The Effect Of Farming On The Environment And Waterways Essay

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.

Furthermore, factory farms pollute drinking water sources. Manure and fertilizers are rich in nitrates and phosphates, which are very unhealthy for living things. They pollute groundwater sources by seeping in through lagoons of waste sewage that factory farms create. Lagoons of animal feces and spent fertilizers are a very cheap way of dealing with waste (NRDC). The chemicals travel through the soil to groundwater that the local communities depend on. Ingesting nitrate tainted water will lower the amount of oxygen a person can intake. This can lead to death for infants. Some of the pollutants can reach open waters if they are carried by rain or irrigation water, called runoff. Runoff pollutes ponds, lakes, oceans, and other open bodies of water. Polluted waters with high levels of nitrates kill fish, aquatic plants, and other aquatic organisms because they experience the same problems with oxygen intake. High levels of phosphorus in our waters cause algae blooms in open bodies of water. Algae blooms disrupt the ecosystem in the water and kill the organisms living in the water. They use up all the oxygen in

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in our lakes, rivers, streams, and drinking water sources cause the degradation of these water bodies and harm fish, wildlife, and human health." In the 2000 National Water Quality Inventory, states reported that agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution was the leading source of water quality impacts on surveyed rivers and lakes, as well as the second largest source of impairments to wetlands, and a major contributor to contamination of surveyed estuaries and groundwater. Agricultural activities that cause NPS pollution include poorly located or managed animal feeding operations; overgrazing; plowing too often or at the wrong time; and improper, excessive or poorly timed application of pesticides, irrigation water and fertilizer. Since the 1960s, the high input of agriculture production has resulted in the surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus in farm fields, which run off into surface waters. High concentrations of nitrates and phosphates in surface waters could lead to eutrophication and instability of the aquatic ecosystems. Eutrophication is caused by the over-enrichment of water with phosphates and nitrates, a problem that has become a widespread in rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal

It is cited that the largest contributors to water pollution are power plants, pulp, paper and paperboard mills, slaughterhouses and poultry plants.5 In smaller farming operations, contamination is considered “non-point source” because the animal waste and fertilizer of farming are brought into the soil and washed away by rain and into the water supply.6 These

Without a, thorough process to filter the contaminants out of the surface and ground waters surrounding these farmlands, it is my belief we are largely overproducing on these lands with meats and all other grown goods. This comes at a rate that surpasses the technology to keep

Seventy percent of the Earth's freshwater supply is used for factory farms and their various needs. On average, producing one pound of beef requires 1,581 gallons of water. That is estimated to equal one hundred showers taken by an average American. Many pollutants from spraying crops or animal waste runoff into streams and rivers, providing more toxins that can be fatal to humans and animals (Good). Almost every industrialized farm has its own "manure-lagoon". These lagoons are filled with liquified manure, and are customary at factory farm operations. Not only are these lagoons horribly disgusting; they release methane and other gases that contribute to climate change. There have also been many cases of these lagoons spilling over into local water supplies. For example, in New York, a lagoon became too full, overflowed, and its contents reached the Black River. The pollutants from the overflow killed well-over 350,000 fish. Pollutants from manure lagoons also have been shown to spread into community water, and millions of dollars are spent every year to ensure nitrates from manure have been removed from local drinking water (Humane Society, 3). Even so, cases of illness from tainted water still break out across the

There have been many changes in the farming methods over the years, but the image of the Australian farms remains a recognizable icon, this is because Australian farmers incorporate a sense of resilience and tradition and are also able to adapt quickly.

