These days, it’s hard to imagine anymore of farms with farm
animals in them, enjoying their freedom. Cows chewing on grass under the light
and heat of the sun. Pigs sunbathing on a puddle of mud. Goats resting by the
trees. Flock of sheep running around. Chickens and turkeys roaming around as
they peck the grounds. With the domination of farm factories since the late 19th
century, animal farms are steadily becoming nothing but an illusion.
As you may or may not know, farm factories are the current
norm in how we produce meat here in the United States and internationally. Farm
factories are able to supply the high demands for meat and because of them our meat
is cheap. Unfortunately, this efficient food production and cheap meat results
in farm animals being confined to small places, crammed together. They are
mutilated – debeaking on poultry, tail docking on pigs and cows, iron branding.
They are denied of sunlight, freedom and taste of natural habitat. They are
abused and at the end of the day, they are sent to slaughterhouses to be killed
for food.
I used to be a meat lover and never have I imagined I would
consider going vegetarian or vegan. That was until I saw what really goes on in
factory farms. This realization led me to Farm Sanctuary on May 4th,
2014 in Acton, California. Founded by activist and bestselling author, Gene Baur, the Farm Sanctuary
is devoted to rehabilitating and caring for farm animals that have been rescued
from farm factories and neglect.
It was about 12 noon when the gates of the Farm Sanctuary
opened. I parked my car on the dirt road and as I was walking to the entrance,
I passed by a cute Llama. He/she was friendly as if she was waiting for me to
say hi to him/her. Right there and then, I could tell this is a special place
for animals.
We were treated with some really nice, delicious vegan hors
d’oeuvres. I snacked on a plate of vegan nachos topped with vegan cheese along
with veggie burger and vegan brownie. I sat on a grass by the tree and I was
amazed to see just how many people came to visit the Farm Sanctuary that day.
Gene Baur
Gene Baur made an inspiring speech about farm factories and
its negative impacts in our health, environment and the farm animals that
endure torture, abuse and slaughter. One thing I mainly took away from his
speech is that we have to be conscious about what we consume and what we do. It
is only through awareness that we start to question the ethics of social issues
like factory farming and where we can start making more responsible and humane
choices that align with our values and our health.
The last stop of the day was the interaction with the farm
animals. This was of course the highlight of my visit. I saw two pigs right by
the mud. One chose to lie down and sunbathe in the puddle while the other chose
to mingle with us. I touched one of them and he/she came towards me. There was
no fear in his/her eyes. I could feel the sense of trust coming from him/her;
seemingly so sure people won’t hurt them. I love their feet because they seem
to walk in high heels.
I moved on to the cows next. Farm Sanctuary has different
cows and we were educated on how certain ones are mainly used for dairy, for
lean beef and for steak. As I stood there and pet them, I couldn’t imagine that
they were the actual live form of animals I used to have on my plate. I realized
that we have this disconnect with the farm animals that we hardly notice them
in our steaks, in our barbecues, in our pork chops and in our bacon.
I got to interact with the goats, sheep, chickens and turkeys
as well. Everyone seems nice and at ease with the people around them. As I
watch them do their own thing, I couldn’t help to think that animals remind us
how to be humans; how to live a life that is in harmony with each other and
with our environment. They look like they have a blissful life, which is the far
opposite of the abusive environment in farm factories.
As I walked out of Farm Sanctuary, I had these questions
lingering in my mind-- will factory farming end? If everyone will come to see
what goes on in factory farming, will that be the end of this current norm in
our society?
Farm factory is a multi-billion dollar business. It thrives
because there is a demand for it. But if we bridge that disconnect between humans
and farm animals, reveal the dirty secrets of farm factories, educate people
about the harmful impacts of factory farming in the environment, animals and
our health, and empower them on compassionate food consumption and meat substitutes,
I’m optimistic that we can reduce and maybe even halt the demand for meat. Then
factory farming will be a thing of the past. And there will be no farm
sanctuaries, just animal farms.
"A better attitude leads to better actions and a better world..."
We live in a world where environmental concerns are a growing topic. Reports of global warming, increasing incidents of droughts, heavy storms, floods and unpredictable weather plague our world today. Much of what we experience now is the result of human actions. The birth of industrialization has fostered our increasing dependency on energy. Since then, we heavily rely on energy to make our world go around. Energy has enabled us to enjoy what we have today - cars, airplanes, internet, air conditioning/heater and electricity.
But as we enjoy the convenience and luxury brought by energy in our daily lives, we are often unaware of its harmful effects in our environment. Our energy comes from fossil fuels combustion that mainly come from coal, oil and natural gas. Their combustion emits toxic gases that produce air pollution and damage the ecosystem. Coal and Natural Gas combustion is the primary culprit of greenhouse gas emissions. Oil spills contaminate the marine life and oil drilling harms the health of marine animals.
It is likely idealistic to think that we can go back to a simpler world where farmlands, grass, trees and fresher air fill our environment rather than tall buildings, factories, multiple freeways and numerous vehicles. But our actions can make a positive difference.
