This is a simple brainstorm I did a few years back on this problem.
Animal Agribusiness Impacts at population 6.7 Billion
Conservation/Natural Resources/Sustainability/Environmental Groups
Man’s Impact towards Climate Change/Global Warming (it is understood these are not the only contributors- these are just mankind’s known contributors)
1- Animal Agriculture contributes 18% of Green house gas causing carbon. (40% greater than World Transport which is documented at contributing 13%)
2- Man’s greatest contribution to Global Warming Climate change is caused by deforestation, erosion, desertification- the primary cause of these is animal agriculture.
Water
1- Animal Agriculture is the leading cause of polluting water (ground and surface watersheds)
a. High volume waste and runoff from CAFO facilities includes but not limited to the following biohazards and chemical toxins (CAFO waste “lagoons” contain these)
1- Hormones
2- Antibiotics
3- Steroids
4- Fertilizers
5- Pesticides
6- Larvicides
7- Herbicides
8- Fungicides
9- Bacteria from decomposing bodies, afterbirth etc.
10- Infectious diseases
11- Fecal matter
12- Urine
13- Pus
14- Blood
15- Tumors
16- Cleaning chemicals
b. Chemicals from conventional chemical dependant and genetically engineered industrial farming practices forced by massive scale of crops primarily used for animal feed (90% oats/ 80% soy/ 70% corn grown is to feed animals).
1- Fertilizers
2- Pesticides
3- Larvicides
4- Herbicides
5- Fungicides
2- Water intensive practices impacting unsustainable water consumption depleting fresh water aquifers
a. Growing crops to feed animals
b. Watering animals
c. Cleaning animals for processing (either to milk animals or during slaughter)
d. Cleaning facilities
Conservation and Sustainability
Animal Agriculture is the:
1- Leading cause of Deforestation
2- Leading cause of Erosion
3- Leading cause of Desertification
4- Leading cause of Water Pollution
5- Leading cause of Extinction of biodiversity (20,000 species of plants and animals annually) according to scientists we are entering the 6th global extinction period and it is due to human exploits.
Invasive species
1. Farmed animals are not indigenous; they are introduced and unnaturally proliferated driving out indigenous species and are responsible for denuding a previously thriving territory of its rich and symbiotic biodiversity.
Government Groups
National Security (Fight for precious natural resources)
1- water scarcity = failed states- we take water from others- leads to conflicts
2- Fair use of available resources- currently America which represents 5% of the world population has an inequitable carbon footprint and on average consumes 25% of the world’s resources. This creates a culture of hostile anti Americanism around the world.
National Safety – FEMA response to catastrophic events
1- Flooding and mudslides cause by mismanagement of lands
i. over grazing
ii. intensive mono cropping
iii. poisoning of soils and fresh water sources, massive fish, wildlife, and bird kills if CAFO lagoons are in flood path.
Community Groups
Quality of Life (negatively impacts community)
1- Surrounding Area Air Quality
a. Putrid Noxious Odor
b. Pollution
i. Chemicals (Ammonia)
ii. airborne illness (vomiting, passing out, asthma respiratory)
2- Water Quality
3- Infestation (fly)
4- Infrastructure Costs-
a. wear and tear on city roads
b. fire protection
c. emergency response to catastrophic events
i. flooding
ii. tornado
5- Poor Job Quality
a. Unskilled labor/ low wage
b. Dirty work no one wants to do, jobs American’s won’t do (see human rights)
6- Ethics of forcing this on a community that doesn’t want it (NIMBY)
Health and Government Organizations
Human Health and Public Safety
Small Scale
1- CAFO workers in spite of protective gear suffer significant air pollution levels that cause many respiratory illnesses (pneumonia, asthma, infections)
2- CAFO Workers witness of and participation in the large scale objectification and commoditization of living beings equals rampant animal abuse, cruelty and suffering for animals. This behavior devalues life, desensitizes people, engenders and perpetuates a lack of respect towards living beings in general, both human and non human. It leads to violence towards others and increased crime rates to communities.
3- Mental anguish suffered by doing such work for the more conscientious and/or exploited workers.
4- CAFO workers often become so permeated with the stench of their industry; it is in every fiber and hair of their being and they smell of it and taste it for several months after leaving the job.
5- Falling into a CAFO lagoon is certain death.
