New Mexico Dairy Pollution Sparks 'Manure War'

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121173780&ft=1&f=1025

New Mexican citizens are in crisis as the dairy industry threatens to irrevocably contaminate their groundwater. Contrary to the depiction of cattle conditions posted on many milk cartons, dairy cows live in confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, where they await their thrice daily milking, while wallowing in their own feces and urine. This animal waste flows into plastic or clay lined lagoons, which often leak, resulting in the degradation of groundwater conditions, due to waste runoff. Many residents can no longer drink the water, because it is so contaminated, and they must therefore buy large jugs of bottled water to drink and do dishes with. Despite these ecological travesties, New Mexico, and the southwest in general, is hesitant to do away with the cattle industry altogether, as it brings in an estimated 1.2 billion annually to the region. However, tired of acquiescing to dairy industry lobbyists, New Mexico is finally tightening regulations for "dairy discharge permits."

This is a classic example of a powerful industry taking advantage of areas where regulation is lacking and the economy is weak. As a vegan, I personally can not attest to how important dairy is to some people. However, I do know that it is not worth the destruction of Earth's ecosystems, whether locally or globally. The contamination of the water we drink, or the water with which we wash our children's clothes is not an acceptable "byproduct" of the dairy industry. While I do denounce the destruction of the environment, I also recognize the important role this industry plays in local economies. Many communities cannot afford to expel these dairy companies, as they provide jobs for the surrounding population. The money that such industries bring into states is partly responsible for funding schools, and building roads. We can't just ban the dairy industry, so we need to find a way in which industry and environmentalists can work together to achieve both of their goals. It seems reasonable that in the future, these dairy farms could subject themselves to examination, in order to assess their environmental impact, and determine ways in which they could mitigate their ecological footprint. This cooperation between environmentalists and industrialists is crucial to our survival as a species. With a concerted effort from those of every walk of life, we can solve the problems that will come to define our time, while learning from the past, and keeping an eye on the future.

In what other ways can environmentalists work with industry in order to protect and benefit both the environment and the economy?

Burnett, John. "New Mexico Dairy Pollution Sparks 'Manure War.'" NPR. N.p., 9
Dec. 2009. Web. 11 Dec. 2009. .