We can reduce our energy reliance by reducing our use of cars or choosing fuel efficient cars. We can limit our use of electricity by turning off lights, TVs, computers and other sources of energy unless they're absolutely needed. We can do all these simply yet great things as we continue to look for cleaner and renewable energy sources. For now, awareness on the basics of the energy that fuels our world are worth looking into and understanding, so we can take better choices and more responsible actions upon moving forward.
Fossil Fuels
The United States gets 84% of its total energy from oil, coal, and
natural gas, all of which are fossil fuels. We depend on fossil fuels to
heat our homes, run our vehicles, power industry and manufacturing, and
provide us with electricity. Eventually, the degree to which we depend
on fossil fuels will have to lessen as the planet’s known supplies
diminish, the difficulty and cost of tapping remaining reserves
increases, and the effect of their continued use on our planet grows
more dire. But shifting to new energy sources will take time. In the
meantime, what do we need to know about fossil fuels?
COAL
In 2008, 49% of U.S. electricity came from coal, more than twice the contribution of either nuclear power or natural gas.
Importance:
America has plenty of coal. Its
mines produced 1.2 billion tons in 2008, nearly all of its destined for
electricity generation. That was a record year, but it barely scratched
the surface of U.S. recoverable coal reserves, which are estimated at
about 270 billion tons. More than one-fourth of the total known world
coal reserves are located in the United States. Despite such coal
riches, questions have recently been raised about how accessible these reserves truly are. The location, quality and recoverability of the coal could significantly impact these supply estimates and experts caution that the reserves should be analyzed more closely with these factors in mind.
Demand for Coal:
Demand for coal in the United States is projected to increase by 21% between now and 2030, propelled by the rising use of electricity and possibly the expanded use of still-developing technology that converts coal to liquid fuel. Most of the increased supply will probably come from western states, which now provide about six-tenths of the nation's coal. Wyoming alone accounted for 38% of all domestic coal mined in 2006.
Environmental Effects:
Of all the fossil-fuel sources, coal is the least expensive for its energy content, but it has negative environmental repercussions that go beyond combustion
Burning coal in electric power plants is a major source of CO2 emissions
Its use has repercussions on the environment
beyond combustion
Mining coal disturbs the land and modifies the
chemistry of rainwater runoff, which affects stream and river
water quality
Coal-fired power plant emissions include oxides of
nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter,
and heavy metals (such as mercury) that affect air quality and human
health, often even hundreds of miles from the power plant
In response
to strict environmental laws, advanced coal—also known as “clean coal”—technologies are being developed to reduce harmful emissions and improve the efficiency of these plants
OIL
Almost two-thirds of the oil America uses is imported from a handful of nations.
Importance:
In 2008, the United States got 37%
of its energy from petroleum, or oil, and experts project that demand
for this fuel will stay strong over the next 20 years. U.S. domestic
production of crude oil peaked around 1970 at about 9.5 million barrels
per day and had declined to 5.1 million barrels per day by 2006. Today
America imports almost two-thirds of its oil from a handful of nations.
The EIA
predicts that by 2030 U.S. production of oil will increase by a third,
spurred by higher oil prices, while imports of foreign oil decline to
49% as a result of strides in vehicle efficiency and government
requirements to increase the use of biofuels.
But even this changing and hopeful trend can only go so far to address
the enormous imbalance in U.S. demand and domestic supply of this
crucial resource.
Demand for Oil:
Currently, total world consumption is approximately 85 million barrels
per day, more than 19 million of which is used by the United States. The
nation’s dependency on oil and the rapidly rising demand for oil in
other countries, such as China and India, are heightening concern that
we will reach a point where the oil supply can no longer be increased to
meet projected demand. While this will certainly be true eventually,
there is no consensus as to whether we are already entering that period
or it is decades away. Pinning down an exact time frame is nearly
impossible as estimates of the amount of “recoverable” oil available can
change depending on new discoveries, technological developments, and
price.
Environmental Effects:
Environmental concerns about the impact of burning fossil fuels like oil and the security
risks of depending heavily on foreign sources for our supply are
leading to a reassessment of our oil consumption and a search for
conventional oil alternatives. Much of this attention is focused on the transportation sector, which relies heavily on oil. Legislation such as the CAFE standards,
which encourage manufacturers to develop more efficient vehicles, and
research into new energy sources, such as biofuels, both aim to reduce
our demand for oil.
NATURAL GAS
The United States imports less than 2% of its natural gas from outside North America. In 2008, 24% of the U.S. total energy supply came from natural gas.
Importance:
Natural gas is used to heat more than half the homes in the United
States and is also a raw material in a variety of common products, such
as paints, fertilizers, plastics, medicines, and antifreeze. Propane,
which powers many kitchen stoves and outdoor grills as well as home
heating systems, is derived from natural gas. Natural gas is also used
to generate 21% of our electricity. (See Our Energy System for an overview of how natural gas is used in the United States.)
Natural gas is often described as “clean burning” because it produces fewer undesirable by-products than gasoline.
