#Factory farming and global warming

[willieajacobsv]

Factory Farming and Global Warming: Understanding the Environmental Impact

 

Factory farming, a dominant method of agricultural production worldwide, has increasingly come under scrutiny due to its significant contribution to global warming. This intensive farming practice involves raising livestock such as poultry, cattle, and pigs in tightly confined spaces, often indoors, to maximize production efficiency. While efficient in meeting the demands of a growing global population, factory farming exacts a heavy toll on the environment, particularly through global warming.

The primary environmental concern associated with factory farming is its substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock raised in these facilities produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. Methane is released through processes like enteric fermentation in ruminant animals and manure decomposition. In addition to methane, factory farms also emit nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas, primarily from animal waste management.

Moreover, the industrial-scale production of livestock in factory farms necessitates vast amounts of resources. This includes land for growing feed crops like corn and soy, which often involves deforestation and habitat destruction, further exacerbating global warming. Additionally, the intensive use of water and fossil fuels for operations such as feed production, animal transportation, and waste management contributes to carbon dioxide emissions, compounding the environmental impact.

Factory farming also poses risks to biodiversity and ecosystem health. The concentration of large numbers of animals in confined spaces increases the likelihood of disease outbreaks, which can necessitate the use of antibiotics and other chemicals. These substances can leach into soil and water systems, negatively affecting local ecosystems and wildlife. Furthermore, the runoff from animal waste, containing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, contributes to water pollution and harmful algal blooms, further damaging aquatic ecosystems.

Addressing the environmental impact of factory farming requires concerted efforts across multiple fronts. Transitioning towards sustainable agricultural practices, such as pasture-based farming and agroecology, can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of meat and dairy production. These methods prioritize animal welfare, biodiversity conservation, and soil health while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions associated with global warming.

Consumers also play a crucial role in mitigating the environmental impact of factory farming. Choosing locally sourced, organic, and sustainably produced food can reduce the demand for products from intensive farming operations. Supporting policies and initiatives that promote sustainable agriculture and regulate greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production are also essential steps towards combating global warming exacerbated by factory farming.

In conclusion, while factory farming meets the demand for affordable meat and dairy products globally, its environmental impact, particularly on global warming, cannot be overlooked. The intensive production methods and associated greenhouse gas emissions pose significant challenges to environmental sustainability and climate resilience. By promoting sustainable agricultural practices and making informed consumer choices, individuals and communities can contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of factory farming and mitigating global warming effects on a global scale.

[qipsir]

Agricultural Activism

Disclaimer: this post is intended to inform, not convince/persuade

Was reading a post from @wobblydev and saw this specific panel.

I don't know if many of my current friends know, but something my f*ther and I used to passionately be a part of was Anonymous For The Voiceless. Though now, I'm too disabled to be out on the streets with the Cube of Truth and I'm too aware of psychology to agree with the in-your-face approach to their activism, that doesn't mean there aren't important things I've learned from being a part of it.

Mass farming of anything is bad and there are empathic, health-based, and environmental reasons that factory farming is awful, and so many more. These are just a few points I'd like to share to get things started.

I'm gonna break this up into multiple posts because there's just so much information

Hyperlinks to posts

Bonus post about emissions and population statistics

Environmental Impact

Relationship between Humans and Agriculture

Healthcare and Sanitation

Ethics/The Morality Argument (aka the reason why most everyone hates vegan activists cause they never stop preaching this [Trust me, I'm tired of it too. There are so many other ways to have this conversation].)

[animalsoutloud]

One of the most important things that you can do to fight climate change is to switch to plant based foods.

[loudlylovingreview]

Olivia Rosane: World Bank Leads Development Giants in Investing $2.27 Billion in Factory Farms

Pigs stand in their pens at a farm in Zhuji, east China’s Zhejiang province on March 2, 2011. (Photo: STR/AFP via Getty Images) . “We’re calling on World Bank President Ajay Banja to phase out these investments, which are undermining his climate agenda,” said one researcher. The Green Climate Fund and 11 of the 15 multilateral development banks together invested at least $2.27 billion in…

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Rolling Stone:

EARLIER THIS WEEK, the Copernicus Climate Change Service, a European Union-funded research group, announced that last Sunday, July 21, 2024, the daily global average temperature hit 62.76 degrees. It was the hottest day scientists have measured since 1940 — which officially makes it the hottest day ever recorded on Earth by humans. Twenty four hours later, however, Copernicus had to update its report: On Monday, the temperature climbed up to 62.87 degrees. As of now, July 22, 2024 is now the hottest day ever recorded. 

