Animal Farm Persuasive Speech

Every child knows that Old MacDonald has a farm; E-I-E-I-O. And on that farm, he has a cow; E-I-E-I-O. But many children don’t know that Old MacDonald feeds antibiotics to that cow so it can grow faster and healthier. In fact, even many adults don’t know that Old MacDonald and farms across the country drug their livestock with antibiotics, the very same antibiotics people take on a day to day basis. While on the surface feeding antibiotics to animals may seem like a good idea, keeping them healthier and meatier, it has extreme negative externalities as it causes antibiotic resistance in humans. This antibiotic resistance has the potential to cost tens of millions of lives per year and trillions of dollars in medication. Today, I propose legislation

It starts with farmers abusing and overfeeding antibiotics to their animals in order to avoid any potential sickness and improve growth of the animals. In fact, most of the antibiotics sold in the US go to farmers for said purpose. The NRDC found that in 2015, 70% of human antibiotics were sold for animal use. When these antibiotics are given to the animals, they are spread to humans in 3 different ways. First, they are spread from the meat of the animal itself when it is packaged and sold. The 8-oz. filet mignon served at dinner last night contained residue from the antibiotics that cow was fed on the farm. Next, it spreads from the soil to the surrounding vegetation. When the animals poop, their poop containing antibiotics is absorbed into the soil. This spreads antibiotics to the other vegetation prepared on farms growing from the contaminated soil. This contaminates not only the meet, but the fruits and vegetables grown on the farm as well, increasing the prevalence of antibiotics in the food we consume. Lastly, the contaminated soil absorbs into the water supply which is spread to nearby households by water pipes. When the antibiotics make their way to people, natural selection takes place and bacteria that is not resistant dies while the bacteria that has mutated to be resistant will reproduce. Eventually, all that is left

A simple bacterial infection has never been a problem; just take an antibiotic. But when antibiotics are no longer available that infection will deteriorate and eventually kill you. These new strains of bacteria that can’t be treated with two or more antibiotics are called “superbugs.” While antibiotic resistance may not be at the center stage, the world has recognized the danger of these “superbugs.” In fact, the New York Times reported in September of 2016 that “193 nations at the United Nations General Assembly signed a declaration summoning each of them to a war against a powerful and resourceful enemy: superbugs." Currently, “superbugs” are a serious problem however they will only get worse. In the status quo, it might take five or six antibiotics to find one that can kill a “superbug” as there are “700,000 deaths worldwide each year.” (Boston Globe May 22, 2018) However, in the future when these “superbugs” become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, they are projected to kill “10 million people a year by 2050 - more than currently die from cancer.” (BBC News March 6, 2017) As antibiotics become more ineffective, doctors will have fewer defenses against “superbugs” and they will continue to take more and more lives. WebMD found the leading cause of “superbugs” to be taking