where science and ethics intersect with politics
Mid-December marks the peak of America’s most waste-intensive season — a surge in trash, factory-farming output, and environmental harm often hidden behind holiday cheer. Ethical gifting offers a way to resist the cycle and align the season with compassion, sustainability, and planetary reality.
Lancaster Farm Sanctuary is reshaping what sanctuary work means inside one of Pennsylvania’s most agriculturally entrenched counties. In this in-depth conversation, the LFS team reflects on their origins, the daily rituals that center animal agency, the emotional weight of rescue work, and the communities that make their mission possible. From piglets teaching elders how to play to ponies who insist on freedom during their evening return, every story underscores the same truth: when animals are given safety, autonomy, and respect, they reveal who they have always been. This interview offers a rare, honest look at the joys and struggles of sanctuary life—and what compassion can build when a community chooses to care.
In the wake of escalating global conflicts, the rules of war remain clear — yet increasingly ignored. This article examines what international humanitarian law actually requires, why war crimes are legally defined and not subjective, and how powerful nations have begun eroding the very principles designed to protect civilians. As civilian casualties rise and accountability fades, the world is left with an unsettling question: if these are the rules of war, who is still following them?
The Humane Herald 