Cape Fear is located in North Carolina. It has about 9,324 square miles in its water basin.This is 16.5% of the total land area which contains 27% of the states population. Approximately 27% of these waters are use-impaired mostly by fecal coliform bacteria and low oxygen levels.
Hog Farming in North Carolina and the impacts on the Cape Fear River
Waste Lagoon
Monday, February 28, 2011
A little Background on Hog Farming in North Carolina.
Hog farming in North Carolina is around a $1 million business. This makes the state the second largest producer of hogs in the United States. There are more pigs than people in the state. Approximately 9.5 million tons of hog waste is produced by these farms a year! The hog farming industry started to boom in the 1980's and took off rapidly in the 1990's.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
What can communities along the Cape Fear Rivers do?
Unfortunately, there is very little that communities that are located next to industrial hog farming operations can do. The greatest concentration of these "farms" are in poor and mostly minority communities who don't have the means or knowledge to fight for basic rights such as water quality. Fortunately, there are many environmental groups in North Carolina who are trying to force the hog farming industry to clean up its act (links posted at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/ncc/NClinks/Webenvironment.cfm.)
At the heart of this issue is a greater debate that continues to be fought throughout statehouses all across the country. It is the question of allowing large corporations to make huge profits at the expense of the environment and surrounding communities. Ultimately, it is the consumers who make the call, not the companies or the state and federal government. Because the methods of producing cheap goods such as pork or chemicals are kept out of sight from affluent, influential communities, they are allowed to continue business as usual. Meanwhile, poor, under represented people bear the true cost of consumer convenience. Until consumers make an across the board effort to understand how their food, medicines, and energy are manufactured, and what true costs are, the cycle of environmental destruction will continue.
At the heart of this issue is a greater debate that continues to be fought throughout statehouses all across the country. It is the question of allowing large corporations to make huge profits at the expense of the environment and surrounding communities. Ultimately, it is the consumers who make the call, not the companies or the state and federal government. Because the methods of producing cheap goods such as pork or chemicals are kept out of sight from affluent, influential communities, they are allowed to continue business as usual. Meanwhile, poor, under represented people bear the true cost of consumer convenience. Until consumers make an across the board effort to understand how their food, medicines, and energy are manufactured, and what true costs are, the cycle of environmental destruction will continue.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Want to get involved in Cleaning up this pollutant?!
There are many ways you can get involved in helping North Carolina with this pollutant. Check out: http://www.ncdoj.gov/Top-Issues/Improving-the-Environment/Environmental-Grants.aspx or contact the fine folks at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/) to see how to help out!
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