UAP 030 - Assessing the Environmental Impact of Animal Farming

This essay examines the detrimental effects of animal farming on the environment, highlighting its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, land and water degradation, deforestation, acid rain, biodiversity loss, and air pollution. It details how animal farming contributes more to greenhouse gas emissions than the transport sector, leading to climate change and unexpected disasters. The essay further explains that land degradation results from erosion and overgrazing, while water pollution stems from animal waste and chemicals. Deforestation to create grazing land exacerbates the problem, with a significant portion of the Amazon rainforest converted for this purpose. The essay also addresses the health impacts on local communities due to air pollution from animal waste, leading to conditions like asthma and lung inflammation. While acknowledging the benefits of animal farming, such as fertilizer production, the essay concludes that its adverse environmental effects outweigh these benefits, calling for stricter policies to mitigate the damage. Desklib provides students with access to similar essays and study resources.

Running head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL FARMING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 1
Effect of Animal Farming to the Environment.
Name
Institution.

Running head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL FARMING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 2
Effects of Animal Farming to the Environment
One thing that is for sure is that all humanity has been presented with the most precious
gift, which is the environment. As a result, it has been the desire of each and expert to look into
ways that can help in sustaining it if not so improving the current condition of the environment.
Studies have shown that among many factors that contribute to the environmental problems,
shockingly, animal farming, and to be specific, animal farming is one of the primary contributors
(Berentsen, P. B. M. 2013).
Animal farming brings about the greenhouse gas emission effect. Surprisingly, the
emission produced is more than that statistically create from the transport sector. To be more
specific, it contributes to 18% of the total greenhouse emission. This, in turn, brings about a
significant threat to climate change, which can affect the weather pattern and bring about more
unexpected disasters such us flood and prolonged droughts. Therefore, livestock farming has to
be monitored for the greater good of humanity.
Furthermore, animal farming brings about the aspect of land and water degradation. Land
degradation is brought about by erosion and overgrazing. In some areas, there are no strict
policies that highlight to what extent a land should be used for grazing (Clark, M., & Tilman, D.
2017). When the animals are in motion from one place to another in search for pasture erosion
takes place. On the other hand, animal waste and chemicals, among others, leads to water
pollution. It is also evident that a large amount of water is used in the production of animal feeds
showing that indeed the farming activity brings more harm to our natural habitat (Rojas-
Downing et al, 2017)
Moreover, deforestation is mostly carried out to give more room for the growth of
pasture. Land that was initially full of trees has been cleared in the name of expansion of the

Running head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL FARMING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 3
grazing area. Surprisingly, 30% of the entire earth surface has been occupied by animal farming.
On top of this, more land is being cleared to date to accommodate the ever-increasing
productivity in this sector. For example, statistically, the experts show that 70% of the area in the
Amazon rain forest has been converted into grazing land. Truly this form of deforestation is
high, contributing to environmental problems.
Also, acid rain is contributed by the practice of animal farming. The animal feeds contain
a specific gas called Agri-ammonia. The gas, after being produced from the feeds in vapor form
it is broken down into nitric acid and nitrogen gas. This brings about water and soil pollution
where the aquatic life is affected and the plants in the affected area. Acid rain is a tragedy as it
causes stunted growth among plants while it suppress the growth of some. Other than this by the
fact that acid rain reaches the ground, some toxic minerals are formed that affects the increase as
people consume the agricultural products at almost every meal.
Biodiversity has also been at a large scale been a result of livestock farming. It is so
saddening that some of the indigenous species go to extinction at the expense of livestock
farming (Radon et al, 2017). This brought about by the need for more meat consumption by the
ever-increasing population hence causing the creation of more land for planting the animal feeds.
A lot of valuable planets resources are used up in the process. Research by the experts’ shows
that 60% of biodiversity is brought by meat consumption.
Animal waste produced in livestock production contributes a lot to air pollution. As the
animals are kept together in a large factory, the urine and manure produce up to 400 distinct
types of gases into our atmosphere (Durning, A. B., & Brough, H. B. 2011). Can you imagine the
amount of pollution happening in these areas and to make the matter worse many people have
not come to an understanding of the effect brought gradually. These gases include ammonia,

Running head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL FARMING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 4
nitrous oxide, particulate matter, and hydrogen sulfide. Statistically in the United States animal
waste contribute to approximately 80% of ammonia emission. Therefore, this gas emission
brings a harmful effect to the community practicing this great activity (Leip et al, 2015)
Consequently, those living in areas around that large livestock factory live uncomfortably
due to the bad smell produced in them. These dangerous and unbearable smell poses a threat to
the health of the people living in the surroundings (Nguyen et al, 2013). For example, manure
production becomes so much in comparison to its applications to the available farm; hence, most
of it is left in large hips which bring an irritation smell to the environment (Gaughan, J., &
Cawdell-Smith, A. J. 2015). Sadly, reach shows that the effects can go even to mental
deterioration and despite the sensitizations, most of the people living around these factories
cannot relocate to other places due to the poor living standards. Can you imagine working but at
the sometimes exposing oneself to danger?
Animal farming also raises issues of concern to the health of people both the locals and
the farmers at large. Health conditions such as asthma, lung inflammation, and bronchitis are
experienced (Guerci et al. 2013). Others suffer from dizziness and eye irritation brought by
ammonia and to make this worse death can be evident due to the high concentration of hydrogen
sulfide in the region. This means that even from early childhood, children are brought up in an
unsecured environment; hence, their lifespan definitely without any doubt tend to be minimized.
It so unfortunate that even though the health challenge is there production from animal farming
still goes on.
However, many may urge animal farming produces a lot of fertilizer that is used in
agriculture and even planting trees to conserve the environment. This is true, but there are other
ways of making manure like using farm waste. The adverse effects to the environment by far out

Running head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL FARMING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 5
weight the significance brought about the animal fertilizer. Moreover, some may also argue that
with the ever-increasing population meat consumption is highly needed to provide proteins to the
people. This is a valid point, as everyone need to afford these products. However, we must,
however, look at the harmful effects brought by beef products (Milne, J. A. 2005). Their massive
consumption leads to serious health issues. However, there are alternative protein sources like
white meat and from the plant as well.
In conclusion, animal farming, with its many excellent benefits contributes a lot to the
environmental problems that we are experiencing currently where we like it or not. Therefore,
since it is impossible to get rid of these economic activities, strictly policies and measure have to
be not only put into place but also be implemented to safeguard the great good of the
environment.

Running head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL FARMING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 6
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Running head: EFFECTS OF ANIMAL FARMING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 8
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221209631730027X