#3; book review "A primer on ecosemiotics and animal welfare" finished and submitted

Today I have had an article writing day, with some 1.200 words added to my book review of Interpreting, Communication and Animal Welfare by Xany Jansen van Vuuren for Biosemiotics in the process of finishing and submitting it. My review is titled "A primer on ecosemiotics and animal welfare". This brings the number of writing days this Autumn up to 3 including 2,5 article writing days.

#2

Today I have had half a book writing day, with some planning made for the production process for my forthcoming book with Bloomsbury Academic Carbon Capture and the Future of Environmentalism. I also received copy-edited files and information about the production process from the book´s project manager at Integra Software Services, a company based in India which Bloomsbury Academic uses for producing my book. 

Moreover, I had half an article writing day, with some 400 words added to my book review of Interpreting, Communication and Animal Welfare for Biosemiotics. 

This brings the number of writing days this Autumn up to 2 including 1,5 article writing days and 0,5 book writing days.

Dialogue meeting on regulatory development on animal welfare in aquaculture attended

On Monday June 8th I attended a so-called dialogue meeting with Mattilsynet (Norwegian Food Safety Authority) on behalf of Norway´s Council for animal ethics concerning regulatory development for animal welfare in aquaculture (this was the second such meeting on this theme I have attended this Spring).

#29; Philosophising with Rocks received

Over the course of last Friday and today I´ve had an article writing day, with work done related to my book review of Interpreting, Communication and Animal Welfare for Biosemiotics. Also, at work, I received my print copy of Philosophising with rocks: Henrik Steffens and the Anthropocene (eds. Benedikt Jager and Marius Timmann Mjaaland), which includes my chapter "Steffen´s early outlook reconsidered. Nature conceptions of the industrial-age Anthropocene".

This brings the number of writing days so far this Spring up to 29, including 20,5 article writing days.

#28; four SNL encyclopedia entries updated

Today I´ve had half an article writing day, with work done related to my book review of Interpreting, Communication and Animal Welfare for Biosemiotics. Also, I took note that four Store Norske Leksikon encyclopedia entries I have previously suggested edits to have now been updated - specifically, this concerns the entries "Albert Schweitzer", "bærekraftig utvikling", "etikk", and "miljøbevegelsen". This brings the number of writing days so far this Spring up to 28, including 19,5 article writing days.

#27,5

Today I´ve had half an article writing day, with work done related to my book review of Interpreting, Communication and Animal Welfare for Biosemiotics. This brings the number of writing days so far this Spring up to 27,5, including 19 article writing days.

Dialogue meeting with Norwegian Food Safety Authority on animal welfare regulations in aquaculture attended

Today I have attended an online "Dialogue meeting" with Mattilsynet (the Norwegian Food Safety Authority) in relation to their ongoing work on regulatory development concerning animal welfare in aquaculture. I attended as one of the representatives of Norway´s Council for Animal Ethics, along with the council´s Secretary, Lina Ahlén and three others. Three animal welfare/rights organizations also took part.

#20,5

Today I have had what ended up as half an article writing day, with some initial work done in relation to my planned book review of Interpreting, Communication and Animal Welfare for Biosemiotics. Moreover, I added some 100 words to my Salongen article on longtermism, "På sporet av en tapt fremtid" (roughly translating to "In search of a lost future"), and finished and submitted the article to Salongen - nettidsskrift for filosofi og idéhistorie. Finally, I pondered about whether or not I had any essential corrections for the forthcoming paperback edition of Bloomsbury semiotics, which includes my chapter "Semiotics in Ethology and Zoology". This brings the number of writing days so far this Spring up to 20,5, including 14,5 article writing days.

Consultative meeting attended for Council for animal ethics at Norway´s Ministry of Finance

Today I attended a meeting at the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, in Oslo, representing Norway´s Council for animal ethics (along with the council´s secretary Lina Ahlén and chair Knut E. Bøe) in a consultation a committe that is tasked with suggesting changes to the ethics framework of the Norwegian "oil fund" (formally called Government Pension Fund Global, or Statens Pensjonsfond Utland in Norwegian) organized with selected civil society organizations. Lina and I jointly presented "SPU og dyrevelferd" (Government Pension Fund Global and animal welfare), with definitions, information and recommendations addressed to the committee.

Chronicle on pension fund GPFG and animal welfare published in Nationen

The chronicle "Støtter pensjonspengene våre dårlig dyrevelferd?" (Do our pension funds support poor animal welfare?), which I co-wrote with Knut Egil Bøe, Cecilie Mejdell, Espen Gamlund, Eli Berge Ness and Rudi Ripman Seim, was published in the Norwegian daily newspaper Nationen online January 2nd and in print January 3rd. We are all involved in Norway´s Council for animal ethics, and the chronicle disseminates main observations from the council´s consultative statement on the Norwegian "oil fund", formally called Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), and its investments in food production internationally.

