How Does Agriculture Affect The Environment

Horrigan, L., Lawrence, R., & Walker, P. (2002). How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture. Environmental Health Perspective. In this article, Horrigan agrees with Pollan that there is definitely a problem with using corn-based feed for animals who are to then be fed to human beings. Specifically, Horrigan examines both animal feed and the danger of other forms of pollution which have an impact on human food production and eventual consumption. The authors make the claim that animal consumption itself is highly dangerous and perhaps should be universally abolished in order to help the environment in terms of pollutants and to help humans in their health concerns.

However, agriculture is the central issue. While pesticides are being used to keep crops alive, a benefit to farmers, the natural ecosystem is not exactly experiencing the same effect; the ecosystem is being destroyed. An effective way agriculturists can improve on decreasing the amount of pesticides is to use continuous production, where it is reusing the fields, without wasting and hurting them.

This suggests that the roadsides was once beautiful and bloomed with healthy and lively vegetation; however, they are now destroyed due to the use of pesticides. From these examples, it can be shown that even though pesticide is beneficial, its deadly effects outweigh its benefits; in addition, it is a dangerous substances to the environment, organisms, and even human.

Agricultural runoff is another big factor in water pollution and it is similar to the storm water process but only with more dangerous pollutants. Agricultural waste runoff from the barnyards finds its way into the drainage emerging with the water bodies. The runoff from the barnyard being polluted by the multiple fertilizers used in the crops, pesticides, and livestock waste. Then the polluted water from the runoff makes contact with the water bodies such as lakes and rivers polluting them. There are two essential chemicals for the growth of crops and livestock: nitrogen and phosphorus. However, nitrogen and phosphorous are very dangerous chemicals when they make contact with water or soil. High concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in

Finally, the author asserts that applying chemical pesticides is increasing in sake control agricultural pests, likely we envisage water and food chain contaminants, consequently. This issue is considered as the last point of support that the birds’ species populations have been lessening in the United States due to developing in human population which lead to using more agricultural activities and chemical pesticides. The lecturer, though, cast doubt on the reading by pointing out that today the traditional pesticides are replaced by new and less detrimental effects ones. Besides this, the more resistant crops against pests are performed; ultimately, the harmfulness of agricultural activities have

matter of concern recently because of the research results and evaluations of what the pesticide

The pesticide industry rose to fame in the period of World War II where numerous chemicals being used in warfare and they were found with capabilities of killing insects. Insects were being used as experiments while testing the chemicals that were being used to kill other humans. In the middle of 1940, because of the poisonous nature of some pesticides, though still effective and good played a very great role towards agriculture, the federal government managed to respond by initiating some few regulatory rules. This paper is aimed at analyzing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that are used in pesticides, it will also provide some threats that pesticides pose on the environment’s well-being, as well as human’s, and will

To begin, Pesticides are used to kill insects and unwanted bacteria that destroy the growth of crops. Everyone becomes directly or indirectly affected by these chemicals. Unfortunately, society came up

The purpose of the article is inform the readers of the various aspects of the industrial agriculture system and how it depletes natural resources, such as water, soil, and fossil fuels at unsustainable rates. The article outlines the present, concerning public health and environmental issues with food production methods and advises different techniques to make the systems more viable. It also discusses the use of chemicals, such as antibiotic medicine and pesticides, and their effect on humans and the environment. The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce involves a large energy loss. It makes animal agriculture more resource intensive than other forms of food production.

Agriculture is the second most leading cause of pollution (jaiswal). With that much pollution one may wonder how it is happening. One may also wonder what america can do to fix agricultural pollution. America has put our land and farmers into some very questionable situations with questionable practices.

Agricultural pollution has historically not been regulated under the United State’s most powerful water quality control law, The Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA). But as the U.S. agricultural industry has become more industrialized, additions have been added to the CWA that attempt to curb increasing pollution from industrial animal farm housing facilities, technically known as Concentrated Animals Feeding Operations (CAFOs). One of these additions — the “Waters of the United States,” (WOTUS) Rule — came in 2015, providing scientific evidence for the regulation of CAFOs and other highly toxic sources alike under the CWA. In the name of all farmers, President Donald Trump has taken the side of industrial agriculture since taking office, and proposed

Factory farms are becoming one of our main sources of pollution to our planet. The concentrated, massive amount of animals in one place requires much resources, generates a huge amount of wastes which are highly harmful to the surrounding environment. Furthermore, only a small fraction of feed additives in intensive animal agriculture is metabolized in the animal’s body, while the rest goes unchanged into the urine and manure. “Indiscriminate use of arsenic compounds in agricultural activities during the 20th century has caused widespread soil pollution” (Liu 273). The soil in the areas is in such a poor condition that it is no longer fertile. The concentrated waste of the animals has contaminated the groundwater and polluted the rivers nearby

Have you ever wondered how the air gets polluted or how fungus grows on your food? Well guess what I have a simple answer for you, it’s called PESTICIDES. I think that farmers shouldn’t be allowed to spray pesticides on their crops. Pesticides are being used by farmers more and more often which is causing pesticides to get in the air we breathe a lot easier. Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are being used each year in the U.S and over 5.6 billion pounds worldwide. In my opinion I think pesticides aren’t going to help much because pests are natural and will occur whether you spray or don’t spray your crops with pesticides. Spraying pesticides on crops is harmful to humans, harmful to animals, and harmful to the environment.

Facing challenges of exploding population growth throughout the world, and with that more mouths to feed, the pressure on the business of agriculture to create food security remains enormous and growing. “Malnourishment effects 1 in every 3 people on earth, and about 18 million people, mostly children, die each year from starvation. Thirty-seven countries are expected to have food emergencies, with Africa standing out as the continent with the most serious food shortages,” (Moore, 2007, p. 117). Adding salt to the wound, the earth’s resources are geographically inequitable and scarce forcing agriculture to rethink how it does business. Simultaneously, whole societies are increasing in affluence and thus raising expectations and consumption habits. However, what does the impact of antibiotics, pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and mass water consumption mean for our environment and our health? Exploring these topics through the kaleidoscope lens of Mother Nature, this paper explores how present agriculture norms, while wholly necessary, are inflicting long term damage to many of our most precious supplies, damaging our health, and casting a dark shadow for future generations.

Developing means of farming agriculture is the reasons humans live in the world they do today. Modern agricultural practices have started the process of agriculture pollution. This process causes the degradation of the eco-system, land, and environment due to the day by-products of agriculture. Agriculture pollution in the United States is a serious problem which affects the health and sustainability of our great nation.