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In many countries, the so-called ecological vegetarianism which is that people refuse to consume meat products in protest against livestock industry. Uniting in groups and movements, environmental vegetarian activists educate work, painting consumers the horrors of industrial livestock, explaining how harmful the environment is farm factories.
What do you think contributes the most to accumulation in Earth’s atmosphere of greenhouse gases, which are considered the main cause global warming? If you think you are to blame cars or industrial emissions, then you are mistaken. According to US Agricultural and Food Safety Report, published in 2006, the main source of greenhouse gases on territory of the country – cows. They, as it turned out, are now “produce” greenhouse gases 18% more than all transport gases funds combined. Although modern livestock responsible for only 9% of СО2 of anthropogenic origin, it gives 65% nitric oxide, whose contribution to the greenhouse effect is 265 times higher than the same amount of CO2, and 37% methane (contribution of the latter 23 times higher).
To other problems associated with modern livestock farming include soil degradation, excessive consumption of water and pollution of groundwater and water bodies. How so it turned out that animal husbandry, which was originally relatively environmentally friendly area of human activities (cows ate grass, and they fertilized it), it became pose a threat to all living things on the planet? Part of the thing is that over the past 50 years, meat consumption per capita has increased twice. And since the population during this time, too increased markedly, total meat consumption increased 5 times. There are so many cows in the USA that if there are all of them at the same time release to the fields, then there will be no more place for human settlements. But cows spend in the fields only part of their life – usually a few months (but sometimes a few years – how lucky). Then they are transported to feedlots. At feedlots already different. A simple and tough task is performed here – in a few months bring the meat of the cows to a condition appropriate demanding taste of the consumer. At the feed base, which sometimes stretches for many miles, cows are cramped, solid live weight, knee-deep in manure, and absorb highly concentrated feed consisting of grain, bone and fish flour and other edible organics. According to some estimates, under growing grain for livestock feed is now involved 33% of arable planet earth. Another resource that is intense animal husbandry is spending at an accelerated pace – it’s water. If on then, to produce a wheat loaf, it requires 550 liters, then on industrial cultivation and processing of 100 grams of beef – 7000 liters About as much water as a person taking a shower daily spends for six months. Obviously about animal health with industrial content is out of the question – cramped, unnatural food, stress, unsanitary conditions, would survive to the slaughter. But it was would be a difficult task if it hadn’t come to the aid of people chemistry. The only way to reduce cattle death under such conditions against infections and parasites is the generous use of antibiotics and pesticides, which is done absolutely on all industrial farms. In addition, the United States is officially allowed to use hormones, a task which – accelerate the “ripening” of meat, reduce the content in it fat and provide the required delicate texture. And in other areas livestock usa pattern is similar. For example, pigs are kept in cramped pens. Pending offspring of sows on many farms are placed in cells of size 0.6? 2 m where they are not may even turn around, and after the birth of the offspring, they are chained to the floor in a supine position. Calves designed for meat, with births are placed in cramped cells that restrict movement, due to which muscle atrophy occurs and meat acquires especially delicate texture. Chickens are “compacted” in multi-tiered cages so much that they’re practically unable to move. In Europe the position of animals is somewhat better than in the USA. For example here the use of hormones and certain antibiotics is prohibited, as well as cramped cages for calves. In the UK have already abandoned close cells for sows, and in continental Europe they are planned to discontinue by 2013 and the adoption of a law on increasing the size of cages for chickens. It would seem so much all sorts of harmful substances now enter our body with food, Is it worth it to be afraid of hormones? However, one must be aware of that natural and synthetic hormones that implant farm animals, have a structure similar to human hormones, and have the same activity. Therefore all Americans, with the exception of vegetarians, from early childhood are on a kind of hormone therapy. Gets and Russians, since Russia imports meat from the United States. Although, as already It was noted that in Russia, as in the EU, the use of hormones in livestock is prohibited, checks for the level of hormones in the imported meat from abroad is carried out only selectively, and used Now in livestock, natural hormones are very difficult detect because they are indistinguishable from natural hormones organism. It is now known that the effect of hormones is most critical during special periods of fetal development – the so-called key points where even a tiny fluctuation in hormone concentration can lead to unpredictable consequences. It’s significant that all hormones used in animal husbandry go well through placental barrier and enter the bloodstream of the fetus. But of course, The most worrisome is the carcinogenic effect of hormones. Sex hormones are known to stimulate the growth of many tumor cell types, such as breast cancer in women (estradiol) and prostate cancer in men (testosterone). IN Great Britain kills about 760 million animals every year for the manufacture of meat products. What happens in specialized cage similar to a comb with metal teeth that will separate the sow from its newborn piglets. She lies on her side and the metal bars prevent her from touching or lick your offspring. Newborn piglets can only suck milk, other contact with the mother is impossible. What is it for ingenious fixture? In order to prevent the mother from lying down and crush their offspring, manufacturers say. Such an incident may occur in the first few days after birth when the little pigs are still moving too slowly. And the real one the reason is that farm pigs grow unusually large sizes and can only awkwardly move around the cage. “If make young people realize what the breeding process really is pigs, they would never eat meat again. ”
Great Britain Water Russia USA
