Factory Farming: You’re in denial. “But it is not the inability to find out what is going on, as much as a desire not to know about facts that may lie heavy on one’s conscience, that is responsible for this lack of awareness.” We often find imagery of abused animals disturbing and virtually impossible to watch. We spare ourselves the horror to protect us from the pain it makes us feel. By doing this, we are shielding ourselves from a reality that SHOULD and COULD make us disturbed enough to force change, or a least discussion. PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO (it is not really graphic, it merely highlights the conditions animals are forced to endure on because of factory farming) and get a proper introduction to a horrific reality that you, maybe unknowingly and unwillingly, contribute to. As written on AssociatedContent (article by Ardeth Baxter): It’s a frightening reality that more than two-thirds of our original American topsoil is now gone, with 85% of this loss attributed to livestock production. To create a meat-centered economy, 260 million acres of forest have been cleared for cropland. Seventy-eight calories of fossil fuel are required to produce only one calorie of beef protein; in contrast, only two calories are needed to produce one calorie of soybean protein. Almost half of the total amount of water used annually goes to grow feed and provide drinking water for cattle and other livestock. According to the General Accounting Office, more plant species have been eliminated or threatened by livestock grazing than any other cause, and cattle grazing harms about 20% of endangered and threatened species. Some $37 million of taxpayer money is used to trap, poison, gas, and gun down almost one million wild animals and birds each year for livestock protection and pest control. In the United States, every year 10 billion land animals and countless billions of fish raised at fish farms or taken from the wild are killed for food. 27 million each day and 19,000 every minute. The factory farming industry treats animals not as the sentient creatures they are, but rather as profitable commodities. They live in crowded cages and enclosures, are deprived of a normal social or family life, and spend their short lives largely without seeing daylight or being able to walk on the ground. Forty million cows and calves are killed annually. Cows have a life span of 20-25 years, but a factory-farmed cow is used up by the time it is 3 to 4 years old and sent to the slaughterhouse. The organic waste from these giant farming operations is tremendous. Cattle alone are responsible for almost one billion tons of it, much of which finds its way into our groundwater. Photo via Rolling Stone On arrival at the slaughterhouse, animals that are too weak, sick, or injured to move are tied to the backs of trucks and dragged to areas where they are piled on top of each other (still alive) so that they can be easily killed and butchered. They are called downed animals, and they may suffer for days without food, water, or medical attention. These sick animals are often rejected for human consumption and wind up in pet food. Sometimes the sick animals end up in the human food supply, as you can read about by clicking here. Of the 10 million biogenetically engineered dairy cows in the U.S., at least half spend their entire lives in crowded milking pens or barns with concrete floors. They are artificially inseminated on the rape rack-a charming term used by farmers-and their male calves are sold to veal producers within two days of birth, who chain them for 12 to 16 weeks inside dark, tiny crates. They are denied mother’s milk in order to produce the pale veal color. Factory-farmed dairy cows, like beef cows, are sprayed with pesticides and doused with antibiotics, hormones, and tranquilizers. The chemical residue is passed on to all those who consume their milk. Cow’s milk contains three times as much protein and 50% more fat than human milk, and is designed specifically to create a 300-pound cow within one year of birth, not to nourish humans. Globally, almost 10 billion chickens, turkeys and ducks are slaughtered each year for their meat. An additional four hundred million egg-laying hens live a hellish life, five to a cage only 18 inches in width (a chicken’s wingspan is 32 inches). Broiler chickens are raised in buildings with up to nine birds per square foot. Egg producers suffocate or grind up (alive) 280 million male chicks per year. Chicken processors, who kill about 5,000 chickens per hour, disregard hygiene because of lack of time and often just return bodies dropped on the floor to the processing line. A chicken factory uses up to 100 million gallons of water per day. Approximately 100 million pigs are killed annually for food. Most pork, bacon, and ham comes from pigs who spend their short lives in stacked crates or barren cement pens with iron bars. Mother pigs are immobilized in pens almost constantly and treated as nothing more than breeding and feeding machines. The pig industry is a major contributor to pollution in this country, creating thousands of tons of waste that foul the air and infiltrate groundwater. Factory farming is a disastrous combination of environmental degradation, animal cruelty, and human health abuse. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND NOT THE PROBLEM It’s simple. Make the right decisions. If you can’t stick to a plant based diet, please carefully source your meat and dairy items. Support farmers who raise these LIVING CREATURES the way nature intended. They do exist and it may take a little effort on your part but it is a small price to pay. Avoid eating meat that could potentially come from a factory farming operation. You can also CUT BACK on your intake of meat and dairy products, lessening the demand. ALWAYS educate your friends and families to the reality of what is happening. Understanding where your food comes from can be the most motivating factor to, not only make change for yourself, but to help encourage change in others. Cut out fast foods! McDonald’s single-handedly changed the way beef was produced in the United States. Most of the meat that is served by fast food chains comes from factory farmed animals. Meat filler injected with ammonia is combined with this beef on the assumption it will kill off pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella. Try dairy milk alternatives such as soy or almond milk. Both options taste great and are animal friendly. When purchasing eggs look for the “CAGE FREE” or “ORGANIC” label. They cost a bit more but ensure you are supporting farmers who allow their hens to roam free and live in a natural environment. Whenever purchasing any kind of meat be sure to check the label or inquire about where it comes from. Many grocery stores offer organic solutions as more attention is called to factory farming. Sourcing your meat from local farmers is another alternative as well. Do not order menu items such as foie gras, veal and specialty meats. These animals are all most certainly kept in inhumane conditions as they are bred and raised for slaughter and consumption only. Contact your local legislatures and request that higher standards are required and enforced for the humane treatment of animals. For more information on the horrific conditions and animal suffering that takes place on factory farms, please visit: farmsanctuary.org
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 07:02:59 +0000
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