Industrial Farming

Vanishing of Bees was very enlightening. Before watching the documentary, I did not know about colony collapse disorder nor did I fully appreciate the critical role bees play in the environment. The first thoughts I usually have when thinking about bees are honey and bee stings, pollination does not cross my mind. I learned how important bees are and why colony collapse disorder is so alarming. It is clear that the bees' exposure to systemic pesticides is the cause. Not only does pesticides directly affect us, this is one way it indirectly affects us. With a decline in bees, will eventually come the decline in agricultural yield and thus less food available to feed the population. This is a public health issue.

Dirt! The Movie was very interesting. Before watching this movie, I did not think about the effect pesticides have on the dirt, itself. I more so thought of how pesticides affect the actual plant or crop.  The movie discussed the adverse effects of single-species farming. This type of industrial farming has increased the number of pests and thus the use of pesticides to control these pests. The pesticides, in turn, decreases the quality of the soil. Nitrogen-rich fertilizer is then added to the soil. The nitrogen is only partially absorbed by the plant and the rest eventually gets into rivers and the ocean affecting ocean life. To add, the excess nitrogen results in the production of nitrous oxide, which contributes to climate change. The movie explained this well and has helped me understand the grand effect pesticides have on our environment. The movie also briefly discussed composting. I do not currently compost, I have never composted, and I do not know anyone that composts. I would definitely consider composting in the future now that I understand that it increases sustainability. My apartment building has bins for composting, so I have no reason not to try it.

Using Factory Farm Map, I found that there are no factory farms in Alameda County, CA. Prior to looking this up, I did not know whether or not there were factory farms near me.