1. Introduction
Other researchers, including Foote, Joy, & Death (2015) , Bain & Dandachi (2015)have identified that the intensification of dairy farming has the potential to degrade water-ways.
1.1 What question will be answered?
Through this study the researcher will look at Taranaki as a case and answer the research question:
What aspects, if any of the WAC Mission Statement may be applicable to Taranaki?
1.2 Why is it interesting to the rest of us?
There has been a recent report claiming that ‘our streams and rivers show good to excellent water quality on most measures’(TRC, 2015b), however an article by Joy (2014) would appear to be at odds with the TRC report conclusions. The public are very interested in the quality of the Taranaki waterways and are not sure what to believe.
2. What is already known?
This study will focus on the quality of the waterways in Taranaki and the perception that degradation is occurring from the increasing intensification of dairy farming, where the total number of dairy cows in New Zealand has increased by 1,071,504 cows (27.8%) from 2003/04 – 2013/14 (LIC & DairyNZ, 2014).
This study will draw on aspects of the New York watershed water supply system which is made up of a complex network of reservoirs, aqueducts, tunnels, and pipes, all managed by the Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC). WAC is a not-for-profit organisation that works with farm and forest landowners in the New York City Watershed region to provide high quality, yet unfiltered water to the nine million residents of New York City.
The New York WAC Mission is relevant to this study as New York had previously faced water quality problems similar to Taranaki but managed to overcome pollution type issues by developing a sustaina...
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...left many customers questioning the validity of the claim, for example, after Fonterra’s Clostridium Botulism scare in 2013, the official Chinese newspaper Xinhua wrote “New Zealand’s “100% Pure” tourism slogan is becoming a “festering sore,” saying buyers of Kiwi goods are losing faith in its clean, green image’.(Brockett & Wither, 2013)
2.3 WAC Mission Goal - Water Quality
There is a public perception, and there are numerous scientific papers, such as Blackett, (2004) and Foote et al. (2015) that suggest that the issue of intensive dairy farming and it’s perceived impact on the waterways is important to many parties, including the community, lobby groups and businesses.
Whether the perception of ‘dirty dairying’ is true or false, (yet to be determined) if accepted by our global business partners, has the potential to cause severe damage to New Zealand’s economy.
Unfortunately, this business model was unsustainable due to the increasing input costs of farming and the low prices the Hatcher’s were receiving for their milk. All other local dairies faced the same issues. As a result, a federal buy-out
...urkholder, J., Libra, B., Weyer, P., Heathcote, S., Kolpin, D., Thorne, P., et al. (2007). Impacts of waste from concentrated animal feeding operations on water quality. Environmental Health Perspectives, 11(2), 308–312. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1817674/pdf/ehp0115-000308.pdf
According to the article “Factory Farming Versus Environment and Society,” animal dung can be used as manure, however, “far too much of it is produced in factory farming… Lethal quantities of ammonia, potassium, hydrogen sulfide or other damaging chemical substances penetrate to ground waters and rivers with rain, thus poisoning them” (Fiut & Urbaniak 4). Animal manure contains toxic chemicals that polluted our water resources. The issue with having animals confined in a tight, restrictive environment is that animal feces leak through the cages and poison various water resources. Not to mention, it also makes the environment that produces our meat and dairy very unsanitary and more likely to increase the risk of transmitted diseases not only from animal to animal but to people who consume the meat as well. Moreover, when the feces contaminates the water, it affects the aquatic environment. In the article, Louis A. Helfrich, Richard J. Neves, and James Parkhurst stated, “nearly 20 percent of our freshwater fishes, 45 percent of our mussels, 48 percent of our crayfishes, and 20 percent of our aquatic snails are imperiled. Of the 230 species of amphibians (90 frogs and toads, and 140 salamanders) that depend on aquatic habitats, 40 percent are disappearing and alarming numbers of individuals are missing limbs; such deformities have been documented in 44 states”(Helfrich, Neves & Parkhurst 1). The pollution caused by factory farms kills the aquatic animals resulting in the declining loss of aquatic biodiversity. When the animal waste leaks from Lagoons, it not only causes toxicity to water but it can also create “dead zones” which the creatures can’t survive in. The nitrogen ends up becoming gaseous turning into a colorless gas with a pungent smell. This creates problems in
...ety Consequences of Factory Farms." Food Water Watch General. N.p., 27 Mar. 2007. Web. 03 May 2014. .
"Canadian Wildlife Federation: Water Pollution." Canadian Wildlife Federation: Water Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2014.
About 80% of the State’s surveyed freshwater rivers and streams have good water quality that fully supports aquatic life uses, 17% have fair water quality that partially supports aquatic life uses, and 3% have poor water quality that does not support aquatic life uses. Ten percent of the surveyed rivers do not fully support swimming. The major sources of impairment are agriculture (responsible for 53% of the impaired river miles), urban runoff (responsible for 16%), and construction (responsible for 13%). These sources generate siltation, bacteria, and organic wastes that deplete disssolved opxygen.
