The Ecological Citizen: Confronting human supremacy
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Long article
Sounding out other species
The Ecological Citizen Vol 4 No 2 2021: 159–62
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ACCESS PDF OF ARTICLEFirst published: 6 May 2021 | PERMANENT URL | DOWNLOAD CITATION IN RIS FORMAT
Abstract
All animals, including humans, employ methods of communication to convey meaningful and adaptively-significant information. These range from movement, eye contact, and scent-release to light displays and, of course, vocalizations. The human use of complex language is not the only resource available for animals to let others know what they need, want or plan. Yet we have no legally recognized mechanism to make use of these communications in order to represent other species in conflicts with us or in situations we've created that are critical to their lives. It is time to consider new ways of politically listening to animals, not only as a means of ensuring some measure of procedural justice but to refute the convenient claim that non-human animals have no voice.
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