WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.180 These days, there are plenty of public health crises to worry about. But one in particular 00:00:04.180 --> 00:00:07.960 has been piling up (literally) at at an alarming rate: 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:10.519 our planet has a poop problem. 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:15.240 With global poo production approaching five billion tons of feces being dropped on our earth every 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:20.930 year, and the vast majority of that load going completely untreated by any sanitation system, 00:00:20.930 --> 00:00:24.810 this is one public health crisis we should all give a crap about. 00:00:24.810 --> 00:00:28.929 While I may be laying the bathroom language on thicker than farmland fertilized with literal 00:00:28.929 --> 00:00:34.080 fecal fountains—we'll get to it—the health risks of farmed animal waste is no laughing matter. 00:00:34.080 --> 00:00:38.480 In this video you'll learn how the extreme excrement production of farmed animals 00:00:38.480 --> 00:00:43.690 directly affects your health, goes largely unregulated, and how you're actually paying 00:00:43.690 --> 00:00:48.040 for the privilege of being poisoned. From waste seeping into our groundwater and shutting 00:00:48.040 --> 00:00:52.801 down entire cities, to fecal particles in the air inducing respiratory illnesses, 00:00:52.801 --> 00:00:55.265 to zoonotic disease outbreaks running rampant. 00:00:55.265 --> 00:00:59.233 Sit back and prepare yourself —cause I'm about to drop a massive load... 00:00:59.404 --> 00:01:01.006 of knowledge. 00:01:01.517 --> 00:01:02.947 (That may have been too far...) 00:01:14.070 --> 00:01:19.150 Hi, it's Emily from BiteSizeVegan.org, where you can find free resources, eCourses, kids' 00:01:19.150 --> 00:01:22.620 content, and a Guided Search to help you find just what you need, even if you don't know 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:27.600 what to ask! Speaking of eCourses, this video has one of its very own, so you can test how 00:01:27.600 --> 00:01:32.550 well you absorb my fecal facts after watching! Just click the "take the eCourse now" button 00:01:32.550 --> 00:01:38.810 at BiteSizeVegan.org/TooMuchPoo, where you'll also find even more in-depth info and the 00:01:38.810 --> 00:01:41.201 full dump of sources for this video. 00:01:41.713 --> 00:01:42.452 (I'm sorry...) 00:01:42.793 --> 00:01:47.640 Now, before we dive into the impact of animal waste on public health, let's learn just how 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:52.790 much poop farmed animals make. Scientists estimate that by 2030, the planet will be 00:01:52.790 --> 00:02:00.130 producing nearly five billion tons of feces. (That's billion, with a B) Not only is our 00:02:00.130 --> 00:02:06.350 overall poop production increasing at an alarming rate of 114.6 billion additional pounds a 00:02:06.350 --> 00:02:11.230 year (52 billion kg), but so is the ratio of animal to human excrement. Farmed animals 00:02:11.230 --> 00:02:17.420 produce anywhere from five to twenty times the amount of feces as humans, and over 130 00:02:17.420 --> 00:02:22.920 times the amount of total waste, meaning the vast majority goes entirely untreated and 00:02:22.920 --> 00:02:28.340 largely unregulated. To make matters worse, animal waste is 100 times more concentrated 00:02:28.340 --> 00:02:34.030 than raw human sewage and more than 500 times more concentrated than treated human sewage. 00:02:34.030 --> 00:02:41.120 A single dairy farm with 2,500 cows produces the same amount of waste as a city of 411,000 people. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:47.490 A single pig produces roughly 1.5 tons of manure every year. With regards to 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:52.760 chickens, in a perfect illustration of the absolute absurdity of our sewage situation, 00:02:52.760 --> 00:02:58.571 a report by Food and Water watch found that the average egg-laying operation in the United States 00:02:58.571 --> 00:03:03.308 produces ten Olympic swimming pools’ worth of manure every year. 00:03:03.308 --> 00:03:10.840 In my home state of Iowa alone, laying hens top off almost two Olympic pools of poo every single day. 00:03:11.434 --> 00:03:14.050 I hope you brought your bathing suit. 00:03:14.050 --> 00:03:19.710 Speaking of swimming pools of poo, this liquid animal waste is stored in vast open ponds 00:03:19.710 --> 00:03:25.910 called lagoons. These lakes of waste contain a toxic mixture of excrement, growth hormones, 00:03:25.910 --> 00:03:31.220 antibiotics, chemicals, animal blood, silage leachate, heavy metals, antibiotic residues, 00:03:31.220 --> 00:03:36.900 and even animal carcasses. When lagoons reach their limits, some farms literally launch 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:42.860 the liquid straight up into the air in glorious fecal fountains that put Las Vegas to shame, 00:03:42.860 --> 00:03:46.360 and showers local residents with aerosolized toxins. 