FACTS & SOURCES
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WE HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE EPISODES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WHERE VIRUSES HAVE EMERGED THAT HAVE CAUSED CAUSE FOR CONCERN. AND THANKFULLY, TO DATE, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY GOVERNMENTS AND WHO HAVE MANAGED TO COMBAT THOSE OUTBREAKS
https://www.cdc.gov/sars/about/fs-sars.html
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-h1n1-pandemic.html
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ABOUT HALF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES PEOPLE CAN GET CAN BE SPREAD FROM AN ANIMAL, OR BE “ZOONOTIC” AND FOR EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES PARTICULARLY SCIENTISTS ESTIMATE THAT THREE OUT OF EVERY FOUR EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES COMES FROM AN ANIMAL SOURCE
“Zoonotic Diseases.” National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases - CDC. July, 2017
“Stopping the next one: What could the next pandemic be?” BBC. January, 2021
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WELL THE TRUTH IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ORIGINS SPECIFICALLY OF COVID-19 WE THINK IT’S COME FROM SOME OF THESE WET MARKETS IN CHINA [...]
“Delayed Wuhan Report Adds Crucial Detail to Covid Origin Puzzle.” Bloomberg. August 17, 2021
“New Data Leads To Rethinking (Once More) Where The Pandemic Actually Began.” NPR. July 19, 2021
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WE’RE ARE 8 BILLION HUMANS ON THIS PLANET RIGHT NOW, BUT FOR EVERY HUMAN ON THIS PLANET THERE ARE ABOUT 10 LAND ANIMALS RAISED AND KILLED FOR FOOD AT ONE TIME
“Meat and Dairy Production.” Our World in Data. November, 2019
“U.S. and World Population Clock.” U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed April 1, 2021
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WE’RE CROWDING [ANIMALS] INTO AS TIGHT OF A SPACE AS WE CAN AND THAT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT HOW TO CONTAIN AND PREVENT THE EMERGENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE DECREASED BECAUSE OF THE STRESS THAT THEY FACE AND THEN THEY’RE SO DENSELY PACKED. IT’S SO EASY FOR ONE ANIMAL TO CATCH AN INFECTION AND THEN PASS IT ON TO ANOTHER ANIMAL AND THEN THE VIRUS CAN SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE.
“Suddenly, the Hunt Is On for Cage-Free Eggs.” New York Times. August 12, 2007
“We have to wake up: factory farms are breeding grounds for pandemics.” The Guardian. April 20, 2020
“Factory farms are an ideal breeding ground for the next pandemic.” Vox. October 21, 2020
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IN 1997, WITH THE EMERGENCE OF H5N1 IT WAS A HIGHLY PATHOGENIC INFLUENZA VIRUS THAT EMERGED FROM CHICKEN FARMS IN CHINA. NOW THAT VIRUS HAD A LETHALITY RATE OF ABOUT 60%. THIS IS A VIRUS THAT KILLED 60 OUT OF 100 PEOPLE WHO CONTRACTED THE VIRUS [...] H5N1 CAME OUT OF ANIMAL AGRICULTURE AND IT IS STILL OUT THERE AND STILL CIRCULATING AND IT IS STILL MUTATING. WE ARE NOT DONE WITH H5N1
“FAQs: H5N1 influenza.” World Health Organization. 2021
“The meat we eat is a pandemic risk, too.” Vox. August 20, 2020.
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FACTORY FARMS ARE A BREEDING GROUND FOR DISEASE BECAUSE THE ANIMALS ARE CROWDED TOGETHER OFTEN KEPT IN FILTHY CONDITIONS IN THEIR OWN FECES WITH POOR VENTILATION, MAYBE NO NATURAL LIGHTING [...] A PERFECT BREEDING GROUND FOR DISEASEs, BE THEY VIRUSES OR BACTERIA
“We have to wake up: factory farms are breeding grounds for pandemics.” The Guardian. April 20, 2020
“Factory farms are an ideal breeding ground for the next pandemic.” Vox. October 21, 2020
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SWINE FLU WAS JUST 10 YEARS AGO. THAT CAME OUT OF FACTORY FARMS. HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA FLARES UP AROUND THE WORLD, IT’S COMING FROM FACTORY FARMS
“Swine Flu Ancestor Born on U.S. Factory Farms.” Wired. May 1, 2009.