But hey, it’s only Friday. Who knows what the weekend holds? Or the rest of the summer, for that matter.

Are you shocked by news of this record-breaking heat? Does the fact that you lived through two of the hottest days on Earth that scientists have ever recorded make you think differently about the risks and consequences of living on a rapidly-warming planet? Did you pause for a moment and think about the millions of people who sweat through this without air conditioning? Did you mourn the 396 deaths from heat that are under investigation this summer in Phoenix? Did you sell your car and buy an electric bike? Were you inspired to sign up to knock on doors to help Kamala Harris defeat the climate-hoax-pushing-criminal Donald Trump? Are you getting calls from your MAGA-loving uncle in Idaho apologizing for the long lecture he gave you at Thanksgiving last year about how Earth’s temperature moves in natural cycles, or about how higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is good because more CO2 makes crops and trees grow better?

Probably not.

The problem is not you. The problem is that a broken heat record is just another statistic. The story of the climate crisis is written in broken records that measure levels of CO2 pollution, glacial ice melt, rising sea levels, crop failure, megafires, the spread of diseases, heat deaths, wildfire and insurance costs, and economic losses. But if shocking data and broken records could galvanize people to take action on climate, we’d all be powering our iPhones with solar power from microgrids, and millions of cows and chickens would be liberated from factory farms. We’d have cities crowded with bike lanes and a high speed rail service between Dallas and Houston. We’d laugh at climate-hoaxing politicians and debate whether it is fair and just to charge Big Oil companies with criminally negligent homicide.

[plant-based-feeder]

I don’t think we talk enough about the huge environmental impact that you feedees can have on the environment.

Because you have to save as many calories as possible (or because they’re just too lazy) you get most of, if not all of your food delivered. Whether it be grocery delivery, or individual meals through doordash, the environmental impact is staggering.

Using doordash as an example, if you order 5 meals a day (because your a fatass), and the average restaurant is 5 miles from your house, you would be using over 300 gallons of gas per year. This doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize that every gallon of gas creates 20 pounds of tailpipe emissions. So all of your food delivery combined creates 6,000 pounds of pollution each year. That’s bigger than most feedees goal weights!

This is just for your baseline feedee however. Some of you take your gaining to the absolute extreme. Because of that, I think we should talk about other types of food shipping.

Cargo Ships

Every feedee has dreamed of being funnel fed hundreds of thousands of calories a day, gaining 50 pounds every week, and being an immobile blob of pure fat and grease. Thanks to cargo ships, this is possible!

If you were to buy a warehouse on a dock, you and your army of feeders would finally have enough food in stock to keep you constantly fed and growing!

Of course, cargo ships are producing tons of pollution. Over 140 million tons to be exact, but with access to these ships, you could also be over 140 million tons! Sounds exciting right?

Another way that you fat asses destroy the planet just to fulfill your gluttonous desires is with factory farming. Sure, you aren’t the one breeding, feeding, and slaughtering the animals, but you are paying for other people to do that. With the obscene amount of beefy, greasy, cheesy, creamy, and fatty animal foods you eat, it’s likely that your eating what’s equal to 5 cows every month a month.

“Only 5 cows?” Your probably asking.

That’s 7,000 pounds of meat and dairy per month.

And as we know from personal experience, big, dumb animals like to fart a lot. All those cow farts create tons of pollution!

To be honest, Global warming, pollution, and the imminent death of every living organism on earth sucks, but it’s all worth it if I can make you into the massive blob that you’ve always wanted to be.

[sabakos]

Modern vegetarian ethics: eating meat is wrong because factory farming is causing untold suffering and global warming and

Ancient vegetarian ethics: eating meat is wrong because it makes you stink of death which will upset the wild animals you meet

[perlamaritr1]

What if Animal Crossing was an animated TV show? Well, I think the answer would be this:

Prologue:

Since this story will be very interesting, there would be a lot of things to start here. But first, I want you to picture this: The year is 2051. The human population of Earth has grown by about 92% percent since the end of the last century, which has impacted the planet more dramatically with climate change, pollution, deforestation, habitat destruction, global warming, the large amount of greenhouse gases, and especially the heavy usage of technology and artificial intelligence to make the planet more human-sustainable than ever. We destroy entire forests to build farms and factories. We pollute the air with chemicals and we drink entire oceans in little plastic bottles. Most of Earth’s population is crammed with humans, robots, dogs, cats, bees, livestock, and… video game characters? Wait a minute… what are we doing to the planet? Why do we have to do this? Why do we exist? Why can’t we just be normal to ourselves instead of being cruel to this peaceful planet? And wait, did we just say “video game characters”? Well, of course, since the people of our generation like gaming, we can bring video game characters to life now using the special advanced technology that we have created for the last few years, so we can make everyone feel welcomed(I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?).

