Well, sure, Bill Clinton's recent moves to establish
more national parks, monuments and preserves to protect wilderness and
coastal areas may be partially motivated by helping Gore in the
election, but at least the effort is being made. A few days ago Clinton
announced the planned creation of protected areas for beaches in the
continental states and the coral reefs of Hawaii, and strengthening of
the EPA's regulations on water quality.
This is a small step, but an important move in the right
direction. However, a major problem with the implementation of these
measures is funding. Congressional republicans have attached riders to
the annual appropriations bills which would prevent federal agencies
from receiving the money to create and maintain these new preserves. The
major exploiter of our natural resources, the meat industry, continues
to exert more influence on Congress than those who are concerned about a
clean and healthy environment.
The livestock industry is responsible for half of all
water used in the US and taxpayers are paying the price so that farmers
can receive water subsidies and bailouts to grow crops for livestock. It
seems easy to sympathize with farmers and agree that they get price
supports and bailouts, that is until you realize that over 75% of all US
soybeans, corn and grains is being grown to feed livestock.
The other half of our fresh water supply, the half not
used to maintain a supply of dead animal flesh, is being used as a
toilet to flush away the billions of tons of animal wastes. Animal
manure from spills, direct dumping and runoffs from factory farms has
become the major source of pollution in our nations rivers.
On May 19th, a report was released by the Sierra Club
and Consumers Union (publishers of Consumer Reports) that found that
Texas was the nation's leader in producing animal waste. (I will resist
the urge to say I've long realized that Texas was full of ....) Texas
Governor George Bush, Jr. is an industry puppet who, through weak
regulations and nonexistent enforcement, has allowed my state's water
and air to be terribly compromised. If Bush is elected president, at
least Americans will have plenty of guns to defend their supplies of
bottled water.
The report went on to find that Texas is producing 280
billion tons of manure per year which amounts to 40 pounds of manure per
Texas resident per day. "Howdy, Neighbor. Say, I'd like to give you my
share of this crap. I'm a vegan and didn't help make it so I figure I
don't deserve to keep it."
The deadly bacteria E-coli 0157, which was responsible
for the tragic deaths and illnesses in Ontario last week, lives in the
guts of cattle. It leaks into water supplies. This occurrence, which
mirrors the same event that happened in upstate New York not long ago,
will become more and more commonplace in the future. Don't participate
in the environmentally irresponsible act of eating animal products.
I was somewhat amazed by Clinton's weekly radio address
of May 27th in which he proposed the mandatory labeling of meat with the
amount of fat, cholesterol and nutritional information now found on most
food labels. Wow. His recommendation that all Americans cut back on fat
and eat more grains, fruits and vegetables sounded like the rap from my
fellow vegetarian advocates. We should write Clinton, and send a copy to
Secretary Glickman of the USDA, thanking Bill and suggesting that one
step to achieve this would be that less federal money be spent buying
hamburger, cheese and hogs to feed our children in the federal school
lunch program.
Go Vegan!
Go on to Fear of
Disease Prompts New Look at Rendering
Return to 28 May 2000 Issue
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