Demand for Natural Gas:
Natural gas provides 24% of our energy. Unlike oil,
almost two-thirds of which is imported from foreign sources, our
natural gas comes primarily from North America. The annual volume of
consumption is projected to rise from 22.5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in
2009 to about 23.5 tcf in 2030. New activity in Alaska will supply some
of that, but most will likely come from the lower 48 states and the Gulf
of Mexico. The nation imports less than 3% of its natural gas from
outside North America, mostly in the form of liquefied natural gas, or
gas cooled to its liquid phase for easier transportation. According to EIA,
new estimates of unconventional domestic natural gas sources—primarily
in natural gas shales—will result in a marked decrease in imports over
the next two decades.
In natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants, we now have technology that takes the waste heat
from a natural gas turbine and uses it to power a steam turbine,
resulting in a power plant that is as much as 60% efficient
If "The Cove" Inspired You ... Wait Till You See "6"
Louie Psihoyos, Academy Award-Winning Director of “The Cove” and Executive Director of OPS (Oceanic Preservation Society),
is screening a work-in-progress version of his new film “6” at the
Tribeca Film Festival on April 25th. The film -- whose title alludes to
the sixth extinction -- takes on the issues of endangered species and
mass extinction. Similar to “The Cove,” which exposed brutal dolphin
drive hunting in Taiji, Japan, “6” is what Louie calls an
“eco-thriller,” and promises to simultaneously educate viewers about and
energize them to help tackle what he sees as “the biggest
[environmental] issue humanity has ever faced.” We had the opportunity
to ask Louie some questions about “6” and what he hopes audiences will
take away from it.
What inspired you to make “6”?
We had enormous success with “The Cove” in creating awareness and
changing behavior, and I wanted to scale it up by tackling the biggest
issue humanity has ever faced. We are one step away from greatness -- or
the greatest disaster of the last 65 million years.
How bad is it really?
By
the end of the century, we could lose half of the species on the
planet. But this time it's not a meteor that's wiping out life on the
planet, it's humanity. One paleontologist told me that WWII will be a
footnote in human history compared to the current loss of biodiversity
that our generation is presiding over. My goal is to make a film that
doesn't just create awareness, but inspires people to get motivated to
change this insane path we're on. Films to me aren't just entertainment
-- they are for me the most powerful weapon in the world, a weapon of
mass construction. We can change course, but we need a strong motivator.
Entertainment is still key: we have as many gadgets and high tech gear
as a Bond film -- in fact, the film features a car that was inspired by
the Bond cars except ours is much cooler.
What do you hope people will take away from the film?
I want people to feel empowered and enraged. The burning of fossil
fuels is killing the planet, it's acidifying the oceans at a very very
dramatic rate -- oysters in the larval stage can't be raised in the
Northwest anymore without special monitoring procedures. This is not
something that distant generations will have to worry about -- it's
happening right now, in our lifetime. It's not just oysters -- plankton
may be in peril too and plankton is not only the base of all ocean life,
it's responsible for every other breath you take. Also, people don't
realize it, but the raising of animals for human consumption causes
about as much greenhouse gases as the entire transportation sector. So
if you want to save the planet for your kids as well as the rest of
human and animal life, adopt a plant-based diet.
How many species are at risk of extinction in the next ten years?
E.O. Wilson, the great Harvard conservationist, estimated that we may
be losing as many as 30,000 species a year -- it's hard to know exact
numbers because we have no idea how many species are alive today.
Scientists have only cataloged about 1.8 million species -- we don't
even know within several orders of magnitude how many species we share
the planet with. We do know that, with the massive loss of habitat, we
are losing species faster than our ability to record their existence.
This is like having all the world's knowledge in a single library and
we're burning down the library before we can read the books.
What are three things that can be done to combat mass-extinction? What’s actionable right away?
1. Get your home, school, places of work and worship, and government buildings off of fossil fuels ASAP
2. Explore a plant-based diet
3. Tell everyone you know to see this film
The
solutions are all upgrades. I've been driving an electric car for five
years, and it never goes into the shop because there's only one moving
part in the engine -- the rotor -- which lasts forever. I power it with
solar panels, I don't pay for gas; in fact, my whole house and studio is
powered by the sun. My license plate says “VUS” which stands for
Vehicle Using Sun -- it's the opposite of an SUV. My local electric
company (which OPS has been working fervently to overthrow) pays us to
produce electricity because we generate 140% more energy than we use.
“The Cove” hit a nerve with a worldwide audience -- and clearly “6”
will have as much, if not more, of an impact. What do you think has
changed in the world that issues like this are now mainstream?
It's Evolution. Humanity is actually evolving very very quickly as
information speeds up -- the combination of the internet and inexpensive
gear has leveled the playing field. Every kid in the world who is a
keen observer and has a laptop and a camera and can tell a great story
can have as much reach and influence as a New York Times writer. We shot
one of the best scenes in our movie almost entirely on GoPros.
What’s next for you after "6"?
James Cameron told me that it's hard to talk about having another child
when you're in the middle of childbirth. I guess we're still very much
in labor. The screening at Tribeca is a work in progress screening --
we're not done filming yet, and we have a big event we want to pull off
this summer for the climax of the film. And when you're done making a
documentary, you're only halfway there…
Growing up we were not given a choice, eating animals were given.
When eating animals is not a necessity for survival then it is a choice and choice always stems from beliefs.
Carnism teaches us how not to feel - Denial.
