Do Factory Farms Cause Climate Change?

713 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Consequences of factory farms

The manure from factory farms reduces the air quality surrounding them. Some of the pollutants that are emitted from factory farms are ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methane and particulate matter. When manure is applied to the land these pollutants are exposed to the air and can be very harmful to people (Hribar 2010). The odors that are emitted into the air can seep into shingles, siding, fabrics, clothing, and the tissue of humans. The odors do not come out until the person and items are washed (Richards and Richards 2012). Factory farms cause more air pollution than a pasture farm or many other types of farms because the confinement causes more ammonia to get into the atmosphere (Gurian-Sherman 2008). Those most at risk from air pollution …show more content…

Manure from lagoons emit methane and nitrous oxide which are worse than carbon dioxide (considered the primary greenhouse gas). Ruminant livestock, meaning an animal has a four-compartment stomach, are cause of methane production due to their digestive process. Some examples of a ruminant animal are sheep, goats, and cattle. It is a process called enteric fermentation which produces the methane that gets into the air (Hribar 2010). Although factory farms are believed to be a cause of climate change and greenhouse gases, researchers do not know if the size of the farm affects global warming and if eliminating factory farms would fix this problem (Gurian-Sherman 2008). Even though eliminating factory farms may not change global warming, it can eliminate most of the other negative effects factory farms have on the world and human …show more content…

Not only those who eat the meat are at risk, but those who work at a factory farm or live near one. Studies have found that those living near factory farms are at risk for developing respiratory illnesses, asthma, neurobehavioral symptoms, and psychological impairments due to the contaminates that are exposed. Chemicals from factory farms can cause irritation to the throat, eyes, and nose. They can also cause nausea, vomiting and headaches (Greger and Koneswaran 2010). Lastly, factory farms can cause weakness and chest tightness (Hribar 2010). These effects of factory farming could be prevented if less chemicals were used and the air pollution was under control. Factory farms are harming human health and it is making it hard for humans to be

Show More
Related

  • Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation: The Reality of Fast Food Meat

    3163 Words  | 7 Pages

    Factory farming began in the 1920s soon after the discovery of vitamins A and D. Shirley Leung said, when these vitamins are added to feed, animals no longer require exercise and sunlight for growth (B2). This allowed large numbers of animals to be raised indoors year-round. The greatest problem that was faced in raising these animals indoors was the spread of disease, which was fought against in the 1940s with the development of antibiotics. Farmers found they could increase productivity and reduce the operating costs by using machines and assembly-line techniques. Unfortunately, this trend of mass production has resulted in incredible pain and suffering for the animals. Animals today raised on factory farms have had their genes manipulated and pumped full of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals to encourage high productivity. In the fast food industry, animals are not considered animals at all; “they are food producing machines” (BBC). They are confined to small cages with metal bars, ammonia-filled air and artificial lighting or no lighting at all. They are subjected to horrible mutilations: beak searing, tail docking, ear cutting and castration. The worst thing is that ...

    Read More

  • The Humane Methods Of Factory Farming Directed By Shaun Monson

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    When most people hear the words "factory farming" they think of animals that are overpopulated in small cages, while some people truly don 't understand the term at all. The actual definition of factory farming is a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost (Merriam-Webster). When farms were family owned they used to employ very humane methods of raising and killing their animals, however, in the last few decades these farms have been taken over by large corporations that only have their businesses in mind and turned into what is now called a factory farm. Most people can only hope that the meat they are eating came from animals that didn’t have to suffer, but they don’t care to learn about it. They are ignorant to the fact that the animals living in factory farms are not seen as living creatures anymore, but rather seen as objects and profit. All of these animals have to live through years of distress, pain, brutality, and fear.

