Saturday, March 03, 2007

Porky Pies- The Truth About Cheap Pork Meat

Rolling Stone : Pork's Dirty Secret



The USA's top pig producer is also one of America's worst environmental polluters.

The logistical challenge of processing so many pigs each year is roughly equivalent to butchering and boxing the entire human populations of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Columbus, Austin, Memphis, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Charlotte, El Paso, Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston, Denver, Louisville, Washington, D.C., Nashville, Las Vegas, Portland, Oklahoma City and Tucson !!!!

A lot of pig shit is one thing; a lot of highly toxic pig shit is another. The excrement of Smithfield hogs is hardly even pig shit: On a continuum of pollutants, it is probably closer to radioactive waste than to organic manure.

The drugs Smithfield administers to its pigs, of course, exit its hog houses in pig shit. Industrial pig waste also contains a host of other toxic substances: ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, cyanide, phosphorous, nitrates and heavy metals. In addition, the waste nurses more than 100 microbial pathogens that can cause illness in humans, including salmonella, cryptosporidium, streptocolli and girardia. Each gram of hog shit can contain as much as 100 million fecal coliform bacteria.

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Looking down from the plane, we watch as several of Smithfield's farmers spray their hog shit straight up into the air as a fine mist: It looks like a public fountain. Lofted and atomized, the shit is blown clear of the company's property. People who breathe the shit-infused air suffer from bronchitis, asthma, heart palpitations, headaches, diarrhea, nosebleeds and brain damage. In 1995, a woman downwind from a corporate hog farm in Olivia, Minnesota, called a poison-control center and described her symptoms. "Ma'am," the poison-control officer told her, "the only symptoms of hydrogen-sulfide poisoning you're not experiencing are seizures, convulsions and death. Leave the area immediately."

5 comments:

Richard Quick, Millionaire said...

I love your site! Thank you so much! As a Smithfield stockholder, I appreciate a good laugh and you gave me that. Your weak - no - pathetic attempt to rhetorically tie butchered pigs (ie food) "logistically" with loss of human life reassures me that you fringe groups could never be a serious concern. I think I'll up my Smithfield holdings first thing Monday.

Did you know that pork actually enhances your mental acuity? Our PR team starts morning meeting over a plateful of sausage links, patties and bacon. You should try a few links. You might surprise yourself and actually come up with a lucid pointto feed your protein-deficient readers.

See you on the veranda,

Richard Quick, Esq.
http://richardquick.blogspot.com
http://www.franworst.com

If God didn't want us to eat animals, why's he make them out of meat?

Vegan Chef said...

Actually the article was from Rolling Stone magazine.

You are right, protein is better for your brain's health than caffiene but I prefer mine without the free saturated fat.

I'll stick to the hemp protein (50% protein) that comes free with essential fats and amino acids, fibre, and natural vitamins and minerals thanks.

Please do buy as many Smithfield shares as you can afford - it sounds like you deserve them and I believe they are a little bit cheaper at the moment.

Richard Quick, Millionaire said...

The story in Rolling Stone is actually a PR story planted by Smithfield. Read over the non-pollution parts and you'll see it is actually a propaganda piece that glorifies Smithfield's market dominance. Check again mid-week and you'll see the stock has continued to rise.

Visit here to be enlightened:
http://richardquick.blogspot.com/2007/03/ive-been-cruising-caribbean-in-get-rich.html

or see the other related articles at richardquick.blogspot.com

See you on the veranda!

RQ

PS I linked to your post. stop by. We'll make you a burger.

Raylon said...

I also have a blog on this article with a similar comment from "Mr Quick". Now that I'm thoroughly convinced his entire blog-sphere is parody my only question is: Where does someone the time to write so much ridiculous content? I am pretty sure by commenting on our blogs he's trying to gain recognition for himself, perhaps his goal in life is to be the Stephen Colbert of the blog world.

Please check out our blog and share a comment - Hooray for vegans :)

Princess Pixybell said...

You look like you need to eat LESS of those sausages and maybe look at weight watchers dear!!