This event will take place on the UW campus. We'll most likely be meeting in QNC 1506 or a classroom adjacent to it. Look for "KWRxEA" in large letters on the blackboard/whiteboard to see if you're in the right place.
Discussion will start at 7:30pm. There will be pizza.
This is the third and last joint event between KW Rationality and the UW Effective Altruism club for the Winter 2024 term. This week, we'll be reading some unconventional positions on animal welfare from effective altruists. The goal is something like - better understanding the animal welfare project as a whole, by kicking the tires on the edge cases.
Please note that the readings have fairly explicit text and image depictions of animal suffering. I've done my best to provide adequate content warnings, but if you find discussion of animal suffering to be very distressing, this meetup may not be for you and you might want to just catch us at the next one.
Possible discussion questions:
The Case Against Speciesism - EA Handbook, 2020
An introduction to animal welfare.
content warnings: text descriptions of the mistreatment of animals
The Importance of Wild Animal Suffering - Brian Tomasik, 2015
The seminal work on wild animal suffering IIRC. This is a fairly long piece, and I think it's okay to skip the "How Wild Animals Suffer" section - that is the section that is also the most graphic.
content warnings: text descriptions of many ways that wild animals suffer. graphic imagery in the "How Wild Animals Suffer" section, and at the end of the article. all imagery can be avoided by accessing the PDF version of the article.
Are Shrimps Sentient? - Shrimp Welfare Project, 2022?
A short introduction to the question of shrimp sentience.
content warnings: text descriptions of shrimp farming practices, including bodily mutilations
Introducting Shrimp Welfare Project - Aaron Boddy and Andres Jimenez, 2021
Short summary of a new nonprofit focusing on bettering shrimp welfare in many small, practical ways.
content warnings: text descriptions of shrimp farming practices, including bodily mutilations
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