According to The Guardian, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration is expected to announce this week the largest recorded
dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. But the dead zone’s cause is what’s truly shocking.
The meat industry, which is already known for being a main
cause of greenhouse gas
emissions and deforestation
in the Amazon, is the cause of the Gulf’s giant dead zone.
You see, toxins from factory farm runoff, mainly manure and fertilizer,
leak into nearby waterways. These toxins promote the growth of algae blooms,
which create oxygen-deprived zones that cause marine life to flee or die.
Animal agriculture is a major source of water pollution. In
total, animal excrement and agricultural runoff have polluted nearly one-third
of rivers in the U.S.
According to Lucia von Reusner, campaign director at the environmental
group Mighty, “This problem is worsening and worsening and regulation isn’t reducing
the scope of this pollution. … A reduction
in meat consumption is absolutely necessary to reduce the environmental
burden.
The group recently released a report that identified Tyson
Foods, one of America’s largest meat producers with a record of abuse of both workers
and animals, as a “dominant
contributor to the pollution crisis. In fact, another report from Environment
America earlier this year found that Tyson
is responsible for dumping more toxic pollutants into our waterways than
companies like ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical.
In addition to destroying marine ecosystems, the toxins from
factory farms contaminate our drinking water. A report from Environmental
Working Group found that systems supplying drinking water to millions
of Americans contain dangerously high levels of nitrates, which have been linked to
an increased risk of developing certain cancers.
But not only do factory farms devastate the environment and
compromise our health, they cause immense suffering to billions of animals.
Pigs, cows, and chickens at factory farms live tortured
lives. They suffer unspeakable cruelties, such as extreme confinement, barbaric mutilations, and horrific
deaths.
Watch.
It’s abundantly clear that the meat, dairy, and egg
industries don’t care about the planet, our health, or the welfare of animals. But
you can boycott these destructive and cruel industries by withdrawing your
financial support and switching to a compassionate vegan diet.
Click here to get started!