Morgan Seger
Cavallo
English 11R
3 May 2012
To Meat, Or Not To Meat – That Is The Question Eating, raising and domesticating livestock for survival has been taking place since the very beginning of human existence. Since history began, nomadic settlers began grazing sheep, goats and other native species in order to live off of their resources. Currently in the twenty first century, the idea of using animals for the benefit of living has been taken to another level; this is called factory farming. Factory farming began in the 1920s soon after vitamins A and D were discovered; when these vitamins are added to feed, animals no longer required exercise and sunlight for growth. This allowed large numbers of animals to be raised indoors
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Manure carries with it other substances that are used on industrial farms. These include antibiotics and artificial growth hormones, which contaminate waterways and affect the plants and animals that live in them (National Risk Management Research Library 2). Salt, a common component of manure from industrial dairies can damage soil quality and contributes to erosion (Schneider 2). Factory farms also emit harmful gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide, which contributes to global warming. This air pollution is a result from the overuse of machinery, the mismanagement of manure, and the irresponsible feeding practices that characterize industrial farming. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides have turned agriculture into a leading source of water pollution in the United States as well. Runoff from factory farms kills fish, degrades aquatic habitats and threatens drinking water supplies. Factory farms are such a high contributor to the damages of Earth and ultimately harm our planet in great heights. A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet has become necessary to battle with the effects of climate change. In addition, researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that switching from a standard American diet to a vegan diet is more effective in the fight against climate change than switching from a standard American car
Industrialization has revolutionized America’s economy. Mass production allows products in demand to be easily available for purchase. But at what point does this system cross the line? It is one thing to mass produce electronics and clothing, for example, but applying mass production to the meat industry is entirely different. In order to generate the most profit, livestock are killed systematically at a massive scale on an assembly line. These animals are treated as nothing more than objects that can be processed, packaged, and sold to a consumer. For this business to take place with both time and cost efficiency, the welfare of the livestock is placed as one of the last priorities. Factory farming has gotten out of hand, and America is
Factory farming describes how large modern farms produce food in large quantities for a small cost. Factory farms, however, pollute the air by releasing harmful gases. They practice deforestation to claim more farmland. Factory farms pollute our waters to keep costs low. Factory farming is harming the environment
Introduction (Attention Step): What do you think is the greatest cause of emission pollution? What do you believe is harming our planet? Well if you guessed that fossil fuel emissions are the biggest emission polluters, then you are completely wrong (attention getter). Animal Agriculture is actually the number one Greenhouse Gas emitter in the planet. Yes, cow farts are destroying the environment. It sounds crazy, but ever since the mid 60’s, agriculture associations have been spreading across the Americas and dominated the industry. The most destructive of all Ag corps are Livestock Corporation. These associations include IBP, Conagra, Perdue, Farmland National Beef, Cargill, etc … Animal Agriculture is effecting every single person in this room because we all breathe in the same air, drink the same water, and eat the same (credibility). The buildup of Animal Agriculture is a great destruction to our planet and our species because it is creating
Modern farming and agricultural operations contribute to the degradation and contamination of our environment as well as the neighboring ecosystems. Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, animal manure and other Argo-chemicals are rich in chemical nutrients and toxic substances which are often the major sources of agricultural pollution. The use of these various types of products can affect water quality when it rains, and the contaminated soils and water is washed into the waters or into ground waters. These chemicals can also be absorbed by plants which are then consumed by animals and even humans, harmful to animal and human health. There are many causes of this pollution.
Every year, over 58 billion farm animals are killed by humans for food production, and this astounding number does not even include sea creatures. This is known as factory farming – the system of inhumane raising of livestock for the purpose of supplying food for human consumption in the cheapest way possible. It is argued that factory farming should be illegal and banned worldwide not only because of its cruelty towards animals but also because the low quality meat can produce harmful diseases and major health concerns to consumers.
