As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. Buddy Hackett

Food is an important part of a balanced diet. Fran Lebowitz

AGRICULTURE CONTRIBUTES TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION.

LIVESTOCK CONTRIBUTE ABOUT 9% OF ALL GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS AND 37% OF ALL METHANE EMISSIONS.

10 TO 20% OF ALL GRASSLANDS ARE SEVERLY DEGRADED BECAUSE OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING.

STREAM POLLUTIOIN DUE TO LIVESTOCK WASTE IS BECOMING A MAJOR PROBLEM IN PARTS OF THE U.S., INCLUDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, PAMLICO SOUND, AND PUGET SOUND.

“Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are agricultural operations where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. AFOs congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures, fields, or on rangeland.”

-EPA-

YOUR OPERATION IS AN AFO IF YOU CONFINE ANIMALS FOR 45 DAYS DURING A 12 MONTH PERIOD.

CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS ARE AFO’S THAT MEET CERTAIN EPA CRITERIA.

LARGE CAFO’S ARE OPERATIONS THAT HAVE:

-1,000 OR MORE COWS-2,500 PIGS OVER 55 POUNDS-30,000 OR MORE CHICKENS

THE PROBLEM, OF COURSE, IS HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE WASTE.

ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS IN THE U.S. PRODUCE 100 TIMES MORE WASTE THAT HUMANS.

THE PATHOGEN CONTENT IS HIGHER THAN IN HUMAN WASTE.

THE EPA AND THE CDC HAVE DOCUMENTED THE IMPACT ON HEALTH DUE TO AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS AND WATER BORNE CONTAMINANTS FROM FEEDLOTS.

THE LAW WOULD NEVER ALLOW US TO STORE HUMAN WASTE IN LAGOONS AND SPRAY IT ON FIELDS.

THE QUESTION IS WHY HAS THE PRACTICE BEEN PERMITTED WITH WASTE FROM FEEDLOTS?

Court Strikes Down CAFO RuleTue, 15 Mar 2011 18:27:52 CDT

Court Strikes Down CAFO Rule In a unanimous decision, a federal court has ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cannot require livestock operations to obtain Clean Water Act permits unless they are discharging manure into a waterway of the United States. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans said EPA exceeded its statutory authority in requiring concentrated animal feeding operations that propose or that might discharge to apply for CWA permits.

WHEN A LARGE CORPORATION TALKS ABOUT EXTERNALIZING COSTS, WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

“The estimated 500 million tons of manure discharged each year from large agricultural operations are one of the leading causes of water quality impairment in rivers, lakes, streams, estuaries, and the ocean as rain and snow carry nutrients into waterways throughout the watershed.”

-EPA REPORT- 

IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT CAFO’S ARE THE SOURCE OF HORMONES, PESTICIDES, AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA IN WATERWAYS.

HORMONE ARE USED TO INCREASE GROWTH RATES OF ANIMALS AS WELL AS EGG PRODUCTION.

ANTIBIOTICS ARE USED TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH OF ANIMALS LIVING UNDER VERY CROWDED CONDITIONS.

AN ESTIMATED 70% OF ALL ANTIBIOTICS SOLD IN THE U.S. ARE USED IN AGRICULTURE.

“The transmissibility of antibiotic resistant bacteria or genes among animals and humans and the transfer of genes from antibiotic resistant bacteria to other kinds of bacteria associated with animals raise serious concerns about the use of antibiotics in agriculture. The concerns are three-fold: (1) that antibiotic resistance genes are amplified in the environment because of antibiotic use in agriculture; (2) that antibiotic resistance genes negatively impact public health; and (3) that antibiotic resistance genes negatively impact animal health and production.”

-From American Academy of Microbiology Report-

SOME OTHER PROBLEMS INCLUDE:

-LOSS OF TOP SOIL (EROSION)

-DEPLETION OF AQUIFIERS

-STREAM POLLUTION

-SALT BUILDUP IN SOIL FROM IRRIGATION

-LOSS OF ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES DUE TO HABITAT DESTRUCTION

-DESTRUCTION OF RAINFORESTS TO PROVIDE CROPLAND

SOIL – A COMPLEX MIXTURE OF INORGANIC AND ORGANIC MATERIALS WITH VARIABLE AMOUNTS OF AIR AND WATER.