19,011 farmed animals in the U.S. are killed each minute...yet how many farmed animals have you seen this week? This month? This year? Or in your lifetime?
Farmed animals are 32 times the human population, but where are they?
We don't see the animals that become our food because we are not supposed to.
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
"An act of terrorism for those who committed something that interferes the profits of animal enterprise."
Farm industry is 120 billion dollar business.
VICTIMS OF FARM FACTORIES:
1. ANIMALS ABUSED TORTURED AND SLAUGHTERED
2. MEAT WORKERS
OSHA reports numerous incidents of 1.) employee hospitalized for neck laceration from flying blade; 2.) employee's eye injuries when struck by hanging hook; and 3.) employee decapitated by chain of hide puller machine.
In 2005, for the first time ever, the Human Rights Watch issued a report criticizing a single U.S. industry - the meat industry - for working conditions so appalling that they violate human rights.
3. ENVIRONMENT
United Nations report animal agriculture is one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems facing the world today (2007)
4. PEOPLE, CONSUMERS
Vegetarian diets, including vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases - American Dietetic Association
A huge amount of our tax money comes to billion dollar food industry that they have been widely criticized across the political spectrum.
To eat animals, we have to shut down our sympathy and empathy, our ability to feel. We need to fill the gap in our awareness. When invisibility falters, we are left to justify why we eat meat.
3 N's in JUSTIFYING MEAT CONSUMPTION:
1. Eating meat is normal, natural and necessary. Why so? Because we have heard it all before. Much in the same way that male dominance is normal, natural and necessary, that heterosexual supremacy is normal, natural and necessary.
Carnistic norms have become such a social norm that they blind us to the fact that humane meat is a complete contradition to its terms.
What is normal? The beliefs and behaviors of the dominant culture.
What is natural?
The dominant culture's interpretation of history.
Our history only goes back to our flesh eating descendants and not out fruit eating origins. We only look as far back as where we can justify our current actions. Rape, murder, robbery have all been part of our history that we condemn, in the same history where animal abuse and slaughter have been existing.
What is necessary?
What's necessary to maintain or sustain the dominant culture.
The protein myth - the myth of meat approval prevails despite the overwhelming contradictions to it because they are so entrenched.
When a system is entrenched, it means it's embraced and maintained by all social institutions. When we are born into the system of carnism we absorbed them as our own, into our system, as our way of life.
Animal industry uses cognitive distortions that make us feel okay with meat consumption:
1. Animals = Objects
We refer to turkey as 'something' not 'someone'
We call a calf or a baby an 'it' not a 'he/she'
2. Animals = Abstractions
We see animals as lacking in their own individuality or personality and instead as abstract members of the group. (A pig is a pig and all pigs are the same)
We give them numbers, not names.
Personal interview conducted from a meat cutter regarding whether animals have individual characteristics: "I'm sure it does, but I'd rather not know it."
3. Animals = Categories
We put animals we eat in categories (we can eat chickens, pigs and cows but we treat our cats and dogs as pets)
"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." - Voltaire
When we look at the world through the lens of carnism, we fail to see the absurdities of the system. Carnism is one of many atrocities, one of many violent ideologies that is an unfortunate part of human legacy.
Although the experience of each consumer can be different, the ideologies are structurally similar, the mentality that enables such violence is the same.
The mentality of domination and subjugation, of privilege and oppression. It's the mentality that causes us to see someone into something, to reduce a life to a unit of production.
It is the 'might makes right' mentality that makes us feel entitled that we are in complete control of the lives and deaths of those with less power just because we can. We feel justified in our actions because we see them as nothing but animals, as savages...
Homosexual, women, animals - the mentality of meat
If we fail to recognize the threads of violent ideologies, we will only recreate oppression in new forms.
Eating animals is not simply a matter of personal ethics, it is the result of deeply entrenched oppressive nature.
Eating animals is a social justice issue.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere." - Martin Luther King Jr.
The opposite is the just the same. Justice anywhere is a threat to injustice anywhere.
Why do we defend or deny our meat consumption? Because we care...we care about animals and we care about the truth.
Carnism is a house of cards, it's a vulnerable system that needs its strong fortress to protect itself from its very own proponents..us. So our caring is both the problem and the solution. Our caring is what makes us want to turn away from the truths but our caring is also what gives us the courage to face the truth, to bear witness.
When we bear witness, we identity with others, we empathize, we close that gap in our consciousness. We become more integrated to our values and that lead us to feel compassion, to feel the need for justice...
Throughout the history of mankind, atrocities were made possible because the people turn away from the truth. But at the same time, every social transformation and revolution was made possible because people face the truth and they demanded others to bear witness as well. It is the social movement that caused oppressors to deny their oppressive system and portray activists and witnesses as biased, extremists, overly emotional, apathy and sensationalists. Despite the social pressure of dominant carnism belief, there are reasons to be hopeful: 1. Since 2008, the number of vegetarians and vegans in the United States has doubled. 2. A growing number of America's most powerful bosses have become vegan. 3. More leaders and celebrities are saying no to meat. 4. Vegan cookbooks, recipes, innovative foods, restaurants and medical doctors are springing up everywhere. Moving beyond carnism enables us to step in a vibrant community of millions of people who celebrate life and cultivate compassion. Love, which is the highest form of connection, highest expression of justice shouldn't be limited by boundaries such as species.