Anyways, on to the Animal Crossing story. It’s set in the same universe that we talked about above. The story is set in the Bronx borough in New York City in 2051. It is a cold November night. A boy and his scientist parents, who are the last remaining members of their family to survive the apocalypse in the mountains of man-made debris, have found themselves in a situation where they are unable to find their way back to their home in time to escape from the darkness of the world. While attempting to find a way to escape, the lone survivors found themselves some ancient objects that they’ve never seen before, including a mysterious Nintendo Switch that has been induced in some special advanced alien technology.

[willieajacobsv]

Factory Farming and Global Warming: Understanding the Environmental Impact

Factory farming, a dominant method of agricultural production worldwide, has increasingly come under scrutiny due to its significant contribution to global warming. This intensive farming practice involves raising livestock such as poultry, cattle, and pigs in tightly confined spaces, often indoors, to maximize production efficiency. While efficient in meeting the demands of a growing global population, factory farming exacts a heavy toll on the environment, particularly through global warming.

The primary environmental concern associated with factory farming is its substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock raised in these facilities produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. Methane is released through processes like enteric fermentation in ruminant animals and manure decomposition. In addition to methane, factory farms also emit nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas, primarily from animal waste management.

Moreover, the industrial-scale production of livestock in factory farms necessitates vast amounts of resources. This includes land for growing feed crops like corn and soy, which often involves deforestation and habitat destruction, further exacerbating global warming. Additionally, the intensive use of water and fossil fuels for operations such as feed production, animal transportation, and waste management contributes to carbon dioxide emissions, compounding the environmental impact.

Factory farming also poses risks to biodiversity and ecosystem health. The concentration of large numbers of animals in confined spaces increases the likelihood of disease outbreaks, which can necessitate the use of antibiotics and other chemicals. These substances can leach into soil and water systems, negatively affecting local ecosystems and wildlife. Furthermore, the runoff from animal waste, containing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, contributes to water pollution and harmful algal blooms, further damaging aquatic ecosystems.

Addressing the environmental impact of factory farming requires concerted efforts across multiple fronts. Transitioning towards sustainable agricultural practices, such as pasture-based farming and agroecology, can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of meat and dairy production. These methods prioritize animal welfare, biodiversity conservation, and soil health while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions associated with global warming.

Consumers also play a crucial role in mitigating the environmental impact of factory farming. Choosing locally sourced, organic, and sustainably produced food can reduce the demand for products from intensive farming operations. Supporting policies and initiatives that promote sustainable agriculture and regulate greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production are also essential steps towards combating global warming exacerbated by factory farming.

In conclusion, while factory farming meets the demand for affordable meat and dairy products globally, its environmental impact, particularly on global warming, cannot be overlooked. The intensive production methods and associated greenhouse gas emissions pose significant challenges to environmental sustainability and climate resilience. By promoting sustainable agricultural practices and making informed consumer choices, individuals and communities can contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of factory farming and mitigating global warming effects on a global scale.

[sf-images]

Earth Day 2024

April 21, 2024, update: . . . " the average global temperature on Earth has increased by at least 1.2° Celsius (1.9° Fahrenheit) since 1880 (it increased 0.4° Celsius since 2016). There is only 0.3° Celsius of increase left before we hit the first tier of cataclysmic thresholds, according to environmental scientists.

According to an ongoing temperature analysis led by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), "the average global temperature on Earth has increased by at least 1.2° Celsius (1.9° Fahrenheit) since 1880 (it increased 0.4° Celsius since 2016). The majority of the warming has occurred since 1975, at a rate of roughly 0.15 to 0.20°C per decade. . . . . The data reflect how much warmer or cooler each region was compared to the base period of 1951-1980. (The global mean surface air temperature for that period was 14°C (57°F), with an uncertainty of several tenths of a degree.)"