THE INORGANIC MATERIAL CAN INCLUDE CLAY, SAND, SILT, AND GRAVEL.

THE ORGANIC MATERIAL CAN INCLUDE LIVING AND NONLIVING PLANT AND ANIMAL MATERIALS.

SOIL EROSION RESULTS IN LOSS OF TOP SOIL.

SOIL THAT IS LOST CAN CLOG STREAMS AND LAKES AND DAMAGE AQUATIC LIFE, AS IT

SOIL EROSION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IS BEING LOST AT A RATE OF SEVEN TIMES FASTER THAN IT IS BEING FORMED IN THE U.S.

DEPENDING ON THE PARENT MATERIAL, THE TIME REQUIRED FOR 2.5 CENTIMETERS (1 INCH OF SOIL) CAN VARY FROM 20 YEARS TO 1200 YEARS.

DESERTIFICATION IS ANOTHER FACTOR IN LOSS OF CROPLAND.

SOME REASONS ARE:

-GLOBAL WARMING LEADING TO DROUGHT-OVERGRAZING-DEFORESTATION (WHY?)-OVERCROPPING

THE HUMAN CAUSES RELATE TO OVERPOPULATION AND UNSUSTAINABLE LAND USE.

ACCORDING TO UNEP ~9 TO 11 MILLION HECTARES BECOME DESERTIFIED EACH YEAR.

DUST BOWL OF THE 1930’S

TWO OTHER REASONS FOR FARMLAND LOSS ARE:

1.FARMLAND CONVERSION2.LOSS OF IRRIGATED CROPLAND DUE TO SALINIZATION

ANOTHER MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PROBLEM IS THE CONTRIBUTION TO STREAM POLLUTION FROM PESTICIDE AND FERTILIZER RUNOFF FROM FIELDS.

CORN IS AN EXTREMELY DIRTY CROP, REQUIRING LARGE QUANTITIES OF BOTH.

DUE TO A LARGE INCREASE IN CORN PRODUCTION, THE DEAD ZONE AT THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER HAS BEEN INCREASING.

ACCORDING TO NOAA, THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DEAD ZONE NOW COVERS 5,800 SQUARE MILES IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.

THIS DEAD ZONE IS A RESULT OF NUTRIENTS BEING WASHED DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM FARMS IN THE MISSISSIPPI DRAINAGE BASIN.

IMAGE ABOVE SHOWS RESULTS OF NOAA SURVEY OF OXYGEN LEVELS OFF TEXAS/LA COAST

THESE IMAGES SHOW HOW OXYGEN LEVELS VARY FROM SUMMER TO WINTER.

TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM

1.PROTECT EXISTING SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES2.INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF LAND IN PRODUCTION3.RAISE OUTPUT PER ACRE4.DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE FOODS5.EAT LOWER ON THE FOOD CHAIN6.INCREASE AGRICULTURAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF LESS DEVELOPED NATIONS7.REDUCE FOOD LOSSES TO PESTS8.ENACT LEGISLATION FOR BETTER DISTRIBUTION AND PRODUCTION9.END WARS

HOW CAN YOU GREEN YOUR MEALS?

1. BUY ORGANIC - NOT ONLY PROTECT YOUR BODY, BUT PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL

2. FAIR TRADE - FAIR TRADE CERTIFICATION INCLUDES PROTECTION OF LOCAL WORKERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS

3. BUY LOCAL WHEN POSSIBLE - FOOD TRAVELS ON AVERAGE 1500 MILES TO REACH YOUR TABLE.

4. BUY UNPACKAGED OR MINIMALLY PACKAGED FOODS.

5. EASE UP ON THE MEAT - MEAT REQUIRES MORE ENERGY AND WATER TO PRODUCE

6. JUST ENOUGH - PLAN MEALS SO THAT YOU COOK JUST ENOUGH

7. COMPOST LEFTOVERS - AVOID USING THE LAND FILL

INFORMATION FROM WWW.TREEHUGGER.COM