“How Industrialized Farming Could Facilitate Pandemic Swine Flu.” The Atlantic. August 21, 2012
“Industrial Hog Farms Are Breeding the Next Pandemic.” Mother Jones. August 11, 2020
“Avian Influenza: A Story About Industrial Fowl Play?” Grrlscientist for ScienceBlogs. March 5, 2006
“Factory farming blamed for massive bird flu outbreak: experts.” Korea Herald. January 5, 2017
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THOSE PIGS ARE IN IT 24/7 THAT’S THE REASON WE SEE SO MUCH RESPIRATORY DISEASE AND YOU SEE LUNGS COMING THROUGH THE ABATTOIR THAT HAVE GOT PNEUMONIA AND VARIOUS BACTERIAL DISEASES. THE CONCOCTIONS OF RESPIRATORY PATHOGENS BECAUSE OF THOSE ENCLOSED SPACES ARE PHENOMENAL AND ALL OF THAT IS BEING BREATHED IN AND OUT BY FARMHANDS, FARMERS, VETS, ANYONE WHO HAPPENS TO GO THROUGH
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THESE ARE STUDIES THAT SHOW DROPS IN LUNG FUNCTION AROUND FACTORY FARMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO THEY’RE ARE MANY, MANY STUDIES THAT VERY CLEARLY SHOW DISEASE
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IF YOU LOOK AT EVERY STEP ALONG THE PATHWAY, THE USE OF ANIMALS FOR FOOD CAUSES DISEASE IN HUMANS. STARTING WITH THE FARMS, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AND THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE, WE SEE INCREASED RATES OF RESPIRATORY AILMENTS, GI AILMENTS FROM WATER CONTAMINATION, INCREASED RATES OF SKIN AND WOUND INFECTIONS
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THEN YOU MOVE ONTO THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES: AS THEY ARE SLAUGHTERING THE ANIMALS THEY ARE OFTEN OPENING THE BELLY, AND WHEN THEY’RE OPENING THE BELLY THEY’RE HAVING TO DO IT SO QUICKLY THAT THEY’RE TEARING INTO THE INTESTINES. SO NOW YOU HAVE SPILLAGE OF INTESTINAL CONTENTS (IE FECES) SPLASHING ON THE PERSON ON THE FLESH ITSELF
“Inside the Slaughterhouse.” Frontline - PBS. 2002
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THEN YOU MOVE TO THE PROCESSING OF IT. SO YOU NOW HAVE PRODUCTS THAT ARE CONTAMINATED WITH BACTERIA, THEY’RE ARE PLENTY OF STUDIES TO SHOW THIS. WE HAVE A REAL WORLD EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW WITH COVID 19. WHEN SARS-COV 2 STARTED TO GET UNDER A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROL WE STARTED SEEING HOT ZONES IN THE MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS. NOW WE SHIFT OVER TO THE CONSUMER, BECAUSE NOW THE PRODUCT HAS MOVED ONTO THE CONSUMER
“US coronavirus hotspots linked to meat processing plants.” The Guardian. May 15, 2020
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THERE WAS A STUDY DONE BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IN WHICH THEY WENT TO TEN LARGE RETAILERS AND COLLECTED SAMPLES OF THE MEAT, THE PORK, AND THE BEEF PRODUCTS SOLD IN ALL THOSE GROCERY STORES AND THEY SAMPLED THEM AND THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS E COLI IN 60-70% OF THE BEEF AND THE PORK PRODUCTS AND 92% OF THE CHICKEN PRODUCTS.
