Protecting our environment and our animals
“As a Massachusetts native and a long-time environmental activist, I support the Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals. If we’re serious about addressing environmental problems, we must look to our current system of agriculture, including reining in our inhumane factory farming system.” ”
-Bill McKibben, described by the Boston Globe as "probably America's most important environmentalist"
On factory farms, chickens, pigs and calves are locked in cages so small they can barely move. The high density of animals produces a staggering amount of concentrated waste, often too much to dispose of in an environmentally responsible way. There are no legal requirements that factory farm waste be treated, even though it’s commonly full of dangerous drugs, bacteria, and heavy metals. It often ends up polluting the soil and waterways, wreaking havoc on wildlife.
The effect on the air is just as devastating. Concentrated animal waste releases staggering amounts of methane and other greenhouse gasses. And research has shown people living near factory farms suffer from increased rates of asthma and other serious health problems.