Dead Zones Increase Due to Factory Farms

COMMENTARY | All across the globe, dead zones are increasing due to run-off from factory farms. According to Treehugger, a Discovery Company, "Dead zones have doubled every 10 years since the 1960s." Of course, they would say that, wouldn't they? After all, they're self-proclaimed tree-huggers. But you don't have to believe them; you can just ask NASA. What are these dead zones? Why is there an increase in concern? What do factory farms have to do with it?

What are dead zones?

A dead zone is an oxygen-deprived marine area. Some dead zones are in a permanent oxygen-free state, others fluctuate. Aside from microbes, nothing can live in a dead zone. Any other marine life must relocate or perish. No big deal, right? Just get out and thrive. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Marine life follow specific migratory and feeding patterns which can be greatly affected by these dead zones. They can also get trapped there and die.

Why should we concern ourselves with dead zones?

Yes, there are plenty of fish in the sea. There won't be if this continues. Many species are already endangered. Don't write off dead zones as a small issue. The more rapidly they grow, the less available resources we have. It's also important to note what's happening in the oceans is simultaneously happening to our groundwater. It's not just about the fish; it's about our future. H20 is essential to our survival. Without the element oxygen, it's unusable.

What is the impact of factory farming?

What's good for the corn is good for the phytoplankton. Fertilizer run-off from factory farms causes ocean phytoplankton to go through rapid growth spurts. Increased phytoplankton growth requires a massive amount of oxygen, leaving none for marine life. In fresh water, algae growth is the oxygen-consuming culprit. Factory produce farming accelerates the growth of dead zones beyond what nature can do to revive itself.

What about cattle farms?

Factory cattle farming produces a great deal of natural fertilizer in the form of manure. What isn't used for crops becomes direct run-off. To further exacerbate the issue, cattle are injected with growth hormones and antibiotics which end up just where you might think. Cattle feces also contains numerous bacteria, such as E-Coli. All this waste not only deprives marine life of oxygen, it causes water supply contamination.

What can we do to prevent dead zones?

We don't all have to become vegetarians. In fact, vegetarians are impacted as much as meat eaters. Still, cutting down on meat consumption is a good start. Another approach is to boycott factory farms until they adopt more environmentally friendly production methods. The amount of fertilizer leeching into our water supply could be greatly reduced if factory farms used crops such as winter wheat to fertilize fields rather than manure or other nitrogen-based fertilizers. This practice not only reduces the nitrogen content of run-off but keeps rain from washing it into the water supply.

Want to learn more?

The Natural Resources Defense Council lists a large number of statistics concerning factory farm pollution that are quite alarming.

For instance:

"Ammonia, a toxic form of nitrogen released in gas form during waste disposal, can be carried more than 300 miles through the air before being dumped back onto the ground or into the water, where it causes algal blooms and fish kills."

"California officials identify agriculture, including cows, as the major source of nitrate pollution in more than 100,000 square miles of polluted groundwater."

"Manure from dairy cows is thought to have contributed to the disastrous Cryptosporidium contamination of Milwaukee's drinking water in 1993, which killed more than 100 people, made 400,000 sick and resulted in $37 million in lost wages and productivity."

These statistics are frightening. Unfortunately, they represent a small portion of the problems created by factory farming. Dead zones are not the only concern. Once again, you might be wishing there were something you could do. Educate yourself. There is plenty of information to be found on this subject. Taking action against deadly factory farms does not make you an extremist. It just means you care about the future of humanity and want to do something to help.