and you know this by what mechanism?
As for the environment, depends on the animal - this is usually about methane (from cows) and land encroachment (also, because of soybean crops or whatever).
THat's pretty much in line with naturally expected behavior, because intuitively we don't expect much from insects.
I think we can get a pretty good ballpark estimate, by virtue that suffering categorically requires a certain level consciousness.
The animals I mentioned do, even if very simple ones. If you really want to question this bivalves are a better example, as I've seen many debates in vegan circles about them.
No different than pain receptors, you mean.
> Plants have no brains or analog at all
No brain, yes. But what of "no analog" if the qualifier for suffering is deliberately clouded in ambiguity?
The only reason the brain matters qua suffering is owing to the capacity for consciousness. Plants have no brain, well, sardines have no cerebral cortex.
If you're going to trivialize the cerebral cortex based on whim/feeling, you can do the same for the whole brain. By extension it makes as much sense to attribute the possibility of consciousness to insects as it does to plants, because you're throwing the particulars of the brain out the window. Some "magical unknown thing 'X'" is giving them consciousness - but there's no reason "magical unknown thing 'X'" has to be specific to a brain.
Not the best argument. I don't really mind my pain receptors going off if the signal doesn't make it to my spine. Do you?
The goal is to minimize suffering. What could you possibly do with the information that plants feel pain? Your options are to:
1. Die
2. Decide there are no perfect options and give up on minimizing harm completely
3. Do your best to pick a diet and lifestyle which minimizes harm with actionable heuristics
What exactly do you suggest?
Keep the goalpost planted at "suffering" which requires consciousness. So we're still at #3. The analogy of the plant is just to reflect that there's sloppy conjecture used to project the capacity for suffering onto certain animals that by all the counts should not (where suffering entails a conscious awareness of pain and despair).