M6.4 Industrial Farming
I am aware of the issue of vanishing bees. I found the teatronaturale article very interesting and informative. My dad used to bee keep (part of his many hobbies) in our home in Bakersfield. He taught me how valuable bees are and to not be afraid of them. He explained to me the importance that bees have on the environment and the world we know. This article addressed a lot of the concerns that he had told me about when I was growing up. One thing I did not realize before reading this article, was that loss of pollinators can cause detrimental health effects.
"The researchers found that the complete loss of animal pollinators globally would push an additional 71 million people into vitamin A deficiency and 173 million more into folate deficiency, and would lead to about 1.42 million additional deaths per year from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and malnutrition-related diseases—a 2.7% increase in total yearly deaths. A 50% loss of pollination would result in roughly half that impact, the researchers found."-S.C. ("The pollinator's decline could harm health of millions").
I was not able to find a factory farm in San Mateo County. The closest one is in Santa Cruz. However, they are ranked 31/32 in livestock units. I was unaware that there was a factory farm near me, especially because when I drive around Santa Cruz I have never seen this CAFO. I grew up in Bakersfield, which is part of Kern County. Kern County is ranked 7/32 in livestock units. This topic is very close to my heart and the awareness of these negative health impacts is crucial in these communities. Especially if they are only getting one side of the story.
When I lived in Bakersfield, we composted. It seemed like we were the only family who did that. We had our own raised gardens that we used the compost for and were very happy with the produce and herbs we were able to produce using it. Now that I live with my in-laws, we dont compost (regardless of my efforts to start). I think composting is a great way to be apart of the life cycle and really feels like the things we are using day to day are able to be used for good instead of evil.
Hi Kera,
ReplyDeleteThat is so great that your dad was a bee keeper and that he taught you a lot about bees growing up. And that is shocking how loss of bees would lead to many more additional deaths per year. Bees are such an important part of our environment and are reflective of the status and quality of our environment. That is so cool that you had your own garden that you used the compost for and that you produced crops and herbs. There is a community garden up the street from my house and I want to look into purchasing plot space and planting lavender, my mom says bees love lavender. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Kera,
ReplyDeleteI'm saddened to hear that you've been trying to compost and have been unable to do so. I would suggest searching for a local community garden, if any, so that you can continue to compost if you wish to continue to do so. It is somewhat frustrating when there are regulations that limit one's ability to do positive actions - I think many communities face scenarios such as these where their government might not allow them, or even landlords. Thank you for sharing your story and in taking action towards positive lifestyle changes.