Adding to this is the growing number of methane sinkholes, each releasing several gigatons of gas per day. This growing phenomenon is changing all the current climate projections. Indeed, we might already have reached the climate tipping point.

There was a time when we believed that we were the center of the universe and that we should have dominion over the Earth. But then Copernicus came along, who asserted that the Sun is indeed the center of our solar system, the Moon being the only body that revolved around the Earth. I'm sure you know that this resulted in a bit of an uproar. As for the dominion idea, our use of resources, overhunting, and factory farming of animals has contributed to climate change and the current sixth extinction. Watch Marvin Gaye's video, Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology), released in 1971.

The following two photos show a contrast between Greenland's Tunu Glacier in 1933 and 2013. This melt-back is characteristic of ice all around the world, though melt-back varies widely, depending on location.

Source:

The Greenland Ice Sheet - 80 years of climate change seen from the air.

/ Bjørk, Anders Anker; Kjær, Kurt H.; Larsen, Nicolaj Krog; Kjeldsen, Kristian Kjellerup; Khan, Shfaqat Abbas; Funder, Svend Visby; Korsgaard, Niels Jákup. 2014. Abstract from 44th International Arctic Workshop, Boulder, Colorado, United States.

It wasn't so long ago that Carl Sagan and climate scientists started sounding the alarm that we were going down a dangerous path. Subsequent climate data has revealed that those early projections vastly underestimated what was happening, since we now know that climate change is not a linear but an exponential process. That is, it happens faster and faster over time.

Via Voyager 1 (click to enlarge)

The now famous photograph of Earth as a pale blue dot was taken on February 14, 1990 by the deep space probe, Voyager 1, from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles). The more recent

Via Cassini

photograph was taken by the deep space probe, Cassini. Though more striking with Saturn in the foreground, it also shows how Earth is but a spec in the cosmos. As Sagan said in his book: Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. (Carl Sagan, The Pale Blue Dot, 1994)

People often say we have to save the Earth. Not so! The Earth will go on just fine without us. The issue is preserving the current biosphere that supports us and the other higher vertebrates. There will always be life on the planet so long as there's liquid water. As I present every year, here is my fictionalized account of our worst scenario. Let's do better!

[qipsir]

Environmental Impact

How much water and land (animal) agriculture takes up and how much greenhouse gas it emits

More than anything else, factory farming - especially animal agricultural - is the biggest contributor to climate change and drought. CO2 methane emissions from animals and the sheer amount of water it takes to sustain not just them but also to grow their food, it's insane.

If you're at all familiar with the "it takes a gallon of water to grow a single almond" argument, you're probably going to be surprised to find out that "In the US to produce one pound (1 lb, 0.4kg) of steak requires, on average, 1,799 gallons of water – for pork it is 576 gallons of water and for a pound of chicken it is 468 gallons of water." (The Cattle Site, confirmed by Animal Clock).

According to Our World In Data, 37% of the land in the world is reserved for agriculture. As of 2023, 3.20 billion (3,200,000,000) hectares are dedicated to animal agriculture.

A hectare is a unit of measurement equal to - 100,000 square meters - 2.47 acres For visual purposes, "FIFA standards for international matches dictate that the pitch can be between 0.62-0.82 hectares". A hectare is BIGGER than a football field, or roughly the size of an international rugby union field (1.008 hectares).

This means that of the world's land, about 7,904,000,000 (7 billion- 904 million) acres/320,000,000,000,000 (32 quadrillion) square meters alone are dedicated to animal agriculture alone.

Hi okay I'm going back to this after I already typed out everything else minus some hyperlinks because Cowspiracy's fact page has SO MUCH data I feel like I hit a jackpot so here's some more "fun" facts for you: - One cow makes use of 2-5 acres of land ^ (Oppenlander, Richard A. Food Choice and Sustainability: Why Buying Local, Eating Less Meat, and Taking Baby Steps Won’t Work. Minneapolis, MN: Langdon Street, 2013. Print.) (no link provided) - Animal agriculture has created over 500 nitrogen-flooded deadzones in our oceans - "Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction." (there were so many sources for this one that each word is a different hyperlink)

Greenhouse Gas emissions

(from Cowspiracy)

As of 2009, animal agriculture is responsible for 51% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions - at least 32,000 million tons of CO2 annually, and 65% of human-related nitrous oxide emissions. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas with "296 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, and which stays in the atmosphere for 150 years."