To love someone is to respect their being, it's to respect that no matter how different they are from how we are, they have a life that matters to them. "As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields." - Leo Tolstoy
For better or worse, we are all participants of this invisible system of carnism, so our choice is not about if we want to participate but how we participate. With awareness, we can choose to be active witnesses than passive bystanders. We can practice justice and exercise love. We can lead more authentic and freely chosen lives and truly become, as Ghandi said, 'the change we wish to see'.
Personal thoughts: It's hard to imagine the horrors that occur in animal slaughterhouses - cows, pigs and poultry lined up in assembly line, grinding machines, getting cut open and skinned while conscious, being shot multiple times, locked up in severely confined spaces, fed with antibiotics to induce growth and the list goes on. These sound so bad to be true. But it's the reality. This is the reality of millions of animals who suffer from birth to death in factory farms. Today, more animals are tortured in the history of U.S. The days of animal-human bonding, family farms and organic products free from disease-causing antibiotics and growth chemicals are long gone. Ultimately, we are fed with flesh of animals that is byproduct of greed, corruption, cruelty, torture, blood, diseases, death and environmental contamination. Factory farming has evolved in such horrific ways that we are almost forgetting what it means to be human. However, I refuse that all hope is lost. Though factory farming is deeply ingrained in our current society, it doesn't mean it can never be dismantled or challenged. But is has to start with people knowing that day to day reality that occurs in it, so we can take actions and evoke change.
What's Wrong with Factory Farming?
The intent of presenting this data is not to "demonize farmers, many
of whom went into the business out of a desire to work with nature and
be close to the land, and don't like what's going on any more than you
or me. But something has happened to the way animals are treated in modern
meat production that is a disgrace to the human spirit, and a violation
of the ancient human-animal bond...
The process of rearing farm animals in the US has changed dramatically
from the family farms of yesteryear. This reality, coupled with the exemption
of farm animals from laws that forbid cruelty to animals, has produced
a heartbreaking situation. More animals are subjected to more tortuous
conditions in the US today than has ever occurred anywhere in world history.
Never before have the choices of each individual been so important."
John Robbins, The Food Revolution (2001)
Statistics*
* All statistics and information compiled from The Food Revolution by
John Robbins (2001), Diet for a New America by John Robbins (1987), Frances
Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet and the Rainforest Action Network.
Excrement:
Production of excrement by total US human population: 12,000 pounds/second
Production of excrement by US livestock: 250,000 pounds/second (including
25 pounds of manure per cow per day)
Sewage systems in US cities: Common
Sewage systems in US feedlots: None
Amount of waste produced annually by US livestock in confinement operations
which is not recycled: 1 billion tons
Where feedlot waste often ends up: In our water
Gallons of oil spilled by the Exxon-Valdez: 12 million
Gallons of putrefying hog urine and feces spilled into the New River
in North Carolina on June 21, 1995, when a "lagoon" holding
8 acres of hog excrement burst: 25 million
Fish killed as an immediate result: 10-14 million
Antibiotic Resistance:
Antibiotics administered to people in the US annually to treat diseases:
3 million pounds
Antibiotics administered to livestock in the US annually for purposes
other than treating disease: 24.6 million pounds
Antibiotics allowed in cow's milk: 80
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960:
13%
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1988:
91%
Reason: Breeding of antibiotic resistant bacteria in factory farms due
to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock
Response by entire European Economic Community to routine feeding of
antibiotics to livestock: Ban
Response by American meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding
of antibiotics to livestock: Full and complete support
Numbers of Animals Slaughtered for Food in US:
Number of cows and calves slaughtered every 24 hours in the US: 90,000
Number of chickens slaughtered every minute in the US: 14,000
Food animals (not counting fish and other aquatic creatures) slaughtered
per year in the US: 10 billion
Slaughterhouse:
Transcript of New York Times full page ad published June 22, 2001 detailing
the horrors of our modern-day slaughterhouses. With 309-330 cows per hour
coming by on the "disassembly" line, there are many who are
still fully conscious with eyes wide open when skinned and cut apart.
They die literally piece by piece.
Factory Farm Animals with Diseases from Intensive Conditions:
A report by the USDA estimates that 89% of US beef patties contain traces
of the deadly E. coli strain. Reuters News Service 8/10/00
US pigs raised in total confinement factories where they never see the
light of day until being trucked to slaughter: 65 million (total confinement
factories are banned in Britain)
US pigs who have pneumonia at time of slaughter: 70%
Primary source of Campylobacter bacteria: Contaminated chicken flesh
People in the US who become ill with Campylobacter poisoning every day:
More than 5,000
American turkeys sufficiently contaminated with Campylobacter to cause
illness: 90%
Americans sickened from eating Salmonella-tainted eggs every year: More
than 650,000
Americans killed from eating Salmonella-tainted eggs every year: 600
Increase in Salmonella poisoning from raw or undercooked eggs between
1976 and 1986: 600%
90% of US chickens are infected with leukosis -- chicken cancer -- at
the time of slaughter.
