Humans are animals, and our birth and development—our creation—are the greatest determinants of nonhuman suffering. Our creation also fundamentally shapes how our legal systems function, particularly through participatory democracy and representation.

However, discussions about altering how we have children—for their benefit and the benefit of animals—are rare. This is because creation ethics raise complex questions about racial equity, climate reparations, personal responsibility in parenting, degrowth, and liability for the charitable fraud that has, for decades, concealed the true drivers of the climate crisis.

It is easier to engage in performative animal rights and law—focusing on how legal language refers to animals or how vegan food reduces a small percentage of animal consumption—while ignoring the fact that growth-driven systems continue to undo these benefits. Many of us still benefit from a system designed around growth-based investments, perpetuating harm.

Critical generational studies, or macro animal rights, begins with the issue of creation—the foundational factor in any meaningful discussion of animal law, rights, policy, or protection.

This approach moves beyond static intersections of human rights that animal rights depend on, such as the right to rescue on a micro level. Instead, it emphasizes fair starts in life for children, reducing the growth and inequity that cause the most harm to animals on a macro level.

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