Cattle alone account for 150,000,000,000 (150 billion) gallons of methane every day. It is predicted that within 20 years, methane will do 25-100 times more damage than CO2 with 86 times the global warming potential.

"Emissions for agriculture projected to increase 80% by 2050." ("Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health". Nature. Vol. 515. 27 November 2014)

Water usage

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), "According to a U.S. Geological Survey report, agriculture is a major user of ground and surface water in the United States, and irrigation accounted for 42 percent of the Nation’s total freshwater withdrawals in 2015."

Also from Cowspiracy: "Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) water use ranges from 70-140 billion gallons annually. [EPA 2011] [Research Journal of Recent Sciences 2015]" and animal agriculture consumes 34-76 trillion gallons annually.

Remember the gallon-for-an-almond point I brought up earlier? Check this out

1 gallon of milk = 1,000 gallons of water

1 pound of beef = 2,500 gallons

1 pound of eggs = 477 gallons

1 pound of cheese = almost 900 gallons

Private homes make up 5% of the water use America. Animal agriculture makes up 55% of water usage in America and 20-30% freshwater usage worldwide

In America, 56% of our water goes to growing feed for livestock and agriculture overall is responsible for 80-90% of our water consumption.

Conclusion

This site alone continues to cover the waste produced, the damage done to our oceans, rainforests, and overall wildlife, all with cited sources for their claims. I don't currently have the energy or focus to go through them all and a handful of them are no longer active, but seriously. Cowspiracy's sources are absolutely worth checking out.

[missbaphomet]

Replies won't let me type the full response so here

@thefalse first of all, there's more to meat/dairy consumption than "it tastes good". There are health issues that necessitate eating meat and animal products, and they provide vital vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Your body will specifically even give you cravings for food high in these nutrients when you're in need. Secondly humans are omnivores, our healthiest diets consist of meat AND plant. Livestock also consumes a huge percentage of food waste that humans, including vegans, can't or won't eat. This can be "ugly" food, food too close to expiration, food you can't keep overnight like baked goods. 30% of the diet of that pork chop that I had last Tuesday was food people threw away. Only 36% of food (by calorie) grown globally is eaten by livestock, 55% makes it onto the plate of a human. 9% goes to biofuels.

If you're as worried about resource scarcity as you claim maybe start trying for renewable resources??? The problem isn't "oh wow animals are so bad for the environment", the problem is "companies and corporations are doing bad things for more money and they're only getting worse." You can stop eating milk and honey all you want, but that's not doing literally anything towards what you claim to be advocating for. We can develop new ways to farm that are sustainable and renewable but we can't unfuck the environment with a simple "just don't buy meat lol". It's infinitely more complex than that.

Did you know it's illegal to harvest seeds you got from a tomato at your local Walmart and cultivate them for yourself? That is assuming the plant hasn't been rendered sterile to enforce reliance on whatever company sells the seeds. I personally think that's a bit more fucked up than having a grilled cheese every so often.

Also no one is arguing animal abuse is good, but it's pretty common knowledge that if you abuse your livestock, it reflects negatively in the product. Put simply: animals that are abused then slaughtered for meat make shitty meat. Is there some sketchy shit happening in factory farming? Abso-fucking-lutely. Many livestock animals live on the bare minimum. I absolutely think that livestock should have good lives. Obviously not every cow and pig and chicken can be raised with the same quality of life as a champion show poodle, but they absolutely deserve a nice pasture and good scratch and a warm, comfortable shelter.

You know who provides these things? Local farmers or even just hobbyists. I have several family friends that raise chickens, and we get more eggs than we could ever hope to reasonably eat as a family of four. If you don't eat the egg, toss it back to the chicken! She will happily eat her eggs because they're nutritional and make a damn fine meal. My family also has connections to a family owned cattle farm, and we split a cow up the middle every year, and did for almost 20 years before the owner got cancer and stopped selling beef to focus on his health, and it was damn good beef too. Pigs aren't prominent in my area, but I'm sure I could find one semi-locally. My DM keeps bees and my family went from basically never using honey to buying it by the pint. I think the only thing that my family buys from the store that we couldn't get anywhere else is milk and cheese because pasteurization and cheese making is a huge expensive process that isn't really reasonable to maintain for just a small family.

Ultimately the argument of "but animal abuse" boils down to factory farming, but the solution then becomes just don't buy meat and other products from factory farms.

