Environmental Science: First Draft
Jeremy Sheahan
Not so long ago, there was a place where man and earth lived in harmony. Families, animals and crops lived in close community. But then populations of humans started to grow exponentially suddenly, the demand for food went up drastically and these little farms could not keep up. Then in an effort to increase the amount of food they produced and increase money they made, the farms started to take the animals off the farms and put them in “factory farms”.
While this decision makes total sense in terms of money and productivity, the environmental side of it does not make sense at all. It is not very environmental friendly. The animals in these “factory farms” produce a lot of waste. “A mega-dairy CAFO with 15,000 cows generates as much animal waste as a city of 315,000 people.” [1]For example, a dairy cow produces almost 21 times the waste than a human.[2] This is not good at all, all that urine and excrement used to be used on farms as manure and would make the soil rich and healthy, but now it is just polluting rivers, ponds and the air.
This pollution does not just affect the environment around us, it affects us to. There was one case where the workers of an animal factory farm in Iowa started to complain about sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, inflamed mucous membranes of the nose, irritation of the nose and throat, headaches and muscle aches and pains. Also, asthma and acute (cross-shift) have been documented.[3] This is product of airborne bacteria in the air that would otherwise be in the ground fertilizing a field.
In other cases, the waste seeps through the dirt and gets into underground fresh water or gets into a stream and pollutes drinking water. When it soaks into underground ducts, people with wells drink the polluted water and start to get sick. There have been reports of “blue baby syndrome”- “A condition that can be caused by ingestion of high amounts of nitrate resulting in the blood losing its ability to effectively carry oxygen. It is most common in young infants and certain elderly people”.[4] Sometimes this “blue baby syndrome” can fatal.
If we were to switch to having animals on farms again it would greatly decrease the amount of “waste”, the reason is that this “waste” would not be waste at all; it would be valuable organic fertilizer. This is the better choice, even thought it could mean less production of beef and other meats. Another problem is that the farms that took the animals off the farms have started to use fertilizers and pesticides that are unnatural and harmful for the environment on their plants.
Organic fertilizer is better because it puts organic material that is necessary for microorganisms instead of putting unnatural chemicals that make plants grow just enough for them to get by. It also does not force the plants to grow faster than they would usually grow, not only that but it also gives the plants more “balanced” nutrition. [5] And because it is just plain better for the environment, and instead of being waste, it is used in a way that heals the planet.
Fair Trade
What is fair trade? According to http://www.transfairusa.org, “Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace”[6]
Basically what they do is allowing poor farmers (mostly in poorer countries) who are working the soil and harvesting their organic, all natural crops get paid what they deserve instead of a very minimal wage.
The reason that these poor farmers do not get the money that they deserve is because they are usually sending their crops overseas or out-of-town locations and there are many costs going into the handling, moving and legal fees. By the time these farmers get their crops to their locations, they hardly have any money.
[1] “Environmental Damage." Factory Farm. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. <http://www.factoryfarm.org/
[2] “Environmental Damage." Factory Farm. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. <http://www.factoryfarm.org/
[3] http://www.public-health.
[4] "USGS CIRC 1158 subpage: Glossary." USGS Publications Warehouse. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/
4 "A Summary Comparison of organic vs non organic fertilizer." Lawn Care For Everyone. How To Grow Grass And Get Rid Of Problems. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. <http://www.garden-counselor-
[6] "TransFair USA | Fair Trade Overview." TransFair USA | Home. Web. 13 Oct. 2009. <http://www.transfairusa.org/
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