Environmental Impacts: An Introduction How we eat affects the air, the water, the forests and the oceans. The production of meat has a devastating impact on the subtle web of connections that sustains life on our planet. FAO Report The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) coordinated a 1996 report, Livestock & the Environment. The report lists the following problems created by growing feed for animals: Decreased biodiversity through habitat loss and ecosystem damage Soil erosion Reduction in the availability of irrigation water Greenhouse gas production (nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide) Aquifer depletion Nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticide contamination of water through run-off from fields The report also lists numerous problems created by manure, such as acid rain and forest damage from ammonia emissions and aquatic ecosystem damage. It also states that fossil fuel energy is a major input of industrial eggs, milk, and animal flesh production, and that industrial systems (factory farms) are inefficient at converting this energy into food for humans. Factory farms collect the animal wastes in large lagoons which spill into local waterways. Intensive pig farms have made the air unbreathable in many rural communities; some residents must wear masks while outdoors (Time, 11/30/98). Poultry and pig waste has contributed to the growth of pathogenic organisms in waterways which have poisoned humans and killed millions of fish (Scientific American, 8/99). Animal Waste Pollution In America (released by Senator Tom Harkin, 12/97) says that from 1995 to 1997, more than forty animal waste spills killed 10.6 million fish. Earthsave International Report EarthSave International also produced an excellent, well-documented report on the environmental, economic, and health effects of meat consumption. Unfortunately, most of the articles and books cited in this article are not available on the web, though you probably can find them in a library nearby. In any event, this report summarizes the relevant points from its sources and is highly recommended reading. Here's an excerpt: It takes 2,500 gallons of water, 12 pounds of grain, 35 pounds of topsoil and the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline to produce one pound of feedlot beef. Because of over-consumption of fish, all 17 of the worldís major fishing areas have reached or exceeded their natural limits. One-third of the worldís fish catch is fed directly to livestock. 70% of US grain production is fed to livestock. 5 million acres of rainforest are felled every year in South and Central America alone to create cattle pasture. Roughly 20% of all currently threatened and endangered species in the US are harmed by livestock grazing. Animal agriculture is a chief contributor to water pollution. Americaís farm animals produce 10 times the waste produced by the human population. More Information For more information about how factory farms harm our environment, our health, and other animals: FactoryFarming.Com

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