Average lifespan of a dairy cow - 25 years; average lifespan when on
a factory dairy farm - 4 years.
Water:
Water needed to produce 1 pound of wheat: 25 gallons
Water needed to produce 1 pound of meat: 2,500 gallons
Cost of hamburger meat if water used by meat industry was not subsidized
by US taxpayers: $35/pound
When water shortages occur, citizens are often requested to not wash
cars, water lawns and to use low-flow shower heads. However, cutting back
on meat consumption would save much more water given that the water required
to produce just ten pounds of steak equals the water consumption of the
average household for a year.
About 70% of the water used in the 11 western states is dedicated to
the raising of animals for food.
Years until the Ogallala Aquifer runs dry (formed by glaciers, the largest
underground lake in the world and source of fresh water beneath an area
from Texas to South Dakota, and Missouri to Colorado): 30 to 50
The amount of water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a
(Naval) destroyer. (Newsweek article "The Browning of America")
Advertising:
Amount spent annually by Kellogg's to promote Frosted Flakes: $40 million
Amount spent annually by the dairy industry on "milk mustache"
ads: $190 million
Amount spent annually by McDonald's advertising its products: $800 million
Amount spent by the National Cancer Institute promoting fruits and vegetables:
$1 million.
Factory farming has dominated the food industry in the United States and other countries worldwide. Upon industrialization, multi-billion dollar companies found a way to exploit livestock animals and the consumers with factory farming business. Millions of animals are grown in locked up facilities, very tight cages, under unimaginable, torturous and miserable conditions. They are deprived of their natural lifestyle and food. They consume antibiotics so they can grow up to the ideal size for meat consumption. Ever wonder why we get all kinds of diseases, infections and cancer? Have you ever thought about why cancer is now the leading cause of death? Do you know that these antibiotics injected and fed to pigs, cows, chickens and other livestock animals are the same that alter our cells, our growth and development that make us susceptible to cancer, various infections and antibiotic-resistant diseases?
Pregnant pigs are locked up in gestation crates that barely fit their size. Every single day, 24/7, they are confined to these crates standing and laying on their own feces and urine. Piglets go through tail docking, (cutting of their tails) without any pain relief, causing severe pain, distress and infection.
Cows suffer the same 'protocol.' Cows are locked up in dark facilities, cramped up next to each other, never able to see the light of the day. Their ears are clipped with numbers by hot iron rod, again without any pain relief, that causes burn, infection and severe pain. Calfs are deprived off their mother's milk because we take them away for our consumption. Mothers and babies are violently separated from each other and never see each other again. Cows used for dairy have milking apparatus attached them for hours or on constant basis, as if they're milking machine. They often cause mastitis (breast inflammation and infection) resulting in pain and misery for the cows.
Pigs and cows sent to slaughterhouses are either shot or shocked to be unconscious. Afterwards, their necks are cut off so they can bleed to death. However, many still remain conscious as they are hung upside down, cut from their throat and bled. Many suffer for awhile, seizing and crying out of agony, before they die.
Chickens suffer in the same tight, cramped up living conditions. Their beaks are cut off at early age to prevent so called 'aggression' that is proven to be very painful and distressing. Male chicks are sent to grinder to be ground up alive as soon as they hatch. The misery is so unimaginable in fowl cages to the point it gets difficult to tell which ones are dead and alive. When it's time for slaughter, chickens are shackled (hung upside down), which is very painful and stressful for them and one by one their necks are sent to a grinder. They are also sent to scalding water, while still alive.
These are just the three main livestock animals abused, tortured and exploited for our meat consumption. This is not to mention the goats, lambs, turkeys, ducks and many other farm animals that simply become 'an object' rather than living beings that share the planet with us, that are also created to coexist with us.
Worldwide, approximately 70 billion farm animals are grown for
food. There are at least 19,000 farm animals that are killed
every minute. How did we get to this? How can we call ourselves humans because of this?
Large farms are replaced by tight cages, confined crates, dirty and bloody floors. Green pastures are nothing more but grinding machinery, knives and blades for slaughter. Animals are not living beings but objects, a means of production. Our desire for their flesh is overshadowed by the fact that they possess incredible intelligence, individual personalities, and desire to live a life free from suffering and pain. Instead of personal names, they are assigned with individual numbers. They are mutilated. Abused. Exploited. Tortured. And killed.
Burned bodies
Most of us grew up with meat consumption. The steaks. The pork chops. The barbecues. The ribs. The fried chickens. The bacon. As we enjoy all these things that are plastered all over the place, all over the markets, have we ever come to think how these foods get into our grocery stores, supermarkets and our plates?
We must realize that farm factories is not far off from sexism, homophobia, human trafficking and racial segregation -- social issues that have plagued the human kind throughout our history. It's a form of oppression. It's a form of human cruelty and exploitation. It's a matter of domination and thirst for power and greed. It's just in a different face. We, as consumers, are buying into this. We grab a piece of fried chicken filled with antibiotics that kill us within, that put toxins in our bodies. We breathe air pollution and live in the age of global warming because of the environmental pollution caused by farm factories. In short, we consume our own destructionand we pay for them with our money.