The project shows that through effective democratic communication and funding, successful sustainability and management schemes can take place. The project has demonstrated a high level of success through the different levels of financial authority and power, as money can be distributed out to industries and issues of more concern and allows for productive use of funding awarded to the project. The project is also successful in allowing all voices apart of the Reef Alliance project to be heard, through the Queensland Farmers’ Federation. The project, Reef Alliance aims to regenerate and rebuild a healthy environment for the GBR, while maintaining successful business and management practices for farming industries. This suggests that the project is unbiased as it supports ideas of sustainability without destroying Australian industries. As the major goals of the sustainability project have been addressed at early stages, this can allow for farming practices to be refined by June 2019 and ensuring ongoing environmental practices to improve the health of the

Changes in size and number of American farms has many effects on communities, farms, and the environment. Large farms surrounding cities put heavy economic and social costs on communities. These communities don’t have a strong local economy because farmers go elsewhere to find the cheapest prices for their needs. Money doesn’t circulate and can increase the gap between rich and poor. Large farms also accumulate more debt due to pricey farm equipment and the inability to effectively utilize any cost-cutting alternatives. This places less priority on spending to be more sustainable which means continued use of chemicals and poor topsoil quality. The environment is heavily impacted by larger farms not having the ability to implement environmentally

According to Onegreenplanet organisation, Industrial agriculture sucks up 70 percent of the world’s fresh water

More than any other technologically developed countries, New Zealand 's economy, people and environment depend on the success and incomes from its land-based industries (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2013). Since New Zealand natural environment, temperature climate and disease-free animal populations create ideal environment for the pastoral farming system, the country is heavily relying on agricultural production. Agricultural equipment industry is one of the most important industries in New Zealand; the demand for agriculture equipment is therefore high (New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, 2012).

The world’s most pressing climate change issues could also be resolved by reducing large-scale factory farming. The greatest source of pollution of air and water systems, biodiversity loss, deforestation, water depletion, and global warming is industrialized animal agriculture. Concentrated animal feeding operations generate millions of tons of manure annually and release methane and nitrous oxides into the air and antibiotics, pesticides, hormones, and fertilizers into water systems. Tyson Foods Meat and Poultry Business ranks as the second largest polluter of US waterways, above ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, and the US Department of Defense (Environment America Research & Policy Center). Animal agriculture constitutes 30% of freshwater consumption in the world (PNAS), generates 51% of greenhouse gas emissions (Worldwatch Institute), and is responsible for 91% of Amazon rainforest destruction (World Bank Working Papers). Along with the destruction of rainforests comes the loss of approximately 137 species every 24 hours

Water is a resource that has always been available to us, and I feel as a society we have taken it for granted for many generations. While I was doing the research for this water conservation essay, it opened my eyes to the importance of my generation to preserve the remaining aquifer. Although I don’t reside in Southwest Kansas, I have very strong ties to this area of Kansas where the family farm is located. The impact of not preserving water will not only affect our family farm in Grant and Stevens county, but also the cattle that graze on the grass in the pasture. Along with our pasture, we have farm ground that is irrigated to raise silage, corn, and wheat; which is sold to feed yards in the area for cattle. Without water, the impact

Not only is the agriculture business profoundly responsible for pollution of Earth’s oceans, but it also uses 80-90% of the global water supply (Andersen and Kuhn). As of 2016, there are nearly 783 million people who do not have access to clean water, and over six million deaths a year related to water disasters and diseases (UNESCO Water Corp). Despite this daunting fact, meat industries in America alone produced 25.8 billion pounds of beef in 2013 (North American Meat Institute). It takes about 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. So, in 2013 alone, American meat industries consumed about 6.5 trillion gallons of water (Andersen and Kuhn).

This issue interests me because of the potential impacts the waste of water for agriculture has on vulnerable populations of people with already limited capital needed to access food and water as prices continue to go up. Historically, communities of color are hit hardest by policies and practices favoring capitalists in the neoliberal system under which we live. The growing trend of privatization of water coupled with decline in the economic stability of the U.S. has the potential to severely decimate low- income communities of color in the years to come. This issue impacts the environment as a whole due to the reckless waste of valuable water. According to a research study conducted by Tilman, Gassman, Matson, Naylor & Polasky (2002), The increasingly unsustainable methods associated with meat production, pose a huge threat to food production and ecosystems at large. Specific environmental health issues related to industrial meat production include water pollution/waste and climate change.