“We take care of animals, and the animals take care of us.” (Rollin 212). The preceding phrase is a policy that American farmers in the old west lived their lives by. Modern farmers live do not live their lives anywhere near to this phrase because they own factory farms, and the whole reason for having a factory farm is to fit as many animals in a small space as possible in order to maximize profit. Factory Farms, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) first appeared in the 1920s, right after Vitamins A and D, because if animals are given these vitamins in their diets, exercise and sunlight are not necessities for the animals to grow anymore (In Defense of Animals 1). The growing
One way is the runoff of contaminants into drinking water, and these contaminants include pathogens, antibiotics, chemicals, and growth hormones. 53 percent of Americans use groundwater as their main source of drinking water, and 29 states in the U.S have identified CAFOs as the main cause for low quality groundwater. When pathogens are exposed to groundwater, they have the ability to survive longer, and grow faster. This is due to lower temperature, and lack of sunlight. Many factory farmers are developed near communities, so humans are exposed to these contaminants. This can cause serious disease outbreaks within families that live near waste runoff sites, and have the potential of the disease spreading across the community (Hribar). The other way that factory farms can harm humans is the exposure to dust particles. Livestock produce a particle called endotoxin. Endotoxin is the main cause for respiratory diseases in American, so factory farms are the main source to blame. Endotoxin has the ability to cause allergic reactions, asthma, and even some lung cancer has been caused by too much exposure to this deadly particle. These particles can easily be brought to local communities by wind because it mostly is settled down inside of barns or already floating in the air. The manure also contains significant amounts of the particle, so when a farmer spreads manure on a windy day, the wind can take it and spread it
In my paper, I will present the argument Norcross gives on why factory farming is wrong. I will then express why I disagree with the steps leading to Norcross’ conclusion, factory farming is wrong. In Norcross’ argument, he provides us with an analogy about a man named Fred who has to torture puppies in order to taste chocolate. Norcross believes this analogy is representative of factory farming. I disagree with Norcross analogy because I do not think his analogy is an accurate representation of factory farming, and it does not help support his argument. His analogy effects one person, whereas factory farming effects millions. I agree with the segment of Norcross’ argument that says what Fred was doing to the puppies was wrong.
In the U.S., the concept of factory farms primarily involving animals such as pigs, cattle and chicken began in the 1920’s as a way to increase efficiencies by capturing
Factory farms have become an ingrained part of our society. They are depended on by people daily. However, it is not generally a fact people ponder often. A large portion of the average Americans food comes from factory farms. What individuals also do not realize is the damage these farms are doing to them daily. However, recently it has become a more prominent problem that many Americans and individuals around the world have started to recognize and raise concern about. Many are now considering this fact every day. Factory farms, specifically in the U.S. are a growing social problem that contributes to animal abuse, the deterioration of our environment, and damage to the local economy.
For many Americans, the term “factory farming” conjures up images of mistreated livestock crowded into undersized cages while force fed large amounts of antibiotics and growth hormones. Yet for others, greatly reduced prices on meat and other animal by products, such as eggs and milk, helping to keep costs of food down for their families’, springs to mind. Factory farming has managed to reduce costs of meat, poultry and by products, making it more accessible to our citizens by increasing rate of production and efficiency, while reducing the space utilized to farm livestock. However, the ability to increase production relies heavily on the use of large amounts of growth hormones and antibiotics in livestock,
Animal rights are practically non-existent in many different ways today. Factory farming is probably the worst thing they can do to the poor helpless animals. Factory farming effects chickens, cows, pigs, and many other animals that are used for food, milk and eggs. One of the biggest organizations against factory farming is called Compassion Over Killing (COK). They go to great lengths to protest and inform people about animal cruelty.
Poultry is by far the number one meat consumed in America; it is versatile, relatively inexpensive compared to other meats, and most importantly it can be found in every grocery store through out the United States. All of those factors are made possible because of factory farming. Factory farming is the reason why consumers are able to purchase low-priced poultry in their local supermarket and also the reason why chickens and other animals are being seen as profit rather than living, breathing beings. So what is exactly is factory farming? According to Ben Macintyre, a writer and columnist of The Times, a British newspaper and a former chicken farm worker, he summed up the goal of any factory farm “... to produce the maximum quantity of
Industrial or commercial farming places a large amount of pressure on our natural resources, and us as humans. Animals in these factories produce an extreme amount of fecal wastes, which leads in pollution of our air, land, and water. The residents who live in areas where industrial farming takes place have already seen and personally lived through the outcomes of such horrendous form of food production. It is known that industrial farming effects our health, but there is more to this. Residents who live near these kinds of areas face lower property values because of how close they live to these factories and the contamination that has spread into their homes and possibly in their bodies. In addition, the natural cycle of renewal is interrupted when
Many consumers and farmers have discovered that living in an industrialized culture where the focus has become faster, bigger, and cheaper is not the best way to produce our food. Obsessed with productivity, the agriculture industry is reaping the negative consequences of creating an unsustainable environment for food production. Time and time again, the media captures stories regarding deadly bacterial contamination and dangerous pesticide contamination causing illness and death in our communities. The environment is also damaged and contaminated. This devastating trend, due to irresponsible farming practices as a result of the industrialization of the food industry, has become all too common. Returning to organic farming,