[globalwarmingupdates]

How to explore Global warming

Global warming refers to the long-term rise in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activities, primarily the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to a "greenhouse effect," which causes the planet to warm over time.

Causes of Global Warming:

Burning of Fossil Fuels: The combustion of coal, oil, and natural gas for energy and transportation releases large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Deforestation: Trees absorb CO2, and cutting them down reduces this capacity, while burning or decaying trees releases stored carbon.

Industrial Activities: Factories and other industrial processes emit various greenhouse gases.

Agriculture: Farming, particularly livestock production, produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Waste Management: Decomposition of organic waste in landfills also releases methane.

Effects of Global Warming:

Rising Temperatures: Global average temperatures have increased by approximately 1.1°C (2°F) since the late 19th century, with significant consequences for ecosystems and weather patterns.

Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels: Ice caps and glaciers are melting, contributing to rising sea levels, which threaten coastal communities.

Extreme Weather Events: Global warming increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall.

Impact on Ecosystems: Warmer temperatures affect biodiversity, with species migrating or going extinct, altering ecosystems.

Health Impacts: Heatwaves, air pollution, and changing disease patterns (e.g., the spread of tropical diseases) are increasing due to warmer conditions.

Mitigation and Adaptation:

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Shifting to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower, as well as improving energy efficiency, can help reduce emissions.

Carbon Sequestration: Reforestation and afforestation, as well as emerging technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS), can remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Climate Adaptation: Communities are developing strategies to cope with the impacts of global warming, such as building sea walls to protect against rising sea levels or altering agricultural practices to cope with changing climate conditions.

International Cooperation: Agreements like the Paris Agreement aim to limit global warming to well below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C, to avoid catastrophic climate change.to wellbeing threats.

[terminabense]

  "Factory Farming: Cruelty Impacting Humans, Animals, and the Planet"

Factory farming, the industrialized production of livestock, has dire consequences for humans, animals, and the planet. For animals, it means a life of suffering in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, often without access to natural behaviors or environments. Chickens, pigs, and cows endure unimaginable stress, injuries, and premature deaths, all for the sake of maximizing efficiency and profit.

For humans, factory farming poses significant health risks. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock to promote growth and prevent disease leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a serious threat to public health. Workers in these facilities face dangerous conditions, exposure to harmful chemicals, and exploitative labor practices. Furthermore, communities near factory farms suffer from polluted air and water, leading to respiratory problems and other health issues.

Environmentally, factory farming is a major contributor to climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. It generates large amounts of greenhouse gases, particularly methane from cattle, which significantly impacts global warming. Additionally, the industry consumes vast quantities of water and contributes to soil degradation and water pollution through runoff of animal waste and chemicals.

In summary, factory farming's quest for profit comes at an enormous cost to animal welfare, human health, and the environment. Sustainable and humane alternatives are essential for a healthier, more ethical future.

[wealmostaneckbeard]

The California-to-Texas War: A Dark Near-Future Political Drama/War Game

I read a complaint somewhere that mainstream realistic fiction isn't political enough so I decided to write this outline for a super-political near-future story:

An Anti-federalist movement sweeps through Congress of the United States of America. Enough far left and right politicians unite to indefinitely shut down the federal government.

This is the ridiculous premise that sets up the rest of the narrative:

Authority shifts to state governments backed by corporate consortiums. These governments need taxes and corporations want social stability so they work together to keep everything fine for about a decade. Trading state/corpo currencies becomes a somewhat lucrative trade for some people. Micronations form (somewhat) unopposed, some out of Native American reservations, others are religious or ideological enclaves.

Then on a particularly hot day, a number of illegal immigrant laborers die of heat stroke while working at a factory farm in the fictional town of Damocles, Texas. The survivors go on strike and demand better working conditions. The corporation that owns the factory refuses to negotiate and sends in scabs and strikebreakers. The workers don't let anyone cross the line, and in the resulting chaos a local neo-fascist militia gets involved by killing the families of striking workers. The violence is captured on cameras and put on social media.

Meanwhile the Governor of California, Stan Yee, needs to boost his popularity with the local labor unions. So Stan sends a task force to investigate the Damocles Massacre (as it's now being called) and bring to justice whoever was responsible for the killings. Doing so will violate the Texas Republic's territorial sovereignty, but Yee is betting that his Texan counterpart, Randolf Marshall, will allow a few neonazis to be dragged across state lines.