00:03:46.360 --> 00:03:51.800 There is simply too much waste produced to be effectively used as fertilizer. The liquid 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:57.470 slurry that is applied to fields is more than the land can absorb, resulting in toxic runoff. 00:03:57.470 --> 00:04:02.390 Leaking lagoon walls, overflow from storms, and improper drainage results in contamination 00:04:02.390 --> 00:04:07.540 of both groundwater and surface water. It's obvious our current waste management practices 00:04:07.540 --> 00:04:12.840 are not effective. Our planet simply cannot keep up with the ever-increasing output. 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:17.879 If all of this is starting to sound grim, strap in, cause I’m about to guide you through 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:22.900 what our woeful waste management means for your health. The health risks from animal 00:04:22.900 --> 00:04:28.849 waste range in severity from headaches ... to death. Associated conditions include, but 00:04:28.849 --> 00:04:35.520 are not limited to: respiratory illnesses—including increased rates of childhood asthma; gastrointestinal 00:04:35.520 --> 00:04:40.669 illnesses; stomach and esophageal cancers; neuropsychiatric abnormalities, such as impaired 00:04:40.669 --> 00:04:45.490 balance or memory; blue baby syndrome possibly leading to infant death; birth defects and 00:04:45.490 --> 00:04:50.990 miscarriages; immune suppression; mental health problems, like anxiety, depression, and PTSD; 00:04:50.990 --> 00:04:52.719 and death. 00:04:52.719 --> 00:04:56.800 While the brunt of these conditions are born by farm workers and surrounding communities, 00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:02.259 the impact of animal agriculture upon our global health and environment is at a crisis point. 00:05:02.259 --> 00:05:07.309 The fallout from animal waste reaches far beyond the farms, polluting our air and 00:05:07.309 --> 00:05:08.669 poisoning our water. 00:05:08.669 --> 00:05:14.729 Aside from the obvious overpowering odor issue, air emissions from waste in lagoons and fertilized 00:05:14.729 --> 00:05:20.630 fields include: ammonia, nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and particulate matter. 00:05:20.630 --> 00:05:25.340 These harmful gasses come with a range of health risks, and not just to the respiratory system 00:05:25.340 --> 00:05:30.389 Breathing in these toxic fumes is also linked to cardiovascular ailments, central 00:05:30.389 --> 00:05:36.009 nervous system issues, immune suppression, and—once again—premature death. 00:05:36.009 --> 00:05:42.540 Additionally, as children take in 20-50% more air than adults, they are most severely affected. 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:47.830 Now you may be thinking "I don't live downwind from one of these facilities, so I'm in the clear, right?" 00:05:47.830 --> 00:05:52.789 Sorry to burst your poo-protected bubble, but if there's one thing we all need 00:05:52.789 --> 00:05:55.339 and share, it's our planet's water. 00:05:55.339 --> 00:06:00.050 Animal agriculture is the "leading contributor of pollutants to lakes, rivers, and reservoirs." 00:06:00.050 --> 00:06:05.129 Farmed animal waste contaminates groundwater—which much of the world's population relies on for 00:06:05.129 --> 00:06:10.580 drinking water—with viruses, bacteria, and nitrates. Nitrate poisoning can have devastating 00:06:10.580 --> 00:06:15.479 consequences for fetuses and infants, causing birth defects, blue baby syndrome, and even 00:06:15.479 --> 00:06:21.449 death. It's also linked to stomach and esophageal cancers. Groundwater is much harder to monitor 00:06:21.449 --> 00:06:28.289 than surface water, and contamination risks linger long after a farm has closed and drained its lagoons. 