DEAR DR. FOX: I am a deer hunter, and I agree with you that the wolves should be protected. They keep the deer herds healthy, killing the sick and the old.
But I disagree with you and other scientists, as do most of my hunting buddies, about “global warming.” Look at the cold and snow sweeping across the country this January. How do you explain that? -- R.O., Fargo, North Dakota
DEAR R.O.: I wish more deer hunters like you would respect and protect the wolves. As for the "global warming" issue, which was predicted decades ago with the burning of fossil fuels and rising atmospheric greenhouse gases, it is better termed "climate change."
Climate change means more severe and frequent extreme climatic events with intense swings in temperature and precipitation, in part due to disturbances in the jet stream and rising ocean temperatures and changing currents. Many factors are involved, including a rising human population, deforestation (by both timber harvesting and mega-wildfires), overgrazing by livestock, and the ploughing of grasslands to raise crops (primarily to feed factory-farmed animals).
The so-called Gaia hypothesis conceives of Earth as a living organism, interdependent with all life on the planet. And this living organism has fevers and chills, as well as parching droughts and devastating floods, because we have sickened it by destroying biodiversity, releasing evermore greenhouse gases and making the climate unstable.
We are at a critical point in our evolutionary history -- a point some call the Anthropocene era. At this moment, healing Gaia, whose average temperature is indeed rising, is enlightened self-interest, paramount for the generations to come.
GOOD NEWS FOR DOGS IN SOUTH KOREA
A bill approved by a large majority of South Korea’s parliament will ban the eating and selling of dog meat. The measure is supported by President Yoon Suk Yeol, who owns six dogs and eight cats. Dog meat consumption has become less common as more South Koreans see dogs as family members. The ban will take effect after a three-year grace period; a farmers’ organization says the ban will affect 3,500 farms and 3,000 restaurants. (Full story: Reuters, Jan. 9)
People in other countries should think about the animal species they consume without a second thought. Most are raised in cruelly overcrowded factory farms. Recent research by animal behavioral scientists has shown that cows are self-aware and pigs show empathy -- traits shared by dogs and many other species. These and other qualities indicative of sentience are evident in birds, fish, cephalopods (such as octopus) and insects.
In my opinion, these scientific findings call for equalitarianism: treating all living beings with equal consideration, since they all have interests and lives of their own. This is their intrinsic value, which is coupled with their extrinsic value in terms of their ecological services and contribution to biodiversity and environmental health.
LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE FROM READERS
DEAR READERS: I want to express my appreciation for the many letters of condolence readers have sent. Below are two I would like to share.
DEAR DR. FOX: I’ve been reading your column for many, many years, and even wrote to you one time previously. You helped me, through that email exchange, with a medical problem I was having with my dog, which I have always appreciated.
I just read of the loss of your wife in December, and I wanted to express my sincerest condolences to you. I know from reading your work for so long how much you loved, admired and respected her, and I know her passing leaves an indelible mark on your life and in the world of animal care and understanding. I will be praying for your comfort and care during this difficult time. -- T.M., Corinth, Texas
DEAR DR. FOX: I am a regular reader of your column. Please accept my condolences and best wishes to you and yours for your loss of Deanna. I never knew her, but reading your column makes me feel close to you in spirit. It is very hard to lose someone you care so much for, and I hope the ensuing years will be easier for you as time passes. -- S.M., Naples, Florida
DEAR T.M., S.M. AND OTHER READERS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR SYMPATHY: I deeply appreciate your condolences. It is a challenge for me, at the age of 86, to lose the light of my life. My wife, Deanna Krantz, was a radiant presence, and we shared the same concerns about animals and nature. We were a working team -- as I put action into words, she would put words into action!
Going through her many handwritten notes, I found this timely, if not timeless, statement: “Women must learn that we have the same fulfillment in protecting anything (any being) in need as we would for our own.” I would say the same to men!
(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.
Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)