Related Posts
' src='http://gf1.statico.be/wp-content/themes/greenfudge/thumbnails/1250.jpg' alt='the-dirty-truth-tracing-coals-roots-and-impacts-on-the-world' class='art-teaser' width='95' height='95' />The Dirty Truth: Tracing Coal’s Roots and Impacts on the World The days of being thrilled over steaming locomotives belching smoke like Cuban dictators are over. Now these behemoths...
More on how industrial livestock farming and food production are destroying the environment
Two rather informative articles from Mother Jones go over the environmental benefits/drawbacks of a vegetarian diet vs. one...
New studies support benefits of organic farming
Can a world with a growing, increasingly industrialized population be fed by organic farming?
As the world population approaches...
NY vs. coal – Mayor takes on “dirty fuel”
New York City’s long-serving mayor Michael Bloomberg has a history of highlighting the “public health” aspects of political...
Fighting dirty: Bottled water battles back
As people start to get hip as to what a scam bottled water is, the bottled water industry...
Get your Eco Starter Kit
Create an account and start harvesting Carbon Credits! Exchange your Carbon Credits for green goodies, like the Eco-Hatchery Starter Kit!
-
Green network users
3,151 Users - Show All
Green Directory
Tip of the Day
When given the choice, take the stairs instead of the elevator to save energy and workout at the same time!
Pig farming: the dirty truth
Photo Credit: Jeff Vanuga | USDA NRCS
In France, nitrogen fertilizers are being blamed for a proliferation of ‘toxic green algae’ covering beaches in Brittany.
Ironically, agricultural pollution in France’s pig farming capital may be resulting in the deaths of wild boars in the region. Most pig farms in Brittany use nitrogen-based fertilizers to grow their pig feed.
The green algae, which becomes toxic when it decomposes, has also forced the closure of beaches in Brittany.
For more on that story see this video report from France 24.
Two animal rights activists in Finland will be put on trial next month for exposing cruelty that occurs legally on pig farms in their country. The pair documented conditions at 30 pig farms and then gave videos and photographs to the Finnish media. When the footage was broadcasted it caused a public outcry in Finland.
From Helsingen Sanomat:
In the videos, which were not pleasant viewing, pigs appeared to live in cramped and dirty conditions with little stimulus to their existence. Some of the animals had fight wounds and bedsores. Some dead pigs were also seen in the pens.
Meanwhile in the US, pig or hog farming has gone from bad to worse. In terms of environmental issues and animal cruelty, American hog farms put their European counterparts to shame.
According to a piece in the Scavenger:
The pollution produced by the hog farms in North Carolina is overwhelming the land and the people who live there. By 2005 the state had over 16 million hogs producing raw waste equal to at least 32 million people.
That waste often enters into the groundwater, causing a host of environmental and human health issues.
Please consider these issues next time you’re in the mood for bacon, ham or pork.
Tags: Brittany, cruelty, Finland, France, hog farm, pig farm, pig farming, USA
Other Greenfudge.org posts
Air Quality is Brought to Light in Seoul
Have you ever wondered how clean or pure the air you breathe actually is? Did it ever occur to you that there could be different levels of air pollution or quality within the same city? Well, now, you can find out these things—at least if you live in Seoul, Korea. Located in the Peace Park across from the World Cup Stadium, the Living Light pavilion features an interactive map of Seoul’s 27 neighborhoods. The air quality of each neighborhood is shown...
EU starts crackdown on illegal timber, deforestation
European Parliament has voted in favor of new regulations to insure that timber imported into the EU comes from legal sources. Similar legislation was adopted in the US in 2008, though in the case of Europe, enforcing the new regulations will be the responsibility of individual member states. If properly implemented, the rules could have a significant effect in reducing deforestation. From a piece in The Ecologist: While the EU has spoken out against illegal timber, a major driver of deforestation worldwide, it...
Poison Apples – Is the world’s hottest tech firm a blood-fueled, polluting sweatshop brand?
Many of us who use Apple computers have a hard time imagining using any another machine. Likewise, most iPhone users probably loathe the thought of switching to a “normal” mobile phone. My own MacBook is 4 ½ years old and held together by Duck Tape, but still works a charm. And I’ve no intention of bloody going back to a clunky PC either. But there are some ethical points about Apple that bother me, despite their clean, forward-thinking image. For one, the...
Does summer time reduce energy consumption?
Since 2007, daylight saving time (DST) in the United States starts nearly 3 weeks earlier than in previous years. It now begins on the second Sunday of March, while Europe begins European Summer Time (EST) on the last Sunday of March. But why do we do 'spring forward' and does it have any real benefits, such as saving energy? Below are two video reports from msnbc.com that offer differing opinions on the subject. According to the United States Department of Energy, daylight saving...
‘Green’ products as toxic as their non-green equivalents
We’re all aware of the ongoing debate about “green” labels. Usually the discussion is centered on what kind of products can or should be labeled “natural”, “organic” or “green”. In that debate we discuss the major ingredients of a product, the percentage of those ingredients that must be contained in the product and what needs to be specified on the label. Sometimes we worry about how the products come to exist, like with oil derivatives, or other natural products. Caring...
Breaking News: Italy Faces ‘Ecological Disaster’ from Oil Spill
Yesterday, an oil spill occurred in one of Italy’s small, northern rivers. Today, that spill reached the Po River. The cause of the spill is believed to be sabotage at a former refinery, now turned into an oil depot. Apparently, the cisterns of the depot were opened, thus allowing the oil to flow into the Lambro River, near Monza. Secchi officials estimate that 2.5 million liters (660,000 gallons) of oil were spilt. This is a concern for environmentalists, as the Po...
Bison on birth control and wild horses being dragged away – stories of conservation vs. sustainability in America
Santa Catalina Island – normally referred to as 'Catalina' – is a picturesque, rocky island off the coast of Southern California. During the filming of a silent movie in Catalina in 1924, a small herd of bison was brought to the island, where the animals remained – and multiplied – up to the present day. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the bison numbered as many as 500 just ten years ago. But larger numbers of bison...
Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help Celebrity Charity Auction!
“Millions of gallons of oil have oozed into the water since the April 20th rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Some estimates calculate the oil flow to be over 70,000 barrels of oil a day —- And we still don't know when it will stop.” That’s the opening statement of the latest online celebrity charity auction issued to save the Gulf Coast. Larry King Live has partnered with CharityBuzz.com to bring you this series of awesome auction items. In case...
BlablaCar: Share a car, split the costs and save tons of CO2 at the same time
BlablaCar is a community-based travel service. Founded in 2006, the site now has over 1.5 million drivers and passengers and is growing by over 50,000 users every month. The concept of the website, www.blablacar.com, is to provide its members with a social platform that allows car owners with empty car seats to connect with people looking for a ride in Europe (France, Spain and more recently the UK). What makes the BlablaCar concept unique is its mix of travel site and social...
Green and Innovative Uses of the Dreaded Plastic
When it comes to plastic, many people are divided on the issue. Some absolutely refuse to buy or use any plastic products. Others have no problem with plastic, as long as it’s disposed of properly (reused or recycled). Given issues such as the Pacific Garbage Patch and the more recent Atlantic Garbage Patch, I don’t blame people for being upset about plastics. However, whether people approve of plastic or not, it’s still a major part of our lives. It can be...
View all articles
You can also log in to post a comment.