00:06:28.289 --> 00:06:32.710 One of the most significant consequences of animal waste in our waterways is the creation 00:06:32.710 --> 00:06:38.559 of dead zones and toxic algae blooms. These areas are starved for oxygen, killing off 00:06:38.559 --> 00:06:44.439 plant and animal life while providing a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and neurotoxins. 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:50.520 While the resulting rich green water may look lovely, it poses serious risks to public health. 00:06:50.520 --> 00:06:56.050 In 2014, Lake Erie made national headlines when the annual algae bloom poisoned the drinking 00:06:56.050 --> 00:07:01.119 water of close to half a million people in and around Toledo, Ohio, causing a three-day 00:07:01.119 --> 00:07:06.429 shutdown of the area’s water system. A fisherman who'd been out on Lake Erie was hospitalized 00:07:06.429 --> 00:07:11.659 after contact with the algae attacked his immune system, covering him in hives and shutting 00:07:11.659 --> 00:07:17.449 down his body's ability to sweat. In 2017, Florida declared a state of emergency when 00:07:17.449 --> 00:07:22.156 a toxic algae bloom spread to the beaches —although, let's be honest... 00:07:22.156 --> 00:07:29.669 Florida, as a whole, is a state of emergency. (I can say that cause I grew up there) 00:07:29.669 --> 00:07:34.330 Now, if you're outside of the United States and thinking, "well, we always knew the US 00:07:34.330 --> 00:07:39.689 was full of it," just take a sobering step down from your perceived poo-problem-free position. 00:07:39.689 --> 00:07:45.568 In China, where animal protein production has risen almost five-fold within three decades, 00:07:45.568 --> 00:07:48.680 more than half of all lakes are polluted from animal waste. 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:53.819 Even Ireland—often idealized for its rolling green fields of happily grazing cows— 00:07:53.819 --> 00:07:59.679 is facing a water pollution crisis, largely due to their dairy industry. In the last four 00:07:59.679 --> 00:08:06.849 decades, Ireland's "number of pristine rivers has fallen from 575...to an all-time low of just 20." 00:08:06.849 --> 00:08:12.660 You can learn much more about how even the ideal animal agriculture is a total sh...sh... 00:08:12.660 --> 00:08:17.610 show in my speech "The Best We Have to Offer," delivered in Dublin, Ireland. 00:08:17.610 --> 00:08:22.590 So, while the United States is the only country I’m aware of that literally created an official 00:08:22.590 --> 00:08:27.729 competition for dealing with its crap, no matter what country you call home, farmed 00:08:27.729 --> 00:08:31.219 animals are everywhere, and every one of them poops. 00:08:31.219 --> 00:08:35.550 If you're not convinced that we're really up the proverbial creek without a paddle, 00:08:35.550 --> 00:08:41.280 animal waste contamination leads to the spread of zoonotic diseases and foodborne illnesses. 00:08:41.280 --> 00:08:47.404 Zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses, are infectious diseases that can spread from non-human animals to humans. 00:08:47.404 --> 00:08:51.767 These include, but are not limited to: pathogenic E. Coli, listeria, 00:08:51.767 --> 00:08:57.237 salmonella, cryptosporidium parvum, giardia lamblia, leptospira, campylobacter, and brucella. 00:08:57.237 --> 00:09:02.510 Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted through water and food contaminated with animal waste. 00:09:02.510 --> 00:09:07.090 While you often hear about E. Coli outbreaks in lettuce and other produce, don't blame 00:09:07.090 --> 00:09:12.810 the vegetables—it's the feces at fault. The pathogens in animal poo have been responsible 00:09:12.810 --> 00:09:18.700 for untold human epidemics around the world, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths. 00:09:18.700 --> 00:09:22.910 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "scientists estimate that 00:09:22.910 --> 00:09:28.830 more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people can be spread from animals, 00:09:28.830 --> 00:09:35.060 and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals." 00:09:35.060 --> 00:09:41.240 You may be wondering, if all of this sh...stuff is so dangerous, where the heck are the regulations? 