transitioning from coal to renewable energy can result in an economic gain of $78 trillion.
The benefits of ending coal use come from...
Unilever Invests in Biotech Alternatives to Palm Oil for Greener Cleaning
Takeaways: Unilever is investing in a plan to use plant-based ingredients in their extensive household product range.
The company has partnered with a U.S....
How Indigenous Traditions Are Saving Zimbabwe’s Endangered Wildlife
Takeaways: A mix of beliefs, taboos and myths, passed orally from generation to generation, has been at the centre of wildlife conservation in many...
Can Biofuels Really Fly?
Takeaways: Researchers have developed a way that airplanes could be fueled by food waste.
The fluid is made up of volatile fatty acids found...
Canada Will Ban Harmful Plastics By End Of Year
Takeaways: Canada has announced that they will ban harmful plastics by the end of the year.
These single-use plastics will include: grocery bags, plastic...