3 Ways Factory Farms Contribute to Air Pollution
By Katy Farber, Moms Clean Air Force
Last week over at my blog, Non-Toxic Kids, I released a new ebook called Eat Non-Toxic: a manual for busy parents. For months now, I have been writing this book and thinking about how parents can limit toxic exposures from harmful chemicals in food and feeding and drinking gear.
While researching the problems of factory farms, I came across some information that reminded me how powerful our food choices can be, not only for our bodies, but for the health and welfare of our communities.
Moms Clean Air Force was a Blog Action Day partner, and I wrote about Food Activismhow the choices we make everyday, where to get our food, what we buy and eat, affect our lives, communities, health, and environment in profound ways.
In my research I learned about the connections between factory farming and air pollution. Not only does industrial factory farming increase global warming, pollute ecosystems, and drinking water, it harms our air quality in significant ways.
Factory farms are defined in different ways, and the term is used loosely. Theyare also kn! own as < a rel="nofollow" href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/cafofinalrule.cfm">Concentrated (or Confined) Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), and are defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as New and existing operations which stable or confine and feed or maintain for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period more than the number of animals specified. There is no grass or other vegetation in the confinement area during the normal growing season.
These arent the bucolic farms that dot the landscape here in Vermont. Far from it.
Next page: 3 ways factory farms contribute to air pollutionand what you can do about it.
