The accusations in The New Republic about the Wildlife Conservation Society’s cozy relationship with the government of Burma, which has one of the worst human rights records in the world, should disturb all committed environmentalists. Our goals do not exist in a vacuum and it is not alright to focus myopically on biodiversity conservation without taking into account other serious issues.
So no matter what you think about animal welfare and animal rights, I hope everyone out there will express some concern about turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in order to promote environmental goals. That’s a value judgment for sure; one that I stand by wholeheartedly.