Digital Council for animal ethics meeting attended

Today I have attended the digital full day meeting of Norway´s Council for animal ethics, held online due to a lack of funds. Among the topics were the council´s work with a consultative statement on Norway´s Government Pension Fund Global and their investment in international food business, which I have coordinated and led.

The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness getting widespread media attention (BBC, NBC, New Scientist, etc.)

The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness, which I have signed, although after it was launched April 19th (I was not among the initial signatories), has been getting extensive media coverage in major news outlets, most of it before my signature was added to the list of signatories on April 23rd. This includes:

Scientists push new paradigm of animal consciousness, saying even insects may be sentient (NBC News, April 19th)

It’s ‘irresponsible’ to ignore widespread consciousness across animal world, dozens of scientists argue (The Hill, April 19th)

Consciousness a ‘realistic possibility’ in birds, fish, squid and bees, scholars say (The Globe and Mail, April 22nd)

Scientists believe insects may have feelings (BBC, April 22nd)

Some scientists say insects are conscious – it doesn't settle anything (New Scientist, April 23rd - paywall)

See also:

"New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness" signed (April 23)

"New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness" signed

I have signed the New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness, which was launched April 19th 2024 at New York University. See also an informative background text. PS: I was not among the initial signatories.

**

The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness 

Which animals have the capacity for conscious experience? While much uncertainty remains, some points of wide agreement have emerged. 

First, there is strong scientific support for attributions of conscious experience to other mammals and to birds. 

Second, the empirical evidence indicates at least a realistic possibility of conscious experience in all vertebrates (including reptiles, amphibians, and fishes) and many invertebrates (including, at minimum, cephalopod mollusks, decapod crustaceans, and insects). 

Third, when there is a realistic possibility of conscious experience in an animal, it is irresponsible to ignore that possibility in decisions affecting that animal. We should consider welfare risks and use the evidence to inform our responses to these risks.

Interviewed on treatment of animals on NRK P2´s Ekko, with Andreas Haga

Today I was interviewed on NRK P2´s radio program Ekko, along with Andreas Haga, with Rikke Eckoff as program manager, on why we treat animals so differently. I was presented as Professor of philosophy at University of Stavanger, and a member of Norway´s Council for animal ethics. The section, which was recorded live, lasts for some 20 minutes.

Council for animal ethics chronicle in print version of Nationen today

Our chronicle on behalf of Norway´s Council for animal ethics "Brennende etiske temaer knyttet til dyrevelferd i Norge" (literally: Burning ethical themes related to animal welfare in Norway) is today included in the print version of the Norwegian daily Nationen.

See also: 

Chronicle on animal welfare challenges in Norway published in Nationen online

Chronicle on animal welfare challenges in Norway published in Nationen online

Today the chronicle "Brennende etiske temaer knyttet til dyrevelferd i Norge", which I co-wrote with Cecilie Mejdell, Knut Bøe and Kristian Ellingsen-Dalskau, has been published online in the Norwegian daily Nationen.

Featured in Dyreprat´s short videos introducing animal welfare and animal ethics

I am featured, along with Cecilie Mejdell, in Dyreprat´s Instagram videos "Did you know?", which presents the fundamental features of animal welfare and animal ethics, on behalf of Norway´s Council for animal ethics. The making of the videos were coordinated by Erica Hogstad Fjæran).

Norway´s Council for animal ethics relseases statement with recommendations on animal ethics issues in Norway

Norway´s Council of animal ethics has released a statement to the ministries of agriculture and fisheries respectively titled "Brennende etiske temaer knyttet til dyrevelferd i Norge" (literally: Burning ethical topics related to animal welfare in Norway). Knut Bøe, Kristian Ellingsen-Dalskau and me are credited as Co-authors of the statement (14 pp.). The statement was written in response to the ministries´ work with the government´s forthcoming parliamentary notice on animal welfare.

News story about Council of animal ethics statement in VG

The Norwegian national daily newspaper VG has run a news story, online Saturday and in print today, titled "Nå kan kyllingrasen du spiser bli forbudt" (now this chicken breed may be forbidden - concerns Ross 308). The news story builds on our recent statement to the Norwegian ministries of agriculture and fisheries respectively in relation to the government´s forthcoming parliamentary notice (stortingsmelding) on animal welfare.

 

News story on Arendalsuka panel discussion on animal welfare in agriculture in Bondebladet

In this week´s issue of Bondebladet, there is a news story, "Fortsatt stor avstand mellom produsent og forbruker" (pay wall), covering the panel discussion held during Arendalsuka last week, «Kan norsk landbruk tilby et liv verdt å leve?» The news story includes a paragraph on some of my statements on animal welfare.