Despite numerous negative impacts of conventional residential landscaping, homeowner associations (HOAs) often ban or impede wildlife-friendly practices like native and pollinator plants, xeriscaping, drought-resistant plants, water-efficient plants and undisturbed areas. This article discusses the recent passage of state laws that limit the power of HOAs to bar these practices and other ways to address HOA opposition to wildlife-friendly practices by homeowners.

There are many ways to donate to your favorite charity, including UUAM. So, over the next few months in the Newsletter we will feature different ways to donate. Of course, you can always use the DONATE button in the Newsletter or on the website to donate specific amount. This month we will talk about the method I have used to donate to UUAM, tax-free, for the past two years:

We discovered Unitarian Universalism after being “unchurched” for over 40 years. We were attracted by the seven (now eight in our congregation) UU principles, and the freedom to chart our own spiritual path consistent with those principles. The seventh principle celebrating the interconnected web of existence of which we are all part particularly spoke to us. Now, thanks to the vision and efforts of the Unitarian Universalist Animal Ministry, that principle has been expanded to include ALL Beings. For us animal advocacy is an expression of our spirituality because we believe that the lives of ALL Beings have inherent worth and deserve our respect and compassion.

The Supreme Court’s decision on June 28, 2024, in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, marked a significant shift in federal administrative law by overturning the Chevron Doctrine, which had guided judicial deference to federal agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous statutes for 40 years. This ruling, decided along ideological lines with all six conservative justices voting to overturn and all three progressive justices dissenting, could profoundly impact the ability of federal agencies to enforce regulations, including those protecting animals. The article explores the history and rationale behind Chevron, the implications of its demise, particularly for animal protection, and potential strategies to mitigate negative effects.

I regularly guest lecture to graduate students at the University of Denver’s Institute for the Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) with a presentation I call "Getting Political for Animals." The focus of the presentation is to point out that if we really want to bring about significant and lasting change in animal welfare and protections laws it can only be accomplished through the legislative process. There must be laws, and they must be enforceable. As part of my presentation, I offer up actual examples of protests, boycotts, and petition initiatives, pointing out that while these efforts are both needed and important, most do not actually result in making new laws, and I contrast this with the laws I have helped to make through the political process.

This article examines AI's transformative potential in wildlife conservation, highlighting its ability to enhance data collection, real-time monitoring, anti-poaching efforts, and more. It showcases innovative applications like wildlife identification, migration tracking, and habitat protection. However, despite these promising applications, the article also raises concerns about AI’s use for wildlife conservation. The article emphasizes the need for responsible development and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure AI becomes a powerful tool for conservation.

This article delves into the potential of AI to decode animal communications, highlighting both the promising benefits and the significant challenges. It discusses various communication methods animals use, from vocalizations to bioluminescence, and outlines traditional and AI-based efforts to decipher these signals. Despite obstacles such as the complexity of animal communication and ethical concerns, the article underscores the profound scientific, conservation, and relational benefits that could arise from successfully decoding animal communications.

You can be part of a history-making vote—to include a “covenant to protect … ALL BEINGS from exploitation” in UUism’s updated principles—when you participate as an online delegate (for low or no cost) to the UUA General Assembly 2024.

This article addresses the remarkable potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce traditional animal testing (AT). Not all lab animals will be as lucky as our mouse friend pictured above, but with AI, more and more will.

I have been advocating for animals for more than 25 years, and I’ve seen some of the worst of the worst on factory farms, but what my colleague and I found at the celebrated “Certified Humane,” “Organic,” and “regenerative” Alexandre Family Farm shocked even us.

In addition to serving as Executive Director of UUAM, I also serve as Director of Education for Farm Forward. In that completely separate organization and role, I just co-authored an extensive investigative report on Organic, Certified Humane, “regenerative” dairy in general, and one of its category leaders Alexandre Family Farm, that might interest many of you. The report was covered by a long-form article in The Atlantic that explicitly corroborated many of our findings. Click here for a one-page summary of our 53-page report. Thanks!

Interested in an activity to do with young people (and even not-so-young people) exploring the concept of animal sentience—a key concept for developing kindness toward all living beings? Then read on!

The article explores artificial intelligence (AI) in factory farms, a.k.a. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). While AI proponents promise AI will improve animal welfare through better monitoring and resource allocation, opponents and skeptics counter that it will likely lead to a worse world for farmed animals by prioritizing production and profits over animal welfare and perpetuating CAFOs and meat consumption.

Here’s the flyer for the UUAM sponsored event on April 28th…

Artificial intelligence (AI) biases against humans based on race, gender, and ethnicity are frequently discussed. In contrast, AI biases against animals remain mostly unnoticed, undiscussed, and unaddressed — a "blind spot," says animal ethics philosopher Peter Singer. This article, the first in a five-part series about the impacts of AI on animals, explores AI's systemic bias against animals or "speciesist bias.” Rooted in biased AI data and algorithms, it permeates language models and image recognition, recommender, and image creation systems. While AI bias threatens animal rights and welfare, corrective measures can mitigate them.

Caroline Earl White and 29 other women created the first animal shelter for dogs and cats in the United States…

A look back to Shakespeare's time and the late Elizabethan era. What evidence is there that Shakespeare was a vegetarian? What was the overall view of vegetarianism during his time? And what would a typical vegetarian dish be like? With a "warm and hearty" recipe to follow… 

Animals suffer greatly in wars, yet lack direct protection under the international laws governing wars. However, growing awareness of animal sentience and evolving interpretations of those laws offer hope for greater future protection for animals during wars.

While certainly not the center of attention in the animal kingdom, find out why the horseshoe crab is one of the most impressive of all animals…

Not only one of the smartest of animals but also one of the most playful— able even to charm the likes of Charles Dickens and Truman Capote.