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[AS OF SEPTEMBER 29TH 2020] OVER A MILLION PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF COVID-19
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AS OF APRIL 2021 3 MILLION PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF COVID-19
“As Covid Death Toll Passes 3 Million, a Weary World Takes Stock.” New York Times. April 17, 2021
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POTENTIAL PATHOGENS FOR PANDEMICS IN THE FUTURE HAVE MUCH MUCH HIGHER MORTALITY RATES. THE CDC HAVE KIND OF TIPPED THE NEXT PANDEMIC AS AN AVIAN INFLUENZA WHICH HAS A MORTALITY RATE OF 40%
“Pandemic Influenza Plan 2017 Update.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. December, 2017
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[Graphic] Antonine Plague (Cow) 165 AD 5 Million Deaths - Japanese Small Pox (Camel) 735 AD 1 Million Deaths - New World Smallpox 1519 (Cow, Camel, Rooster) 50 Million Deaths - Russian Flu 1889 1 Million Deaths (Duck, Chicken) - 1918 Influenza (Pig, Chicken) 50 Million Deaths - Asian Flu 1957 (Duck, Chicken) 1.1 Million Deaths - Hong Kong Flu 1968 (Chicken) 1 Million Deaths - HIV/AIDS 1981 (Chimpanzee) 35 Million Deaths - SARS (Bat) 2002 770 Deaths
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143877/
Origins of Russian “Influenza” Uncertain
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THE LAST GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT WE HAD WAS THE SWINE FLU PANDEMIC OF 2009. SCIENTISTS ARE FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT IT ORIGINATED FROM A FACTORY FARM. GLOBAL ESTIMATES PLACE ABOUT 500,000 PEOPLE AS CASUALTIES OF THAT LAST PANDEMIC; SO INCREDIBLY SERIOUS STUFF ORIGINATING RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD FROM A MASSIVE PIG FACILITY. AND IT MAKES SENSE THAT THAT PIG FARM WAS GROUND ZERO FOR THE 2009 PANDEMIC. PIGS AND HUMANS SHARE A LOT OF GENETIC MATERIAL SO PIGS ARE THIS PERFECT HOST AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS INFLUENZA MUTATES AND IT CAN BECOME HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AND WREAK ABSOLUTE HAVOC IN THE HUMAN POPULATION
“Swine Flu Ancestor Born on U.S. Factory Farms.” Wired. May 1, 2009.
“Swine flu genes traced to North Carolina factory farm.” Facing South. May, 2009
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H1N1 IS NOT NEW, IT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SPANISH FLU EPIDEMIC 1918-1919 THAT MAYBE KILLED UP TO 50,000,000 PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
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JUST BECAUSE THE 1918 FLU DID NOT INVOLVE FACTORY FARMS IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT DIDN’T INVOLVE OTHER ANIMALS. IN FACT THEY RECENTLY SEQUENCED THE GENOME BY TAKING SAMPLES FROM LUNG TISSUE OF PEOPLE WHO HAD ACTUALLY DIED OF THE SPANISH FLU AND THEY FOUND GENETIC MATERIAL FOR AVIAN VIRUSES, SWINE VIRUSES. SO VERY CLEARLY THERE IS STILL SOME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE 1918 FLU AND ANIMAL USE
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WE VERY CLEARLY KNOW THAT THE MORE RECENT EPIDEMICS; THE 1957 EPIDEMIC, THE 1968 EPIDEMIC, 2009 SWINE FLU, THESE WERE ALL RELATED TO OUR USE OF ANIMALS. SWINE FLU ORIGINATED IN A FACTORY FARM IN THE US. SO AGAIN, THE FACT THAT ONE DISEASE MAY NOT HAVE ORIGINATED IN FACTORY FARMS BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T EXIST DOES NOT MEAN THAT FACTORY FARMS ARE NOT A PROBLEM
“Swine Flu Ancestor Born on U.S. Factory Farms.” Wired. May 1, 2009.