It turns out that Randolf Marshall has several personal connections to the militia, so he'll be damned before he lets some Leftists into His State. The delegation of californian investigators are threatened by various factions and are forced to flee.

Stan attempts to defuse the tension between the two states by opening up diplomatic channels. But Randolf decides to retaliate by secretly hiring PMC paratroopers to air-drop into the Port of Los Angeles and seize control of it. These mercenaries cause a lot of damage and kill a lot of employees working for overseas corporations from Korea, China, and Japan. But they are overwhelmed by angry dock workers, local police, and other security forces. Some of the mercenaries surrender and turn over evidence that Governor Marshall hired them.

Under pressure from all sides, Governor Yee declares war on the state of Texas with the goal of removing it's Governor from power. Shortly after, Governor Marshall reciprocates with his own declaration.

The Northern Theater of the war consists of New Mexico and Arizona, with Nevada, Utah, and Colorado and being on the fringes. The Southern Theater of the war consists of Chihuahua and Sonora, with both Baja California and Tamaulipas being fringe areas.

The forces arraigned against each other are diverse: There are Apache, Navajo, and Hualapai led militias, Foreign Corporate/National Legions, State Guards, and Private Military Companies. They fight each other over rural battlefields and urban fortresses using drones and other advanced weapons developed by the long gone United States. But a death by heatstroke is far more likely for the average soldier than one caused by a weapon, thanks to global warming.

In this near-future hellscape any number of small stories could be told.

[awideplace]

Do you believe in global warming? Personally, I have a hard time believing that us “humans” are going to destroy the earth. I believe God in His timing will do what He will with the earth. With that being said, I do think we should in somewhat take care of what’s being given to us as far as not littering. But as far as eating vegan or electric cars and stuff, I just don’t agree with.

I don't agree with global warming- so much money is going towards ridiculous resources to counteract it. However, I do think we are to steward the Earth we have been given. My gosh nature is gorgeous. I am so grateful God gave us mountains, flowers, water, birds, trees, insects (yes, I love bugs!), and dirt! I love it all. Historically, the world has been hot and the world has been cold. I do think we are wasteful and the chemicals in the air from factories producing fast-fashion and plastic items is unnecessary. Just like how eating fast processed food is bad for us (cancer-causing chemicals found in the food) I also think manmade processed items in excess is unnecessary. We should get back to nature and what is true. We are to care for our animals, but I think it is okay to humanely raise/kill an animal for food as well. Let them live well while alive- roaming, etc. "organic", but kill them humanely and utilize the whole animal as much as you can, using the skin/fur if you can, eating the cooked flesh, etc. I love animals and I was vegetarian for a year. I grew up on a little farm. Death is a part of life and there are ways to let animals be as free as they can be while having a purpose of feeding humans. I am particular about the meat/poultry I eat when possible. These cramped cages and factories of animals break my heart. Let them roam! It's better for humans when we eat meat that came from healthy-in the sun/eating-healthy-feed animals.

Electric cars are a bit of a joke- the batteries are so bad when they are done with and pose a far greater problem for the environment than a non-electric vehicle. I drive a hybrid and it's been great with gas prices being so high and my love of road trips- plus it's just an easy/quiet ride, but I didn't buy it with an environmental agenda in mind. I liked how it looked and felt to drive. It's been very reliable and it never really needs repairs.

What's interesting is how the people who harp on the environment are generally also those who harp on wearing masks over the last 3 years and I don't know a more menacing object right now to our environment/oceans than the discarded masks literally everywhere and on sidewalks, in parking lots, etc. Those strings on the masks are prime for critters getting caught up in.

I do agree with using glass bottles instead of plastic bottles if possible, because it seems wasteful and I am wary of plastic overall because of the chemicals. I generally use glass leftover containers, for example. I gave my daughter toys made from wood when I could, not so much the plastic toys. I've never used non-stick pans. I appreciate a naturalistic approach to living, but I don't buy the global warming propaganda that is just a money making machine for corporations who are probably doing some of the worst for the environment. People call it Earth-friendly and it sells. It's became a buzzword term and companies are thriving financially. People love to be associated with popular things, it makes them feel cool. Some of the products are great, but I would say it's become a buzzword and the company that sells something Earth-friendly may also be selling another product that is anything but.

The true "global warming"? But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 2 Peter 3:10.