Large Scale
1- Leading Causes of death for Americans are due to animal based diets
a. #1 Heart Attacks
b. #2 Cancers
c. #3 Strokes
d. #4 Diabetes (both types)
e. Kidney Disease, Osteoporosis, Gall Bladder Disease, Autoimmune diseases, Asthma, IBS, Depression and many others
2- Infectious and food and water borne illnesses and diseases for humans and animals
a. E-coli
b. Salmonella
c. MRSA
d. Phiesteria
e. Cryptosporium
f. Mad Cow/Cruetzefeld Jakobs (vCJD)
g. Avian Flu
h. Myriads of others not listed
3- Antibiotic Resistance in humans due to antibiotic use in CAFO animals
ETHICS: Social Justice, Peace and Animal Rights Organizations
Human Rights
Small Scale
1. Often CAFO workers are illegal immigrants who are exploited:
a. no legal recourse for injury, rape, assault, sexual harassment, often part of the sex and drug trafficking
b. accept lower wages, indentured servitude, slave labor
c. have no insurance or medical care
Large Scale
1. All people in the world have a basic right to:
d. Clean Water
e. Clean Air
f. Fertile Rich Soils
Destroying rainforest and natural bio masses of terrestrial carbon sequestration, destroys the air, erodes the soil, pollutes the water and accelerates climate change for everyone. The forests, rainforests and waters sources of the world are not personal property- they are inherent to the survival of all beings sharing the planet.
2. Displacement of indigenous peoples and destruction of habitat for those living in rainforests destroyed to provide crops and graze land for livestock.
3. Famine
g. Caused by failed states and corrupt governments (connected to overgrazing, desertification and water scarcity from poor land management of animal agriculture and using scarce water resources to grow crops to feed animals that could otherwise be directly eaten by humans).
4. Wars/Conflicts -Darfur- fundamental conflict: Genocide taking place in a fight over grazing rights. Nomadic “pastoral” groups are attacking people currently living on the land they want to graze their livestock on. In this case, fellow humans are the “competition for resources”. In America, the Fish and Wildlife Service uses taxpayer money to kill other non-human animals (wild mustangs, prairie dogs, wolves, coyotes, deer etc.) that are “in competition for resources” or a “threat” to privately owned livestock grazing on public lands leased by private companies.
5. Ethics of forcing the impacts of CAFO’s on ANY community.
6. Fair use of available resources- currently America which represents 5% of the world population has an inequitable carbon footprint and on average consumes 25% of the world’s resources. Unscrupulous use of ours and the resources of other countries have led to wars and conflicts devastating the environmental resources of other nations and diminishing those peoples quality of life.
Workers Unions?:
Animal Rights
1. Wildlife- Their habitats around the world are being destroyed
2. Domestic Farmed- The Ethics of forcing other sentient beings into a process not of their choosing.
3. Inherent Cruelty of Industry Standard Practices for Farmed Animals
a. Debeaking
b. Dehorning
c. Vocal cord severing (to prevent baby “veal” calves from calling to their mother’s and vice versa) “Don’t want the neighbors complaining about the noise”
d. Castration
e. Tail Docking
f. Teeth Chipping
g. Branding
h. Standing on cage wire or cement is painful and causes sores and injuries
i. Impregnating (rape racks)
j. Hooked up to milking machines causing mastitis
k. Confinement
i. Battery cages
ii. Gestation Crates
iii. Veal boxes
iv. Close quarters resulting in
1. feather loss
2. injury
3. inability to stretch limbs
4. standing in own excrement
5. unable to clean or bathe
6. sharp edges, nails and wires tear flesh
7. insanity
8. fighting
9. biting
10. pneumonia
11. disease
12. cannibalism
l. Unnatural environment
i. No sun
ii. No dirt
iii. No visual stimulation
iv. Loud incessant noise
v. No fresh air or reprieve from noxious odors and ammonia fumes from excrement that cause eye infections and respiratory illnesses (anyone who has ever stepped into one of these operations, for even a few fleeting moments, can still taste the funk in their throat, tongue and smell in their sinuses for several days. Workers: It penetrates every fiber of their being and they reek for months after leaving the job)
m. Forced molting
i. Starved and deprived of light for several days
n. Untreated infections, injuries, diseases
o. Unkind “disposal” and/or “euthanasia”- injured/sick animals discarded as trash
i. left for dead to die slowly of infection/disease
ii. suffocate
iii. starve
iv. dehydrate
v. crushed under the weight of others
vi. held by ankles and flipped over shoulders to bash head against the ground.
