- Animal Agriculture and Water Pollution
- Flavour of the Month: Ginger
- Cooking Tip: Egg Replacements
- Article of the Month: Perspectives on Factory Farms
- Sites of the Month: Public Education Network and Veg-Canada
- Recipe Update
- General News and Site Update
- Peanut Butter Shortbread (vegan)
- Celebration Cheese Ball (lacto)
- Clementine Sugar Cookies (lacto with vegan option)
- Pineapple Caramel Sundae (lacto)
- Pfeffernüsse ( Peppernut Cookies) (lacto with vegan option)
- Lemon and Clove Shortbread (lacto with vegan option)
- Cardamom Butter Cookies (lacto with vegan option)
January 2001
In this issue:
Animal
Agriculture's Role in Water Pollution
A recent campaign by the Council of Canadians
to prevent Canada’s water from being sold off to large corporations for
export, combined with the recent Walkerton scandal, has caused me to spend
some time recently thinking about one of our most precious resources: Water.
Three quarters of the world's surface is water and yet according to the United Nations, more than 1.4 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. (1) Eighty per cent of disease in the world is related to poor drinking water and sanitation. (2) Five million people die annually from water-borne diseases. (3) One percent of the Earth's water is usable, 99% is found in oceans and glaciers, and Canada is home to the largest supply of freshwater in the world. Here in Canada, water is so basic that many of us take it for granted. But do we really have so much to spare? And are our clear Canadian waters really as pristine as we think they are?
One of the main consumers and polluters of water resources in North America is animal agriculture. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, agriculture is the single largest non-point source of water pollution, surpassing all other industries. One-third of this pollution is due to animal production operations. (4) And the problem is not just a few isolated streams. According to the EPA, between 35% and 45% of America’s rivers and lakes are classified as “polluted”, (4) and a US Senate Agriculture Committee report estimates that 60% of streams and rivers are “impaired”. Agricultural run-off is considered to be the largest contributor to that pollution. (4,5). Here in Canada, a 1998 study found that over half of 27 Alberta streams exceeded water quality guidelines for phosphorous, nitrogen and disease-carrying bacteria, three indicators that are commonly suggestive of intensive livestock operations and improper manure disposal. (6)
Farmers are traditionally known as good stewards of the land, however the move to factory farms has made them, in effect, general managers of small, crowded cities of animals that generate huge volumes of waste. A typical factory farming operation with ten thousand hogs will create waste volume equal to a city of twenty-five thousand or more people. (7) And Alberta's livestock industry may well hold a national manure record producing waste equivalent to 48 million Canadians. (8) That’s more animal waste produced in one province than by Canada’s entire human population. So what does one do with it all?
Human waste is required by law to be treated at sewage facilities before being released into Canada’s environment. But animal waste has no such requirements, although regional storage and disposal standards may exist. (1) Common practice across Canada and the United States is to keep the waste in underground pits or large open cesspools called lagoons until it is spread onto the land as fertilizer (7) or dumped into local waterways. (9) This causes concern to many experts who feel that animal waste should be properly treated before it even leaves the barn. (8)
Why all the fuss? Animal urine and faeces often contain a variety of heavy metals, nutrients and pathogens such as e. coli, the deadly strain of bacterium which was responsible for the Walkerton disaster (3,8). This is partly due to the nature of animal waste itself, but also in no small part due to the regular mineral and antibiotic supplementation of animal feed. (7) Many of these nutrients, minerals and pathogens leach into local groundwater from storage facilities or run off into surface water due to poor containment of the lagoons. Misapplication of manure as fertilizer, often due to overapplication in an effort to dispose of the vast quantities of manure, also affects local water quality as excess manure runs off into local streams and rivers. (3,7)
Too much phosphorous released into local waterways can cause massive algae growth, depletion of the oxygen-supply for aquatic life and, consequently “fish kills”. (3,7,8) Such was the case in Lake Erie in the 1970s, where years of indiscriminate chemical and wastewater dumping by industry and municipalities choked the Great Lake, and Lake Erie was "officially" declared dead. Rivers flowing into the lake, such as the Cuyahoga and Black, were so polluted that advisories were issued warning against any contact with the water, and even Johnny Carson, a U.S. talk show host, commented that Lake Erie was a place fish went to die. The dire situation of Lake Erie eventually forced a clean-up of pollution in the area, (10) but now similar high levels of phosphorous are being found in Alberta streams. (6)
But the problem extends beyond our streams and rivers. A recent Health Canada study published last year (1999) found that 32 per cent of wells in rural Ontario exceeded the acceptable standards for fecal contamination. The study also noted that there was a strong association between e. coli infection and cattle density. (1) Although e. coli is a bacterium that is naturally found in our intestines, the ingestion of various strains e. coli and other pathogens associated with fecal contamination has been linked to gastrointestinal illnesses and in some severe cases, death. The Chinook region of Alberta, one of Canada’s most densely cattle populated areas, has reported some of the highest rates of gastrointestinal illnesses in the country, although an ongoing study has failed to link contamination to the livestock industry. (11) Similarly, Walkerton is also located in the heart of cattle-country and in an area that routinely reports higher than national-average rates of e. coli infection. (8)
Biological pathogens are not the only things we need to fear in well water. In the United States, tests of 1600 drinking wells near heavy animal agricultural areas revealed that one third of the wells were polluted and one in ten had dangerously high levels of nitrates. (7) In 1996, scientists from the National Cancer Institute (USA) found a direct correlation between nitrates in drinking water and cancer. (7) In fact, the study highlighted the health impacts from nitrates emanating from large animal agriculture operations. (7) Even the World Health Organization has drawn a correlation between levels of nitrogen in groundwater and "intensification of farming practice" (1993). (3) In Europe, nitrate levels have grown in some countries to the point where more than 10% of the population is exposed to levels in drinking water that are above the 10 mg/L guideline. (3)
In Quebec, manure mismanagement practices currently make pork production the most environmentally harmful agricultural activity in Canada, with over one-third of Quebec's farm operations found to be in non-compliance with local standards for manure treatment. (9) If industry or municipalities treated their waste in such a way, they would be fined and shut down. But forecasters expect the hog industry to triple in size over the next ten years. (9) This growth might spell success for the provincial pocket books, but at what cost to the environment?
