In addition to direct production of greenhouse gas, methane, factory farming also leads to massive amounts liquid manure that releases climate-damaging nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and nitrous oxide, as well as contaminating groundwater with nitrates.

Researchers found that the greatest contribution to nitrogen losses is from the liquid manure that needs to be disposed of or treated. Cattle three times the nitrogen pollution footprint compared to pigs and eight times that of chicken.

Additionally, raising animals for lead to more energy intensive processes to reduce the amount of nitrogen pollution released into the environment. When 1 kilogram of beef is produced, 140 grams of ammoniacal nitrogen remain in liquid manure from the cattle. To recover it, we need 7 kilowatt-hours of energy. By comparison, Germany’s per capita electricity consumption is about 29 kilowatt-hours per week,” said Prantik Samanta. All this costs leads to increase costs of meat as well.

In addition to trillions of unnecessary suffering to animals, the pollution from raising animals as human feed creates an enormous amount of toxic nitrogen pollution that is harmful to the environment and all of the planet’s inhabitants, including humans.

Eating meat is a disgusting, and irresponsible, behavior in so many ways. Stopping participating in this disgusting exercise.

The study was published in MDPI Water.

P Samanta et al. Impact of livestock farming on nitrogen pollution and the corresponding energy demand for zero liquid discharge. MDPI Water. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14081278