A story in today’s Journal and Courier, Purdue study puts livestock farms under examination, about a nationwide study led by Purdue University researcher, Al Heber, is a real stinker. Literally. OK, so the story itself isn’t smelly, but the animals in the Emissions Study are. If any of you are from a rural community that specializes in livestock farming as well as agriculture, you will understand immediately what I am saying. Large facility hog, cattle and dairy farms put off a lot of odor. With the recent advent of Climate research and the effects of human activities on the climate of the Earth, subjects like animal emissions are becoming important areas of research.
What is the possible impact of this research? Increased government regulation and increased costs for our farmers and livestock producers.
Why are they conducting these types of studies? Because of the “ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, three sizes of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds — all which are federally regulated” that the animals emit. Quote is from the Journal and Courier article. These are substances that are reputed to contribute to a decrease in air quality and possibly leading to Global Warming.
In case you have been in a cave for the last 20 years, there has been a movement of opinion in recent years that says that our Earth will warm to the point that our climate will be changed drastically and all life as we know it will be effected. Some of the more extreme proponents of this theory even go so far as to say that we are killing the Earth and all life on it and we need to take drastic measures to stop the course we are on. Who know? I would be happier if the data that these people are using was above reproach and if they were truly objective. But they aren’t. Objectivity is hard to come by.
Where do I stand? It is easy to see that I am not a member of the “mankind is murdering the Earth” crowd. I fall more into the category of “lets all work together to find a solution that makes the farmer AND the Earth happy”. I grew up in a rural community. Farming is a way of life. Most, and I mean that literally, farmers cannot afford to buy the very expensive machinery to make sure their animals are emissions free. The money involved to do that would put most of them out of business and drive up the costs of the food you and I eat to a level we have not seen in the United States. But by the same token, I do not want to see us hurt our environment or make our air quality worse either. What is the middle ground? I don’t know.
I suspect that there are solutions that would lower emissions without breaking the bank for the farmers, if only calm and sensible heads prevail. I hope that the knee jerk reaction by any non-farmers who really don’t understand the costs involved or the really low profit margin that the farmers realize will not be the course of action taken. As always, the middle course between the extremes is probably the best way to go. And as a side benefit? We might not have to smell quite the level of odor when living down wind from the local hog producer. That would be a good thing. Right?
through the Lilly Nature Center & Celery Bog, through Purdue University, and even to the downtown district. The walk along the Wabash river might even give you the opportunity to see some of our local American Bald Eagles.
