"Pig Poop Politics And Animal Welfare" (Ezra Klein)

[Catchawave]

For my AR/AW friends...YAY!


http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2007/10/pig-poop-politi.html

Here's what John Edwards was doing while Hillary was having a 'Rural Americans for Hillary' fundraiser with Monsanto lobbyists in DC:

The former North Carolina senator told audiences that he would push for a national moratorium on building or expanding livestock confinement facilities. He also said he would push for tougher federal environmental regulations and for rigorous enforcement of current manure disposal laws.

He mostly was talking about hog confinement operations, which have pitted neighbors against each other in many rural Iowa areas. Operators say well-run facilities are a safe, efficient way to raise hogs and compete on the world market. But many neighbors say the facilities stink up the air and foul the water, devastate their property values, and drive small farmers out of business.

It's no accident that a North Carolina Senator is pushing for this. (I remember in 1996 when my hometown paper, Raleigh's News & Observer, won a Pulitzer for reporting on the state's hog waste problem.) There's been a state moratorium on construction of new confinement facilities since then, and I see that Edwards wants to take that moratorium national. It's not an especially hard sell -- nobody wants to live near gigantic 'lagoons' of hog urine and feces. But what has me most excited about it is the benefit for animal welfare....

more....

[nosmokes]

1. And related, Why is the Dem Chair of the House Ag Cmmtte Saying People

that buy organic goods are dumb? While he and Sen Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) are leading the charge to exempt CAFOs from CERCLA(superfund)regulations that would hold them liable for cleaning up their mess?

Read About Rep Peterson (D-MN)Here

[scarletwoman]

2. Three words: Lobbyist campaign donations. (nt)

[Catchawave]

5. Yes indeedy.

Follow. The. Money.

Not only in campaign contributions, but paying off inspectors "to look the other way". No wonder Bush can't even protect us from our food.

[waiting for hope]

3. Excellent C!

I'm glad that more media outlets are picking up on this - it was in the News & Observer on Friday and it had a great pic, but it was in pdf format....anyway, Thanks! K&R!!

[Catchawave]

4. I spent years in the AR trenches only to realize

we need to change the laws and have a great President behind them. The animal "industry" is not only cruel to our food animals, but unhealthy for humans too. Not to mention, our environment.

John Edwards gets it :patriot:

[flvegan]

6. A kick/rec for a good topic!

[nosmokes]

7. kick

:kick:

[yewberry]

8. I think every candidate should take this stand.

Really, what's the downside?

CAFOs are bad for just about everyone. This SHOULD be an issue.

These giant pig farms and their lagoons are insanely hard on the surrounding environment. They squeeze out local farmers. They normalize animal neglect and cruelty.

Candidates should begin to take these issues seriously--the constant recalls, the animal cruelty, the environmental damage--it's only corporate interests that back this kind of awful shit. Really, what's the downside to taking this stuff seriously?