Agricultural Pollution

     Agriculture causes very little pollution when animal products are used for fertilizer. With the advent of gigantic factory farms it is a different story. One need only drive by one of these large factory farms to smell the pollution.

     Hog farming is the number one pollution threat to rivers and waterways in the United States. Pigs produce ten times more waste than do humans. This waste is collected in ponds. The waste can leach into the ground or get washed into rivers when heavy rainfall takes place.

     Hog waste is believed to be responsible for the proliferation of an organism called Pfiesteria piscicida in U.S. coastal waters. This organism has been called the "cell from hell" because it kills millions of fish. In one six week  period in 1991 it killed an estimated one billion fish in one river in North Carolina.

     Hog waste is toxic to humans as well. The fumes can cause headaches and nausea. Some workers have been overcome by fumes, fallen into manure lagoons, and died.

     Choosing organic and responsibly produced pork products not only protects the environment, but it is also far healthier than commercial dairy products that are pumped with antibiotics and other chemicals.

Article on Hog Farms

Fish Kill in Illinois

Pollution in North Carolina