where science and ethics intersect with politics
What happens when war reaches beyond the battlefield? In this edition of From the People, contributor Christopher Porter reflects on the human and environmental consequences of modern conflict. Accompanied by an Editor’s Note explaining the purpose of this series, “Black Rain” invites readers to consider the costs of political decisions long after the headlines fade.
A podcast. A tick bite. A difficult question. In this thoughtful essay, Alison Irwin explores alpha-gal syndrome, ethics, and why changing what we eat doesn’t always change what we believe.
Actress, writer, and producer Felicia Greenfield discusses the inspiration behind Friends Not Food, ethical filmmaking with sanctuary animals, Hollywood, climate storytelling, and why laughter may be one of the movement’s most powerful tools for change.
Originally published in Vegan Villager, Sherry Jeppson Zitter reflects on the often-overlooked humanitarian path to veganism, arguing that concern for world hunger and global justice can be just as powerful a catalyst for compassionate living as concern for animals, health, or the environment.
Rescue is often spoken of as a moment—but for those who have never known freedom, it is something slower, quieter, and far more uncertain. First Light traces the fragile in-between: the pause at the edge of sunlight, the hesitation before the first step, and the quiet, unfolding recognition of a world that was always there—but never felt.
Christmas Day is often framed as a season of peace, goodwill, and generosity—but those ideals are not automatic. This reflection explores what it means to practice compassion beyond tradition, and why peace remains a choice we must make, deliberately and daily.
In the quiet of winter’s longest night, we kindle small flames of mercy and carry them forward for every being still waiting for warmth.
When a fierce desert storm threatened every creature underground, it was the gentle, misunderstood tarantula who held the earth together with silk and courage.
December opens with World AIDS Day — a global moment of remembrance and resolve — but it also reveals a deeper reality unfolding across the United States: a federal government growing increasingly silent in the face of suffering. From HIV prevention and civil rights protections to hunger, housing, and public health, compassion is receding from national leadership at a time when communities need it most. This month’s This Month in Compassion examines where empathy is thriving at the grassroots level, where it is disappearing at the federal level, and why ethical governance demands that compassion remain at the heart of every policy decision.
Words shape how we see — and who we harm. From barns to boardrooms, euphemisms like “processing” and “human capital” make cruelty sound routine. The Humane Party calls for truth in language, reminding us that liberation begins with the courage to speak honestly.
September is a month filled with awareness, remembrance, and calls to action. Across health, cultural heritage, and social justice, September … More
Every time a public figure passes — especially one with a complicated relationship to animals — a familiar fracture emerges … More
Recognizing what matters, even when others will not. At the Humane Herald, each month is an opportunity to remember what … More
A poem on linguistic conflicts related to the interpretation of words
A new poem by guest contributor Heather Leughmyer, on the harmful complicity of silence and the beneficial effects of breaking this silence.
Advocating for animal rights is about the fundamental tenets of compassion and filling every waking moment of our lives with the highest good we possess as living beings—our capacity for kindness, empathy, and seeing ourselves in every other living being who shares our identities as living, sensitive and feeling beings who are aware.
The Humane Herald 