Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
spewed from
a factory farm
particulate matter,
carbon dioxide,
ammonia, hydrogen
sulfide, nitrous
oxide, methane
spewed from a
coal power plant
particulate matter,
carbon dioxide,
ozone, sulfur dioxide,
nitrous oxides,
mercury
toxic
factories
a comparison of
air pollutants
an intact cesspool or within the animal factory warehouse itself—
noxious levels of gases are spewed into the air, jeopardizing the
health of workers, neighbors, and the environment. Particulates
from factory farms, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, meth-
ane, and nitrous oxide, are released into the air and, with them,
bacteria, gases, and odors. Hydrogen sulfide, which can build up in
underground manure pits, has even been deemed a leading cause
of sudden death in the workplace. And, of course, the emission of
greenhouse gases from the animal agribusiness industry, as dis-
cussed in chapter 5, further illustrates the environmental degrada-
tion factory farming causes.
Beyond the inhumane conditions factory-farmed animals en-
dure, these intensive confinement facilities—hardly “farms” at
