Sarah Borell

When we talk about animal suffering, our minds usually drift to farmed mammals like pigs or cows, maybe chickens if we’re thinking in numbers. But the biggest number of all? Shrimp. Yes, shrimp, the tiny crustaceans we mindlessly toss into paella, pad Thai, and party platters, may be enduring some of the worst and most overlooked suffering in the animal agriculture system. And not in small numbers. Each year, it’s estimated that more than 440 billion shrimp are killed on farms alone. That’s...

In the age of ancestral diets, wellness influencers, and “clean girl” aesthetics, there’s a growing trend toward beauty products made from unexpected sources: cow fat, snail slime, and even salmon sperm. Promoted as “natural,” “non-toxic,” or “ancestral,” these animal-derived products are quickly gaining traction, often in response to public distrust of synthetic ingredients and concern over microplastics, parabens, and so-called “forever chemicals.” But behind the glossy claims and glass...

Imagine Sydney in 1937, before World War II, before modern technology, and before we understood marine ecosystems the way we do today. That year, Charlie Chaplin was captivating cinema audiences, the Hindenburg airship tragically exploded in New Jersey, and Sydney’s roads had only just started seeing traffic lights. It was also the year the New South Wales Shark Meshing Program (SMP) was introduced, a lethal strategy to reduce the number of sharks at popular beaches following a series of...