What’s being done about animal agriculture and pollution? The federal Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Pork Council have jointly established the Hog Environment Management Strategy (HEMS). Through this program, a total of $3 million will be available for future initiatives to answer the environmental challenges of odour, soil and water degradation, and air pollution in Canada due to animal agriculture. (9) But beyond that, the involvement of the Canadian and Provincial governments is notably absent. In fact, Les Klapatiuk, who runs a Calgary firm specializing in water treatment, says there isn't a single government in Canada with adequate legislation to deal with these volumes of animal waste. (8)
Not so in the United States where some States have “had it” with factory farms polluting and poisoning their seaboard and communities. Kansas and Nebraska have banned large animal factories and Iowa has declared a moratorium on future developments in this industry. The EPA has also targeted factory farms for top priority inspections. (8)
So what should Canada do within animal agriculture to preserve our most precious resource? Following Kansas’ and Nebraska’s lead and limiting the size of animal agriculture operations would be a good start. Also developing a national standard and comprehensive management plan for the treatment of animal waste would be a step in the right direction. But these solutions are, in my opinion, just relieving the symptoms of a greater illness. Large animal agriculture operations in Canada are regulated much like the small family farms they are replacing. However, modern animal agriculture is not really farming at all. Rather, it is factory production involving huge amounts of industrial chemicals and waste. Therefore it should be treated like an industry and should be regulated as such with full industrial pollution controls. And perhaps as a society, we should be examining why corporate profits are often treated as a higher priority than our environment, and revisiting our modern farming practices altogether.
Notes:
Non-point source water pollution is pollution
of which there is no obvious point source. In contrast, point source water
pollution represents those activities where wastewater is routed directly
into receiving water bodies (i.e., discharge pipes). Non-point source
pollution is much more difficult to identify, measure and control than
point sources.
(This article and additional resources may also be found at www.colba.net/~ajstrong/water.htm)
References:
1. David Suzuki. Walkerton should
be a wake-up call. Science Matters. Jun 07, 2000.
2. Fact file on water. New Internationalist.
April 2000.
3. Control of water pollution from
agriculture - FAO irrigation and drainage paper 55. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations.1996.
4. Water Quality Conditions in the
United States: A Profile from the 1998 National Water Quality Inventory
Report to Congress. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA-841-F-00-006.
June 2000.
5. Animal waste pollution in America:
An emerging national problem. Environmental risks of livestock & poultry
production. United States Senate Agricultural Committee Report. 1997.
6. Andrew Nikiforuk. Pollution alarm
sounded: Farming blamed for bad water. The Edmonton Journal. January
21, 1998.
7. Karen Hudson. Rural residents'
perspectives on factory farms: a patchwork of rural injustice. Paper
presented at the February 1998 Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference,
and revised in May 1999 for presentation as a poster at the Manure Management
'99 Conference, June 22-26, 1999, Saskatoon, Canada
8. Andrew Nikiforuk. The dangerous
consequences of factory farming are being felt all across the country.
Maclean's Magazine. June 12, 2000.
9. U. S. Department of Commerce -
National Trade Data Bank, Canada - HOG POLLUTION. November 3, 2000
10. Doug Jeanneret. Lake Erie water
quality: Past, present and future. Fact Sheet 046. Ohio Sea Grant College
Program. 1989
11. Brian Bergman. Tonnes of trouble.
Maclean's Magazine. June 12, 2000.
12. Canadian Environmental Defence
Fund (CEDF). Factory Farming.