The link of farm animal oppression to any social injustice that have troubled our society in the past and today gives me the agony and hope at the same time. Much progress has come for those who were oppressed and treated as less. Women who cannot vote, work or say their voice are now lawmakers, businesswomen, celebrities, millionaires, activists...African-Americans who were treated as slaves and animals because they're black and a lower class of human beings are now lawmakers, business owners, CEOs, celebrities, activists..The homophobic sentiments are now turning to increasing acceptance towards same-sex couples, same-sex marriage. The tightening regulations and prosecutions for human trafficking prove that justice is underway.
These kinds of social progress instill hope in me that we can find a way to speak up for the voiceless farm animals. That we would find the compassion within all of us to stand up for their powerlessness. That we would gain the strength to change our lifestyle so they can have the right to live among us, just as how we want to live in this world. That we would find it in our hearts to treat them as valuable living beings, our companions.
A lot of work needs to be done and it starts by being educated and informed on farm factory atrocities. It's not until we become aware that this horrible system goes on that we can start making responsible decisions and choices on how we could deal with our crooked, flawed and greedy food industry that don't really care for our welfare as much as they care about the money that comes to their bank accounts.
"A better attitude leads to better actions and a better world..."
Last year's documentary film, 'Blackfish', has stirred attention and controversy on the dark side of SeaWorld. What is believed to be pure entertainment and joy catered to families and kids apparently comes with cruelty and suffering for orcas, dolphins, marine animals held captive in the popular animal theme park. Behind the dolphin smile, killer whale splash and amazing tricks... there lies loneliness, agony and frustrations for these captive animals that have been deprived of their natural habitat. In the wake of this remarkable documentary film, more reports have circulated regarding the awful lives of orcas that are trained to perform for the audience at SeaWorld.
I feel like the 'Blackfish' along with the 2009 Oscar Winning documentary film 'The Cove' that presents the heartbreaking and shocking hunt and slaughter of dolphins in a cove of Taiji, Japan delivers an ethical dilemma for us. At some point, we all have gone to the zoos and animal parks. We have this fascination for beautiful and seemingly elusive sea animals. A lot of that has to do with the fact that we don't get to see and interact with them in our daily lives and the zoos and animals parks serve this purpose for us. Because of places like SeaWorld, we get to see the amazing killer whales and adorable dolphins up close, take pictures of them and maybe even touch them. Zoos and animal parks have always served to entertain and educate us about them and the marine life.
I have gone to SeaWorld twice after a decade of absence at the park. At the beginning of Shamu show, I looked around the large stadium. I see audience applauding and thumping on the bleachers, cheering for the killer whales to come out. I looked at the small tank behind the center stage where the orcas are waiting to be released for the show. Something didn't feel right. I asked my sister, "Do you think they get stressed out with all of these, 'cause I feel like they do." Few months later, the 'Blackfish' comes out and all my assumptions about the emotional and physical stress of orca performers in captivity are validated.
So what happens when this blissful belief of education and empowerment about sea animals becomes tainted by the harsh reality of what really goes on in these animal theme parks? All it takes is documentary films like 'Blackfish' and 'The Cove' to open our eyes to this animal cruelty. Hunt and slaughter of dolphins, beluga whales and killer whales. Living in small tanks. Forced to perform tricks. Separated from their families. Deprived of their natural habitat. These are all the uproars of animal advocates, activists, documentary films and investigations regarding SeaWorld and animal parks.
Dolphins in Taiji, Japan
Dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan
So, what now? Should we boycott SeaWorld and animal parks? Do we tell our kids that they are never to set foot in those parks? While my personal take on this matter is to never go to SeaWorld or any animal parks anymore, there seems to be no shortcut solutions to this dilemma. There is a tradeoff. To not go to SeaWorld anymore would stop the demand for the marine animal performers like the orcas and dolphins. When there's no demand, the need to hunt, capture and torture these sea animals also stops. Hence, killer whales and dolphins get to live their lives free in the vast ocean where they belong. But when you take out SeaWorld and animal parks out of the equation, it's hard to imagine how to bridge the gap between people and marine animals. So, there's that question that haunts me -- would majority of the people show great concern and appreciation for sea animals if there's no medium like SeaWorld that conveniently connects us to life in the ocean? SeaWorld and its underlying cruelty exist because of animal lovers and fascinated people. So, there's the irony.
Dolphin tanks
This brings me to one compromise that respects the lives and wellness of orcas and dolphins in their natural habitat without depriving people of their desire to connect with the fascinating marine animals. If we can create a humane alternative to SeaWorld along the lines of sanctuaries and whale watching, we might have a shot at changing the flawed system. Marine animal sanctuaries, whale watching tours and local waterways seem like a better way to observe and appreciate sea animals in their natural environment. Their effectiveness on changing this form of animal cruelty is still yet to be seen. Maybe down the road, big and money hungry corporations would still find ways to exploit and abuse them after all. However, I still want to believe that they're the beginning to more research and evolution to come for animal parks that would give high regard to the welfare of marine animals. As of now, what's important are the echoes of thousands to millions of people who were captivated by the heart wrenching lives of orcas like Tillikum in the 'Blackfish' and the international concern for the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan. Awareness and compassion are a good start. A start for a better attitude that leads to better choices and actions for a better world for these fascinating and highly intelligent marine animals. People who have gone to SeaWorld and animal parks do not generally support animal cruelty and captivity. We are just often misinformed or unaware of the realities.