“Don’t waste that water! Kids in Africa don’t even have water to drink!” Almost every American has heard this saying before. We have heard this because there are water shortages in third world countries like Africa, as seen in the movie “Blue Gold”. But why have we developed this notion that there are only water shortages in third world countries? When in reality, there is a shortage of water right here in our home country. The Colorado River’s water is high in demand as it serves millions of people, powers industries, and is home to all different kinds of wildlife. The Colorado River will not be able to keep up with the increasing demand of water and soon enough the river will go dry. Organizations like the Colorado River Water Users Association are trying to change the way that the water is used and adjust how it is managed. The Colorado River is drying up and the western states are running out of water, however, public policy is trying to regulate and preserve the Colorado River to make it more sustainable in the future.
The Long Island Sound is a vital resource used by both humans and wildlife. The quality of its water is an issue that affects everyone and everything. Scientific studies and continuous monitoring provide evidence as to what actions need to be taken to improve and restore the water quality. In more ways than one, the United States government has devoted much of its time to ensure the revival and protection of the Long Island Sound.
According to the United States EPA, only one percent of all water on Earth is deemed suitable for human consumption. In a world with a continually-growing population in need of an ample water supply, the world's sources of fresh water are showing increased signs of overuse as they are emptied faster than they can be naturally refilled. In fact, over the past half-decade the demand for water has more than tripled as the watersheds across the globe have been devastated (EPA).
Cruelty toward animals, huge economic problems, and major health concerns are just three reasons why factory farming should be banned worldwide. Many people argue that factory farming is the only way to meet growing demands for food in the world today. However, factory farming is just not necessary, especially when it comes down to killing innocent animals in order to feed people. A way to put an end to the factory farming system is by buying our food from smaller, sustainable farms. These businesses still aim to profit from their labor, but that’s not their only objective. (The Issues: Factory Farming, n.d.) They simply will not sacrifice the health of the land or the quality of food simply to make a few extra dollars.
Since its inception in 2001, Fonterra Co-Operative Group Limited (Fonterra), the largest company in New Zealand, has grown to be the world’s 4th largest dairy company in 2013 (Robobank, 2013). Fonterra is the largest dairy exporter of the world and it controls a third of global dairy exports. Fonterra has huge pool of talents of 16,000 staff locally and internationally to make dairy available every day to millions of consumers ...
A United Nations report states that land used for animal agriculture, both for grazing and production of crops fed to livestock, takes up an astounding 30% of land on Earth. ("Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources") To meet the industry’s demands, over 260 million acres of forest in the U.S. have been cleared to grow grain fed to farm animals. ("Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources") With that in mind, the meat industry also dumps disease-causing pathogens through animal waste that pollutes water and forces the need for waste lagoons to be constructed, which are susceptible to leaking and flooding. ("Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms”) Scientists say that about 14% of the world’s greenhouse gases are released by said agriculture industries, which is a growing concern for climate change and global warming. (Silverman) The meat industry uses one-third of all the fossil fuels consumed in the United States. (Moore) There is no question that farming animals has a negative effect on the environment and steps should be taken to mitigate air and water pollution risks and future deforestation. If animal agriculture was phased out, land used for animal grazing could be returned to forest land and some of it converted into fields for cultivating crops for humans. A global shift toward veganism, resulting in the elimination of the meat and animal agriculture industries, would protect the environment from various detrimental effects.
Tyson, B., Panelli, R., & Robertson, G. (2011). Intergrated Catchment Managment in New Zealand: A Field Report on Communication Efforts in the Taieri River Watershed. Applied Environmental Education and Communication, 73-80.
The problem of water scarcity has increasingly spread throughout the world as of yet, The UN reports that within the next half- century up to 7 billion people in 60 countries which is more than the whole present population will face water scarcity (Sawin “Water Scarcity could Overwhelm the Next Generation”). As well the demand for freshwater has tripled over the past 50 years, and is continuing to rise as a result of population growth and economic development. 70% of this demand derives from agriculture which shows the influence of water on food supply globally as well not just drinking water (Sawin “Water Scarcity could overwhelm the Next Generation”). But increasing water use is not just a matter of the greater number of people needing it to drink and eat; it also comes from pollution and misuse of water supplies, by either dumping or runoff of bacteria or chemicals into water. This also “causes other pollutions as well such as soil and air pollution, accelerating wetland damage and human caused global warming” (Smith and Thomassey 25). According to UN report, recent estimates suggest that climate change will account for about 20 percent of the increase in global water scarcity in coming decades.
Rogers, Peter. 2008. "Facing the Freshwater CRISIS. (Cover story)." Scientific American 299, no. 2: 46-53. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 4, 2010).