EcoSpheres Inhumane?

Eromsnid Flor wrote:

If the brine shrimp are not close to human, then they do not benefit
from treatment based on our morals. At that point we only need to
consider the effect of their treatment on ourselves. Does confining
them to an 'eco-sphere' have an effect on our moral growth. Will
owning an eco-sphere lead to other morally questionable activities and
acts, such as you often see with children who torture animals and then
grow up to be sociopaths?


Now THAT is the heart of the matter - well stated! I would add that
owning an Eco-Sphere could bring positive moral growth. If the shrimp
become pets and the keeper develops a sense of caring for something
alive, that caring can extend to higher animals and even fellow humans.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

Elaine T wrote:
Eromsnid Flor wrote:

If the brine shrimp are not close to human, then they do not benefit
from treatment based on our morals. At that point we only need to
consider the effect of their treatment on ourselves. Does confining
them to an 'eco-sphere' have an effect on our moral growth. Will
owning an eco-sphere lead to other morally questionable activities and
acts, such as you often see with children who torture animals and then
grow up to be sociopaths?


Now THAT is the heart of the matter - well stated! I would add that
owning an Eco-Sphere could bring positive moral growth. If the shrimp
become pets and the keeper develops a sense of caring for something
alive, that caring can extend to higher animals and even fellow humans.


Just go and buy a few shrimp, stick 'em in a jar and have done with it.
Eco-Jar. Cheaper. Doh!

Nikki

"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...




Just go and buy a few shrimp, stick 'em in a jar and have done with it.
Eco-Jar. Cheaper. Doh!

Nikki



Not quite. If you stick them in jar you still have to feed them. The idea
of the eco sphere is that it is a completely balanced ecosystem in there.
No outside intervention such as feeding is needed.

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/200302152...qs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

Margolis wrote:
"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...




Just go and buy a few shrimp, stick 'em in a jar and have done with it.
Eco-Jar. Cheaper. Doh!

Nikki




Not quite. If you stick them in jar you still have to feed them. The idea
of the eco sphere is that it is a completely balanced ecosystem in there.
No outside intervention such as feeding is needed.


I thought I'd mention it as I remember a childrens' science programme -
I think BBC's Science Shack - where they housed a few woodlice in a jar
with soil, air and a few plants. The jar was sealed and never opened.
The only thing the ecosystem needed to sustain it was light and heat.

Nikki

ET,

I have some trouble with this aspect of children+animals. Owning a
sphere could be good, if the child is mature enough to understand
death and loss. Many children don't understand how to feel when a pet
dies, and a sphere can be thought of as a pet. If they shrug it off,
then you worry. If they cry for two days, you also worry. I say that
this kind of thing should be reserved for teens and mature 9+
children.

Is it wrong? I don't think so. Can it cause harm? Certainly could.
This might be just the thing to use to see if children are ready to
take care of a pet???

rolf

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 06:18:58 GMT, Elaine T
wrote:

Eromsnid Flor wrote:

If the brine shrimp are not close to human, then they do not benefit
from treatment based on our morals. At that point we only need to
consider the effect of their treatment on ourselves. Does confining
them to an 'eco-sphere' have an effect on our moral growth. Will
owning an eco-sphere lead to other morally questionable activities and
acts, such as you often see with children who torture animals and then
grow up to be sociopaths?


Now THAT is the heart of the matter - well stated! I would add that
owning an Eco-Sphere could bring positive moral growth. If the shrimp
become pets and the keeper develops a sense of caring for something
alive, that caring can extend to higher animals and even fellow humans.

"I'm a Liberal. I'm Democrat. I'm Buddhist."

Oh poop! All that brilliant writing and then I remember to google you
(actually a9.com) so that I see who my audience is.

I promise... next time I'll google first and write second.

I am maybe considered liberal (I thought it was insane to go to Iraq,
but now we are there I think we need 300,000 troops to contain the
violence).

I'm more libertarian than democrat (growing up in Alaska does that to
you).

But I am not a Buddhist, and that makes my entire morality argument
invalid. Damn!

So, most of the previous post doesn't apply to you, because Buddhists
cannot use the human/non-human argument. What if my next life is as a
brine shrimp, therefore I must treat the brine shrimp as if I would
live it's life.

The argument then is whether containment in an eco sphere is something
that you would wish upon yourself. I think my answer is still the
same, and that a brief existence protected from predators, "might"
outweigh the loss of freedom.

rolf

p.s. try adding The Duhks to your music collection.