    Read More

  • Factory Farm Cause And Effect Essay

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    Factory farming is where animals are packed as closely together as attainable, most never see or feel the sunlight, able to get fresh air or even able to turn around. These terrible conditions have serious effects on the animals physically and mentally. Illness spreads and fights break out between animals. This worldwide epidemic known as factory farming began when greedy people began to modify farms to maximise profit for themselves, but because of this, it not only has a terrible impact on animals but

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Factory Farms

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the past few decades, small and medium sized farms have been taken over by large-scale factory farms. These farms house billions of animals used for consumption each year. The conditions on factory farms are filthy, overcrowded and disease ridden. Animals forced to live out their lives on these farms are subject to extremely harsh conditions, such as mutilation, confinement and living spaces piled high with feces. Not only do conditions on factory farms make life for livestock absolutely miserable, but factory farms are also negatively impacting human health and the environment. The production and sale of meat has become a billion-dollar industry based upon the bloodshed of other sentient beings. With this being the case, at the very least, factory farms need to be properly regulated and companies involved need to be held accountable for their abuse.

    Read More

  • Factory Farming Essay

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are multiple ways to help reduce the polluting effects of factory farming. People can make a difference by simply avoiding factory farmed products, reducing their animal product intake, or by going either pescetarian, vegetarian, or vegan. Those concerned with the polluting effects of factory farming can also make a difference by encouraging others to eat less animal products, raising awareness towards animal and worker conditions in factory farms, supporting farm animal sanctuaries, and signing petitions to end factory farming. It is important for people to become involved in reducing the amount of pollution caused by factory farming.

    Read More

  • To what extent is Meat Consumption responsible for Global Warming?

    705 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is much to be said about how exactly meat is being produced. In the present day, there are hardly any farms out there that still practice the traditional and environmental - friendly way. Animal agriculture is widely used all over the world and greatly contributes to climate change. Meat production leads to global warming because of the combination of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The process of raising animal is the major source to these harmful gases. It is vital to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change by reducing meat consumption. However stopping this meat eating system is extremely difficult, given that we had been consuming meat ever since our ancestors domesticated animals for that purpose. Over the decade Animal agriculture has been getting worse and worse. In 1973 when the Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz announced ‘’ what we want out of agriculture is plenty of food’’, overproduction was encouraged and lowering the price of meat was carried out; this originally started when there was a massive increase in corn (Wolfson). In order to keep up this mass production of meat, multiple pounds of grains are fed to livestock. Livestock industries depended on corn and soy based food and used over half of the artificial fertilizer used in the United States (McWilliams).

    Read More

  • Factory Farming Should Be Banned

    554 Words  | 2 Pages

    Furthermore, factory farming can also be very dangerous for the environment. Gale (2013) states, “...the livestock industry accounts for 80% of the greenhouse gas emission, while the methane produced by cattle and their manure has a global warming effect equivalent to that of 33 million automobiles.” By working together to stop factory farming, people can save their environment. They will also have a cleaner air to breath ...

    Read More

  • Factory Farming

    1338 Words  | 3 Pages

    Poultry is by far the number one meat consumed in America; it is versatile, relatively inexpensive compared to other meats, and most importantly it can be found in every grocery store through out the United States. All of those factors are made possible because of factory farming. Factory farming is the reason why consumers are able to purchase low-priced poultry in their local supermarket and also the reason why chickens and other animals are being seen as profit rather than living, breathing beings. So what is exactly is factory farming? According to Ben Macintyre, a writer and columnist of The Times, a British newspaper and a former chicken farm worker, he summed up the goal of any factory farm “... to produce the maximum quantity of edible meat, as fast and as cheaply as possible, regardless of quality, cruelty or hygiene” ( Macintyre, 2009). Factory farmers do not care about the safety of the consumers nor the safety of the chicken, all the industrial farmers have in mind are how fast they can turn a baby chick into a slaughter size chicken and how to make their chicken big and plumped. Factory farming is not only a health hazard to the well-being of the animals, but the environment, and human beings ;thus free range and sustainable farming need to be put into practice.

