Hi! I am a co-founder of The Simple Heart Initiative, an animal rights nonprofit using open rescue to accelerate the movement for species equality.
I think a lot about effective animal advocacy, especially in the contexts of social movements and politics.
Previously, I was president of the animal advocacy club at UC Berkeley and the field director for a candidate for mayor of Berkeley.
Thanks for sharing! Also, I started using the Waking Up meditation app again after reading your post. Great resource.
This is great, Sofia! Thank you for this valuable resource.
Regarding home buying, I might note that stock market index funds have historically appreciated faster than real estate, making renting a potentially better financial and logistical choice for some advocates.
The Dave Ramsey video linked on this topic doesn't account for the opportunity cost of putting your money towards a mortgage rather than (diversified) stocks. It's true that one doesn't need to pay rent after their house is paid off. But it could also be true that the gains one has made from index funds can offset the cost of rental payments. Historically, US stocks have increased 7-11% per year, while home values have increased 3-6%. This is why some experts advise renting over buying (Investopedia).
That means advocates may have more financial resources in both the short and long-term by taking the money that they would have used for down payments and mortgages and instead putting it towards stock index funds -- even after deducting for rent.
Some big caveats here are the tax and homeownership incentives different governments provide. In America, thanks to subsidies, a home loan is often the biggest and cheapest loan someone can get -- so that may make homeownership financially advantageous (and therefore maximize advocacy resources) for many.
I am a 27-year-old advocate in the SF Bay Area who is comfortable in shared living, which significantly brings down my rental costs compared to home ownership. I also don't desire to own a home anytime soon, and I may be very mobile jumping between advocacy campaigns in different places for a while. So this all works out well for my particular situation (and can be very different for others!).
Thank you, Constance!
Wonderful name. Congratulations, full send!
I've felt the same sense of rage and sadness at the casual portrayal of mass casualty events for farmed animals. Trucks with thousands of chickens flipping over on highways. Hurricane floods in North Carolina drowning tens of thousands of trapped pigs while the companies collect insurance money. The occasional barn fire that kills a hundred thousand but barely makes the news.
Every time. No injuries reported.
This is a powerful and relatable piece. Thank you.
Really interesting. I've acted as though insects were sentient out of moral caution, and I'm surprised to see there is more research and more confidence on them than I thought. Thanks for this compilation!