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:46.280 While many countries do have regulations for air and water pollution, enforcement for farms 00:09:46.280 --> 00:09:52.210 is generally somewhere between ineffective and completely absent. Despite being illegal 00:09:52.210 --> 00:09:58.087 in these countries, dumping waste directly into waterways is unfortunately commonplace around the world. 00:09:58.220 --> 00:10:02.971 In the United States, farmers are largely exempt from most environmental laws. 00:10:02.971 --> 00:10:09.680 In the United Kingdom, a 2017 report from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism found 3,700 incidents 00:10:09.680 --> 00:10:16.080 of farm-related pollution in a six-year period, 424 of which were deemed "serious pollution 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:19.850 incidents" directly linked to dairy, poultry and pig farms. 00:10:19.850 --> 00:10:26.170 And now we come to perhaps the most absurdly offensive aspect of this global poo problem: 00:10:26.170 --> 00:10:30.000 You are paying farmers to poison you. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.360 Despite continual devastation of the environment, 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:38.970 direct threats to public health, and outright violations, farms continue to receive millions 00:10:38.970 --> 00:10:41.210 of taxpayer-funded subsidies. 00:10:41.210 --> 00:10:44.820 Let's take a look at some examples, shall we? Remember the annual algae bloom of Lake 00:10:44.820 --> 00:10:49.390 Erie that poisoned Toledo's drinking water? An extensive report by the Sierra Club Michigan 00:10:49.390 --> 00:10:56.580 Chapter found that the Western Lake Erie Watershed area alone received $17 million in subsidies 00:10:56.580 --> 00:11:01.800 over a seven-year period, while producing 630 million gallons of waste annually. 00:11:01.800 --> 00:11:06.470 In the most extreme example of tax-funded pollution, the report highlighted Hartland 00:11:06.470 --> 00:11:13.160 Farms of Lenawee County, Michigan. That single farm, "received more than $1.5 million in 00:11:13.160 --> 00:11:20.380 federal funding between 1995 and 2014 while in repeated violation of its permit. In fact, 00:11:20.380 --> 00:11:25.700 it has been under a court order since 2003, yet has continued to receive hundreds of thousands 00:11:25.700 --> 00:11:30.690 of dollars in Environmental Quality Incentives Program and other subsidies in that time." 00:11:30.690 --> 00:11:35.610 Similarly, in the United Kingdom, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that "farms 00:11:35.610 --> 00:11:40.080 linked to serious pollution incidents or poor environmental management...received millions 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:45.339 of pounds in government subsidies... In some cases offenders received substantial payments 00:11:45.339 --> 00:11:51.490 - in one instance more than £1m - over the two year period." Even repeat offenders continue 00:11:51.490 --> 00:11:54.020 to receive substantial subsidies. 00:11:54.020 --> 00:11:59.140 If this massive dump of defecation data has you distressed, you may be wondering how we 00:11:59.140 --> 00:12:06.030 can possibly dig ourselves out of it. The only real solution is a planetary shift away from eating animals. 00:12:06.030 --> 00:12:11.950 We simply cannot effectively manage the ever-increasing amount of waste farmed 00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:17.130 animals produce. This isn't about pushing veganism—it's a matter of our collective 00:12:17.130 --> 00:12:23.110 survival. It's a matter of our planet's future. Of our children's future. This is a global 00:12:23.110 --> 00:12:29.190 public health crisis that will only continue to get worse unless we stop eating animals. 00:12:29.190 --> 00:12:34.780 I hope this video has been helpful. Please share it far and wide with the fury of the 00:12:34.780 --> 00:12:41.051 fecal fountains themselves—really just launch it out there to shower the world with... 00:12:41.146 --> 00:12:42.340 knowledge. 00:12:42.340 --> 00:12:46.240 I'd love to hear your thoughts on our crap conundrum in the comments. And don't forget 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:50.770 to take the free eCourse! To stay in the loop about new Bite Size Vegan content and updates, 00:12:50.770 --> 00:12:54.900 please subscribe, and sign up for the newsletter or follow the Telegram channel for the most 00:12:54.900 --> 00:12:56.450 reliable notifications. 00:12:56.450 --> 00:12:58.199 Now go live vegan, and I'll see you soon.