    Read More

  • Eating Meat: Health Risks and Environmental Impact

    1719 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nowadays, following a plant based diets or vegetarian diets are easier for those who have a heart because of the unpleasant treatment of the animals before they are butchered and served to the consumers. Regardless of how the animal cruelty factor is sickening, eating an animal’s meat that was treated this way may cause many different health problems to you or to your children. Eating meat could also harm the environment. If somebody decides to raise animals in his land instead of growing crops, they will need to cut all the plants and the trees that already grew in their land just to keep the place suitable to raise animals. Also, livestock production impacts the planet in a negative

    Read More

  • The Environmental Effects Of Eating Meat

    1335 Words  | 3 Pages

    The animals that are raised in factory farms, and the farms are ran just like any other business. According to the article Factory Framing, Misery of Animals, the factory farming industry strives to maximize output while minimizing cost, always at the animal’s expense. “The giant corporations that run most factory farms have found that they can make more money by squeezing as many animals as possible into tiny spaces, even though many of the animals die from disease or infection” (Factory Farming). This is actually quit disgusting that we eat food that walks around in each other’s feces and can attract disease. These animals live a life of abuse, but we sit back and say it’s okay because we will eventually eat them. “Antibiotics are used to make animals grow faster and to keep them alive in the unsanitary conditions. Research shows that factory farms widespread use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that threatens human health” (Factory Farming). These animals aren’t treated with proper care and we act as if they are machines. Chickens for example, become so big and distorted that their legs can longer support them. Eventually they die because they can longer walk to get food or water. According to Factory Farming, most of these animals have been genetically manipulated to grow larger and to produce more eggs and milk than they naturally

    Read More

  • Importance Of Climate Change Essay

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    The emission of carbon dioxide has contributed to 80% to the heating of the earth atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced due the burning of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and oil. The burning of fossil fuel is very important in our society today, because it is used for cooking, used to produce electricity, for heating, for cooling and also for transportation. The industrialization has led to the use of fossil fuel for running machines and driving cars. The building of fossil fuel contributes towards 80-90% of the carbon dioxide we find in our atmosphere today. When the ecosystems are altered and vegetation is either burned or took out, the carbon stored in them is relinquished to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (What causes global climate change, 2005). Methane is another gas being produced in the process which all have served to increase the greenhouse effect in our atmosphere. Methane is produced from the cultivation of rice, from the burning of coal and from cattle, it has increased by 145% due to human

    Read More

  • Essay On Factory Farming

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    Factory farming is raising livestock in a small, confined area on a large scale for the purpose of supplying food for human consumption. It is argued that factory farming is extremely cruel for the animals involved and that there are better ways for food to be produced. The food produced by factory farms may be cheaper, but the chances are it is also of lower quality. The animals inside these factories are not fed on a particularly healthy diet. Factory farming may lead to the production of cheaper meat produced, but this could be bad for society when the health consequences can result fatal. Factory farming should be banned worldwide because not only is it cruel toward innocent animals, it also results in economic problems and major health concerns.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Eating Meat

    1598 Words  | 4 Pages

    When these agricultural resources are given to the animals involved in meat production, these resources are lost. Besides the loss of land, the process of animal production is contributing to pollution and other greenhouse gases that are doing irreplaceable damage to the environment and contribute to untold negative health

    Read More

  • Cow Belching On The Environment Essay

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    Global warming has become an increasingly controversial topic, it has spiked debate over necessary regulations in many industries. Usually these arguments regard industrialized factories, however the agriculture industry is responsible for fourteen percent of the global warming. One of the causes of these greenhouse gases, are cow flatulence, and belching. Cow releases methane, which is actually twentythree times as powerful as the carbon dioxide that a care omitts. It is important for society to understand the effects of global warming, and anything which causes it.

    Read More

  • Soil Erosion And Soil Pollution

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    The industrialization of the agricultural trade has resulted in massive increases of greenhouse gas emissions as well as particulate matter. The highest contributing air pollutant that comes from industrial farms is manure. As the manure decomposes in a lagoon, the air becomes polluted with various gases. Among these pollutants are: hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. For the most part, the gases cause harm to humans. Hydrogen sulfide results in skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, neurological and cardiac disorders, seizures, comas, and, in extreme cases, death. Methane is a greenhouse gas and is a major contributor to climate change. Exposure to ammonia causes skin, eye, and respiratory irritation. Carbon dioxide

    Read More

More about Do Factory Farms Cause Climate Change?

Open Document