5 Big Meat Companies Produce A Combined 162 Million Tons Of Manure Each Year

[Human101948]

5 Big Meat Companies Produce A Combined 162 Million Tons Of Manure Each Year

According to a new report released by Environment America, five major animal agribusinesses — Tyson, JBS, Cargill, Smithfield, and Perdue — produce a combined 162,936,695 tons of manure every year. But it’s not just the manure that is threatening America’s waterways. The report also points to the huge volumes of grain that need to be grown to feed animals in factory farms, noting that the chemical-intensive farming often associated with the production of feed like corn and soy can also create runoff that threatens rivers, lakes, streams, and bays. Moreover, factory farms are some of the largest contributors to water pollution, dumping more toxic pollutants into waterways annually from their processing plants, by volume, than companies like ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/06/30/3794632/factory-farms-manure-pollution-footprint/

[HubertHeaver]

1. And that ain't no bullshit.

Oh, wait. Yes it is.

[benld74]

2. How much has GOP produced in the last 8 years against Obama??

[ciaobaby]

3. thanks for posting.

This is a huge issue and contributes to global warming, the pollution of our waters, and so much more. It is seldom discussed as a valid subject that needs to be addressed. I believe factory farming does more harm to the global community than the NRA and fossil fuel producers. But big AG has a hold on our politicians so nothing is ever going to be done to stop it.
It is pathetic that some find this amusing.
There is nothing amusing about it.

[MohRokTah]

4. And meat is YUMMY! eom

[Brickbat]

5. Big Meat.

[NuclearDem]

6. ...

[NickB79]

7. It's an amazing resource we're treating like toxic waste

Livestock manure is invaluable as a soil rejuvenater on the farm, and the fact we dispose of it the way we do, instead of working it back into the soil like farmers have for thousands of years before us, is a travesty.

If we can't find a way to get this nutrient stream back to the soil where it belongs, we will never achieve a sustainable future for our civilization.

[Human101948]

8. That's what I can't figure out...this stuff is agricultural gold

But then it would cut into the profits of the chemical fertilizer manufacturers.

[ciaobaby]

10. not so simple

http://www.sustainabletable.org/906/waste-management

Under the current system of animal production, however, there is always more manure available than can possibly be absorbed by the soil as fertilizer. In fact, studies show that between 1982 and 1997, as industrial agriculture grew, the US experienced a 64 percent increase in the amount of manure that could not be absorbed by our soils. FThis practice is not only harmful to the soil, but can also result in contamination of human drinking water and lead to serious public health problems.

People often believe that animal manure is harmless, but in truth it can be quite hazardous. Factory livestock facilities pollute the air and release over 400 separate gasses, mostly due to the large amounts of manure they produce. FThe principal gases released are hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. FGasses can be dangerous air pollutants that threaten both the environment and human health. Nitric oxides are also released in large quantities from farms through manure application, and are among the leading causes of acid rain. F

[Human101948]

11. The takeaway is that their are too many damn people eating too many animals...

Can we possibly sustain the growing population on this planet?

[ciaobaby]

12. We could also greatly reduce our meat consumption.

It drives me crazy that every meal, every salad, every snack, every desert, contains meat or dairy products.
The over production of meat in factory farms and the resulting consumption results in disease, obesity, pollution, excess use of land and water.
There really isn't anything good about it.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

13. There are other uses, such as using it as a renewable energy.

Farmers Are Generating Renewable Energy And Making Money — Thanks To Cow Poop
Why “cow power” could be the next big renewable energy source.
08/11/2015 10:22 am ET | Updated Aug 11, 2015

Who knew cow manure could turn out to be so valuable?

According to an Agence France-Presse story published this month, a family-run dairy farm in northern Indiana is finding a revenue-generating and earth-friendly use for the 70,000 gallons of manure and urine produced daily by its 3,400 cows. Thanks to a biogas recovery system, the farm is transforming that waste into electricity it supplies to a local utility company.

The converted waste supplies enough energy to power 1,000 homes but that’s just one of the perks of using the system — it also cuts down on the farm’s distinct odor while reducing its methane and carbon dioxide emissions and reducing water pollution, as well. In addition, the system’s anaerobic digester helps convert the manure into nutrient-rich fertilizer that can also be sold.

It’s a win for all parties involved.

“There’s so many [good] things, you forget them all,” Ryan Rogers, who works on the Indiana farm, told AFP.....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cow-manure-renewable-energy-anaerobic-digesters_us_55c8f450e4b0f1cbf1e5d38c

[ileus]

9. That's a lot of high quality fertilizer...they should be selling it.