A mix-up
Many people think environmentalism is "the scientific position" because it uses ecology. And that animal advocacy would be less scientific.
Science describes; ethics picks the goal
Ecology is a science: it studies how species, populations, and ecosystems work. But science describes how the world is. It doesn't tell us, on its own, what we should want.
What we learn from ecology can be used for many different goals:
- human goals (for example, producing more food);
- environmental goals (preserving native species);
- and also helping animals.
So using ecology doesn't automatically make anyone an environmentalist.
Welfare biology
Today, almost all ecological knowledge is used for human or environmental goals. That's why researchers are proposing a new field: welfare biology.
It would bring together ecology, animal welfare science, zoology, the study of animal behavior, and veterinary medicine.
In short
- Science describes; values decide what to use it for.
- Ecology can also be used to help animals.
- Welfare biology is the science focused on the good of animals in the wild.