Report: Industrial animal farming huge risk to health, environment
We all know that factory farms are bad news for the cows, pigs and chickens who live out their short, crowded lives in these animal Auschwitz' , but evidence is mounting that the system is pretty unhealthy for the human population as well. A report from the Pew Commission says that the current methods of industrial animal farming pose "unacceptable risks" to human health and the environment.
On the health front, the report notes that animals today are packed together far more closely than they were a few decades ago, significantly increasing the risk of transmission of dangerous pathogens amongst themselves and across to the human population. Moreover, overenthusiastic use of antibiotics is creating drug-resistant bugs that could emerge as an even greater threat.
From an environmental point of view, these massive farms are the source of a variety of unpleasant byproducts, including hormones, pesticides, heavy metals like zinc and copper, and of course antibiotics, most of which eventually end up in the water table and your kids bloodstream. Beyond that, raising animals for food is estimated to be the cause of about 18% of the manmade greenhouse gases that are currently making the earth so delightfully balmy.
For the record, I'm not vegetarian myself and it doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy to think that my meat jonesing may be killing not just innocent livestock, but the whole planet. Until I kick the habit, I guess I'll stick to organic and free-range only.
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