A landmark bill that seeks to ban orca shows, orca captivity and captive breeding of orcas at SeaWorld is recently introduced in the legislation by Assemblyman Richard Hershel Bloom. Whether this bill would pass or not, it signals a changing trend and changing views toward SeaWorld and marine parks.
Below are some of the widespread controversies that came up against SeaWorld in follow up to the spurt of 'Blackfish.'
Five orcas currently at SeaWorld were kidnapped from their ocean homes, as were others who have since died. For example, Tilikum,
a 32-year-old orca, was captured at the age of 2 by a marine "cowboy."
Tilikum wasn't taken from his natural environment because he was
injured—instead, he was torn away from his family against his will and
confined to a small concrete tank for a hefty profit.
A scientific study by Newcastle University found that dolphins in
close proximity to humans experience extreme stress, "preventing them
from resting, feeding or nurturing their young." Despite these findings,
SeaWorld continues to allow park guests to swim and touch dolphins at
its Discovery Cove location in Orlando, Florida.
In 1965, the first-ever orca show was performed by a female orca
named Shamu at SeaWorld San Diego. During Shamu's capture, her mother
was shot with a harpoon and killed before the young orca's very eyes by a
marine "cowboy" named Ted Griffin. Griffin's partner, Don Goldsberry,
later worked for SeaWorld and was assigned to bring orcas into the park.
He continued kidnapping and slaughtering orcas, and at one point, he
hired divers to slit open the bellies of four orcas, fill them with
rocks, put anchors around their tails, and sink them to the bottom of
the ocean so that their deaths would not be discovered.
In nature, orcas choose their own mates. But at SeaWorld, orcas are
forced to breed on a regular basis. Male orcas are trained to float on
their backs, and their trainers masturbate them to collect their sperm.
Females are artificially inseminated and forced to breed at a much
younger age than they would in nature. Katina
was forced to breed when she was only 9 years old (at least five years
earlier than she would have naturally bred in the wild). Now she is used
as a virtual breeding machine and is even being inbred with her own
sons.
SeaWorld's corporate incident log contains reports of more than 100
incidents of orca aggression at its parks, often resulting in injuries
to humans and even causing one death by extensive internal bleeding.
Following a 2006 attack by an orca on a trainer at SeaWorld in San
Diego, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health
concluded that it was "only a matter of time" before someone was killed
while interacting with the orcas. A further investigation into these
attacks could have prevented injuries and deaths.
Orcas in the wild have an average life expectancy of 30 to 50
years—their estimated maximum life span is 60 to 70 years for males and
80 to more than 100 for females. The median age of orcas in captivity is
only 9.
In captivity, all male orcas have collapsed dorsal fins as adults,
which is a sign of an unhealthy orca. SeaWorld claims that this
condition is common and natural for all orcas. However, collapsed dorsal
fins are caused by the unnatural environment of captivity and are
rarely seen in the wild. Only 1 to 5 percent of male orcas in some
populations (and none in others) have fully collapsed dorsal fins.
Contrary to popular belief, trainers often have no formal education
in marine biology. Their main purpose is to entertain and put on a
"good" show for visitors, not educate people about the intelligence,
social nature, or natural families, foraging behavior, and habitats of
the animals held at SeaWorld.
On January 11, 2012, the USDA issued an official warning to SeaWorld
San Antonio for its "repeated failure to provide drain covers that are
securely fastened in order to minimize the potential risk of animal
entrapment"—a violation that resulted in the death of a sea lion.
In March 2013, prompted by PETA's complaint about a child who had been bitten by a dolphin
at SeaWorld, the USDA conducted an investigation and cited the marine
park for several violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including the use
of expired surgical materials, some almost a decade old. The USDA also
documented that a dolphin tank and the areas surrounding the orca
performance tank were in disrepair and contained cracked and crumbling
concrete and rusty beams that could pose a threat to the health and
safety of both the animals and workers. The USDA pointed out that the
unsafe conditions "might create a health risk if these pieces of
concrete fall off into the pool and get ingested, or if they become
abrasive" and that they "do not facilitate cleaning and disinfection."
SeaWorld confines whales and dolphins—who often swim up to 100 miles a
day in the wild—to tanks that, to them, are the size of a bathtub.
SeaWorld presents itself as a family establishment full of fun
"educational" activities. However, these activities harm animals
physically and emotionally. SeaWorld has the financial means and ability
to create coastal sanctuaries, where the orcas would have a more
natural and less stressful life and where they could feel the tides and
waves; see, sense, and communicate with their wild relatives and other
ocean animals; and engage in other natural behavior that they are now
denied. However, the park instead chooses to stick with the same
inhumane business model that it has used for 50 years, despite all the
violent and deadly incidents and evidence of harm. Please say NO to
SeaWorld and its enslavement of animals by refusing to buy a ticket to
this abusement park, and ask the marine park to release these animals to sanctuaries.