Ginger
Originally from the tropical regions of Asia, ginger found its way into Europe long before the time of Roman civilization. Four thousand years ago, the Greeks used ginger to flavour sweetbreads, and Pythagorous recommended ginger to treat snake bites. In the middle ages, ginger was used to treat plague. According to folklore, ginger was grown in the garden of Eden, and carrying ginger in your wallet or growing it in your garden brings prosperity. In Asia, ginger is used withwith roses to inspire love.
Medicinally, ginger is well known for it's calming effects on the somach, relieving nausea and travel sickness, and helping the digestion of food. Ginger is also used in Chinese medecine to promote sweating and as an expectorant for colds and chills. For the treatment of colds, it is usually prepared as a tea, often with honey and lemon.
In the European kitchen, ginger is widely used dried and ground in gingerbreads, biscuits, cakes, puddings and beer. Ginger loses, however, some of its essential oils in this process, drastically changing the taste of dried ginger from fresh ginger. Fresh ginger is more commonly used in Asian and Indian cooking, and is an important component of many stir fries and curries. Ginger is best used fresh, peeled or unpeeled. Unpeeled, fresh root keeps for up to six weeks in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap. If fresh is not an option, or when a European recipe specifically calls fo dried ginger, try to buy the whole root and then bruise and grind the whole root yourself. Crystallized ginger keeps indefinately if stored in an airtight container.
Ginger is grown primarily in tropical regions. It can be grown indoors, in a warm, moist atmosphere, and should be put outdoors in the shade during warm weather. In the spring, the rhizome produces an erect, reed-like stem growing from two to four feet in height, with narrow, sword-like leaves. The flowering stem produces spikes of fragrant yellowish-white blossoms, streaked with purple. The root should be harvested after 12 months. At this time, pull the root, cut away as much as possible and replant the root.
Cooking
Tip of the Month
Egg Replacements
Some people choose not to eat eggs in their
diet. But eggs are often used in baked products because of their
binding and leavening properties. So what do you substitute when
a recipe calls for eggs?
Usually, if a recipe just calls for one or two eggs, you can skip it altogether. You should just add a couple of extra tablespoons of water to compensate for the moisture. Another good substitute in muffins quick breads is one heaping tablspoon of cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with two tablespoons of cold water, per egg. And if you don't mind altering the flavour a bit, half a banana, mashed, substitutes quite nicely for an egg. Silken tofu can replace the traditional cream cheese and egg in cheesecake, and tahini is a great way to keep vegetarian loaves and burgers together. Of course, there are always commercial egg replacers, but read the ingredients carefully, sometimes they do contain egg white.
Article of the MonthKaren Hudson. Rural residents' perspectives on factory farms: a patchwork of rural injustice. Paper presented at the February 1998 Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference, and revised in May 1999 for presentation as a poster at the Manure Management '99 Conference, June 22-26, 1999, Saskatoon, Canada
http://www.farmweb.org/b/9802khconf.htm
Site
of the Month
Public Education
Network (http://www.penpress.org)
This independent,
non-profit, research organisation reporting on national and global inequities
is fuelled by the belief that lack of public knowledge and understanding
prevent us from correcting the injustices of the world. So they arm
people with the greatest weapon of all time: knowledge. According
to PEN, the question is not whether we are "right" or "wrong" in our beliefs,
but have we been exposed sufficiently to the world around us? "We
believe information, presented nakedly," they write, "is the surest way
to help citizens vote, buy, and live conscientiously."
And knowledge they provide: With facts like "More than 70% of the U.S. grain harvest is fed to farmed animals, as is 33% of the entire world's grain harvest." linked directly to their source material (where possible; in this example the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Worldwatch Institute), this site is an excellent source of, well, facts! All reasonably authoritative and nicely broken down into categories, ready to be quoted by the activists and triviabuffs alike.
Veg-Canada
( http://veg-canada.datablocks.net)
Thanks to an Alberta
vegetarian, Canadian vegetarians and vegans now have an on-line
community. It's a brand new site, so there isn't a lot of content
there right now, but sign-up and help get some national vegetarian networking
going! The site is free to join, and members can post messages in a variety
of message forums (such as recipes and restaurant reviews). Members
can also create a profile for others to see and exchange private messages.
This is a great complement to the Amanda's
Kitchen Website, which besides providing a Canadian perspective on
Vegetarianism, also lists and links to vegetarian
events across the country .
General
News and Site Update
New links to articles on the effects of
fishing on the environment have been added to the Amanda's Kitchen page
on Fish.
The mirror site at Geocities has been updated.
Monthly Electronic Newsletter,
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Disclaimer: This newsletter and the Amanda's Kitchen web site are not prepared by a registered dietician, nurse, doctor or other medically-qualified individual. Any health and nutrition information provided by Amanda's Kitchen is designed to support, not replace, information provided by a registered dietician or healthcare provider. Where appropriate, Amanda's Kitchen has endeavoured to support information contained on the site and newsletter by providing references to source data and, where possible, specific HTML links.
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