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by Laurel Hopwood
 As a hamburger patty is thrown on the grill,
it's easy not to think about the huge impact that lone burger has
on our environment. Large amounts of fossil fuels are used to produce
that hamburger and transport it to our dinner plate, including
petroleum based fertilizers and agrichemicals used to grow livestock
feed. Meat production also uses so much water that it's a major
contributor to the expectation that the great Ogallala aquifer
will be depleted in the next few decades. Cattle release methane,
a potent greenhouse gas. Rainforests are stripped to expand pastures
and to grow corn and soy for feed.
Here is some food for thought: The highly publicized Exxon Valdez
oil spill (1989) dumped 12 million gallons of oil into Prince William
Sound, but the relatively unknown North Carolina pig waste spill
(1995) poured 25 million gallons of excrement into the water, killing
millions of fish. Smithfield Foods, the largest and most profitable
pork processor in the world, killed 27 million hogs last year.
Smithfield discharges 26 million tons of total waste discharge
per year. Smithfield was fined for 6,900 violations of the Clean
Water Act in 1997. The fines amounted to only 0.035% of Smithfield's
annual sales. That's not much of a disincentive.
While the treatment of animals has not been viewed as a mainstream
Sierra Club issue, in fact treating living forms with respect
is one of the main tenets of environmentalism.
 Most factory raised animals see no sun in their lifetimes, with
no hay to lie on, no mud to roll in. Sows live in tiny cages so
narrow they cannot turn around. Veal calves, taken away from their
mothers shortly after birth, live their entire lives in near darkness,
chained by their necks and unable to move in any direction. Many
chickens are raised in wire-floored battery cages the size of an
album cover. Most factory raised animals are transported by truck,
where they are typically subjected to overcrowding, severe weather,
hunger and thirst. Many are dragged with a metal snare around their
ears or feet as they scream in pain. Some dying animals unable
to walk are tossed into the downer pile, suffering for days until
they are finally killed.
Each one of us makes a choice every time we pick up a fork. For
those who choose to eat meat products, the good news is there
are some "Old MacDonalds" who farm responsibly. Ask
your local grocer to stock their products and/or shop at local
farmers markets (see below). Organize block parties, PTA events,
and potlucks with a plant based or humanely raised theme.
Eating is a simple act and the impacts go a long way.
Farmer's Markets selling local, humanely raised animal products:
Crocker Park: Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm
Eton Chagrin Blvd: Thursdays, 11 am to 2 pm
Lakewood (Arthur Ave): Wednesdays, 11 am to 3 pm
Shaker Square: Saturdays, 8 am to noon
Peninsula (Heritage Farms): Saturdays, 9 am to noon
Coit Rd: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8 am to 1 pm
Geauga (Bell and 306): Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm
Metroparks Lake Farmpark (8800 Chardon): Wednesdays, 3 to 6 pm
Ashtabula (Bridge St): Sundays, 10 am to 2 pm
Conneaut: (Moose Club): Saturdays, 10 am to 2 pm
Additional Resources:
www.eatwellguide.org
"The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life
and the World" by John Robbins
"Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet" by
Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe
http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/
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