vii. Asphyxiation gassing
viii. captive bolt gun to the head
ix. shooting in the head
x. hammering/bludgeoning on the head
xi. stomped on
xii. throat slitting
xiii. neck twisting/breaking
xiv. ripping/cutting the heads off
xv. thrown/beat into walls
p. Separation of babies from mothers
q. Separation of mothers from babies
r. Unkind handling
i. Tossing
ii. Dragging
iii. Beating with crow bars
iv. Electric and metal prods
v. Shouting
vi. Transport
1. any and all weather conditions
a. freeze to death- or to side of transport
b. heat exposure- dehydration
2. crowded
3. rough handling and injuries
4. traveling up to 3 days w/no reprieve, no food or water
s. Processing for slaughter (frequently, due to conveyor line speeds, animals may still be alive when they arrive for parts of the process they should no longer technically be alive for)
i. Shackled by chains and hooks around ankles
ii. Frequently dismembered while conscious due to line speeds
iii. Boiled alive
iv. Ground up in grinders alive
v. Tracheal removal while still conscious (google Glatt Kosher Slaughter)
t. Unnecessary killing
Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy Groups
An animal based agriculture is an inefficient use of resources because it is an unnecessary “middleman” to consuming resources. Humans can meet all nutritional and product needs from plants and mineral sources.
Small Scale
Confined Animal Feeding Operations
Massive amounts of coal based and petroleum based energy are used to:
1. Power conveyor machinery
a. Feed animals
b. Water animals
c. Remove waste
2. Light facilities
3. Heat facilities
a. Pullet hatchery
b. Factory Buildings in winter
4. Cool Factory Buildings in summer
5. Ventilation systems
6. Heat hot water tanks
7. Haul, render and treat the bodies and toxic waste
8. Grow, water and treat the crops used to feed the animals.
9. Heat facilities and water for processing slaughtered animals
Slaughterhouses
Massive amounts of coal based and petroleum based energy are used to:
10. Power conveyor machinery
a. Hang animals
b. Slit throats
c. Boil/disinfect
d. Remove feathers/fur/skin etc.
11. Light facilities
12. Heat facilities
a. Factory Buildings in winter
13. Cool Factory Buildings in summer
14. Ventilation systems
15. Heat hot water tanks
16. Haul, render and treat the carcasses and toxic waste
17. Grow, water and treat the crops used to feed the animals.
18. Heat facilities and water for processing slaughtered animals
Large Scale
National energy coal and petroleum use for all distribution centers, supermarkets and residents for:
1- packaging
2- refrigeration
3- freezing
4- transport
5- processing
6- cooking of animal products
Produce Farmers
1. Have lost a lot of crops due to contaminated fields from neighboring CAFO or animal agribusiness waste run off.
2. Have been sued for selling contaminated products. Possibly gone out of business for such an occurrence.
Insurance Companies
They have paid trillions in claims for effects of animal agribusiness.
1. Home and Business damages from floods and mudslides from animal agribusiness and improper land management
2.Health care and life insurance claims due to:
i. Leading Causes of death for Americans are due to animal based diets
1. #1 Heart Attacks
2. #2 Cancers
3. #3 Strokes
4. #4 Diabetes (both types)
5. Kidney Disease, Osteoporosis, Gall Bladder Disease, Autoimmune diseases, Asthma, IBS, Depression and many others
ii. Infectious and food and water borne illnesses and diseases for humans and animals
1. E-coli
2. Salmonella
3. Phiesteria
4. Cryptosporium
5. Mad Cow/Cruetzefeld Jakobs (vCJD)
6. Avian Flu
7. Myriads of others not listed
Economics, Immigration and American Taxpayers
Animal Agribusiness by its exploitative nature is the epitome of “jobs Americans won’t do” and as such is primary employer of undocumented migrant workers in the US.
1- Healthcare system taxed:
1- Unhealthy Americans due to misguided dietary information
2- Uninsured illegal immigrants seeking emergency room health care
2- Entire Economic Infrastructure used but not taxed by the amount of undocumented migrants working in America using system and sending earned income outside the country.
a. Displaces youth who would normally learn responsibility working entry level jobs.
3- How much do we spend in taxes on a military budget due meddling with other nations natural resources because we are not living sustainably within our own means?
4- How many medical “research” programs for diseases are we paying for that a simple change in diet can cure?
5- How much are we paying regulatory agencies such as the ODA to regulate and enforce our safety regarding animal agriculture? Are they adequately funded and staffed to do the job properly? There is significant evidence this not the case.
6- How much of our tax dollars are going to subsidize animal products responsible for diseases that plague us?
7- Trillion dollar deficit due to war for resources to support inefficient/unsustainable energy consumption. The presently achieved scales of food production are only possible due to the fossil fuels based fertilizers and pesticides/larvicides/fungicides/herbicides etc of modern industrialized agriculture.
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