Animals are conscious and should be treated as such

[Shemaya]

You are missing the point of the article. It is about mainstream science finally getting onboard from their point of view, and the author is in hopes that this will mean better treatment of animals. To keep veering off this idea by talking about the consciousness of all things philosophically is okay, but how does that address compassion for animals? 

For instance, consider the suffering animals experience because of animal testing. Talk all you want about the philosophy of consciousness, that's fine, but this author has been trying to awaken the public to change public acceptance of animal cruelty. If now, you would like to iterate that all is accepted because of the LOO, fine. If anyone can stomach such cruelty and be fine with it, that's the individual's prerogative. 

All things are alive and are suffering. All things are moving towards love. The plant, animal and Human are the same in this way.

I am not fine with cruelty.  That is really good, in my view, to make a declaration in order to persuade scientists to change their ideas about how they do their work.  A proactive way to raise awareness/consciousness.  I think the article is positive.

And I agree with Matt, that we are all one moving towards love, and if anyone is suffering,  we all suffer on this planet.