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THE UNITED STATES IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST IMPORTERS AND BIGGEST EXPORTERS OF WILDLIFE. EUROPE IS A BIG IMPORTER AND EXPORTER OF WILDLIFE TOO. - THEY’RE DISTRESSED, THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE DOWN, SO THEY CAN VERY EASILY CATCH DISEASES. AND SO THE WILDLIFE TRADE BRINGS TOGETHER A LOT OF SICK SPECIES, SPECIES WHICH WOULD NOT NORMALLY INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER
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[THE WILDLIFE TRADE IS MADE UP OF THINGS] WE DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT. AND WE ARE IN THE WEST, CONSUMERS OF MANY OF THOSE PRODUCTS THAT ARE INTERNATIONALLY TRADED. [TEXT ON SCREEN]: ZOO ANIMALS, TOILETRIES, EXOTIC PETS & FISH, EXOTIC FOODS, ANIMAL SKINS, COSMETICS, ANIMALS USED ON TV & FILM, DRUGS & VACCINES, ROSE AND AGAR WOOD, CLEANING PRODUCTS] FORESTS CONTAIN VALUE, HUGE VALUE, IN TIMBER SPECIES AND SO THOSE ARTERIAL ROADS THAT FORGE THEIR WAY INTO THE FOREST MEANS THAT WE HAVE GONE INTO THE WILD IN A WAY THAT IS MASSIVELY DESTRUCTIVE AND CARRIES WITH IT ENORMOUS RISK AND BACK DOWN THAT ROAD COME THE LOGS BUT COME THE WILDLIFE COMES THE DISEASE. IT’S NOW LIKE A BEATING HEART, WE ARE PUMPING THE BLOOD INTO THE FOREST AND WE’RE SEEING THE BLOOD SUCKED OUT OF IT
“Rampant destruction of forests ‘will unleash more pandemics.’” The Guardian. August 30, 2020
“Are You Sourcing Illegal Goods Without Knowing It?” Architectural Digest. September 30, 2019
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HIV AND EBOLA WERE CARRIED BY NON-HUMAN PRIMATES CHIMPANZEES, BUT BECAUSE OF THE BUSHMEAT TRADE AND BECAUSE OF THE LOGGING INDUSTRY THAT REALLY DESTROYED A LOT OF THE NATURAL HABITAT OF THESE ANIMALS IT BROUGHT HUMANS REALLY MUCH CLOSER TO THESE ANIMALS - WE SUSPECT THAT IT IS THAT COMBINATION THAT CAUSED THE FIRST HIV INFECTION IN A HUMAN AND WE SUSPECT THAT’S HOW WE GOT EBOLA
“Rampant destruction of forests ‘will unleash more pandemics.’” The Guardian. August 30, 2020
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[ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE] WILL KILL US BEFORE CLIMATE CHANGE [...] WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS THAT BUGS, WHETHER THEY’RE BACTERIA, VIRUSES, PARASITES, FUNGI ARE EVOLVING TO DEVELOP RESISTANCE TO THE VERY MEDICINES WE USE TO TREAT THEM AND UNFORTUNATELY THE END RESULT IF THIS GOES ON WILL BE REALLY DREADFUL AND I’VE TALKED ABOUT THE POST ANTIBIOTIC APOCALYPSE WHERE YOU’D SEE A LOT LONGER STAYS IN HOSPITALS, MUCH HIGHER MORTALITY, AND GO BACK TO THE ERA BEFORE PENICILLIN
“If we don't act now, superbugs will kill us before climate change does.” Wired. November 6, 2017
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ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT INFECTIONS OR BACTERIA EVOLVE WHENEVER WE USE ANTIBIOTICS, SO THE MAIN DRIVING FORCE IS THE OVERUSE OF ANTIBIOTICS. THE OTHER MAJOR FACTOR THOUGH IS POOR HYGIENE, POOR WATER, LACK OF WASTE WATER TREATMENT IN LOWER AND MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER - POOR HYGIENE AND HIGH DRUG USE - IS WHAT FUELS THIS WHOLE CRISIS
“Sanitation - Fact Sheet.” World Health Organization. June, 2019
“About Bacteria & Antibiotics.” Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. 2020
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STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WE’VE SEEN ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA IN THE ANIMALS IN FACTORY FARMS, IN THE WORKERS WHO ARE WORKING IN FACTORY FARMS, IN THE MEAT THAT’S BEING SOLD IN THE GROCERY STORE, IN THE SOIL, IN THE LAND, IN THE AIR, DOWNSTREAM FROM FACTORY FARMS WE ARE FINDING ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BACTERIA. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS IN FACTORY FARMS HEAVILY CONTRIBUTES TO THIS RIDICULOUS RISE IN ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
“Farm Animals Are the Next Big Antibiotic Resistance Threat.” Wired. September 19, 2019
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IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT REALLY LOW DOSES OF ANTIBIOTICS IN ANIMAL FEED ACTED AS A GROWTH ENHANCER IN LIVESTOCK. THIS PRACTICE WAS OUTLAWED IN THE EU BY 2006. THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE OVERUSE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN FARM ANIMALS, AS ANTIBIOTICS WERE STILL AVAILABLE THROUGH NORMAL VETERINARY PRESCRIPTION
“Europe's Mixed Record On Animal Antibiotics.” NPR. March 23, 2012
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MORE THAN 70% OF THE ENTIRE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS WORLDWIDE IS BEING USED IN FARM ANIMALS TO PROP UP THIS DISEASE RIDDEN SYSTEM
“The Meat Industry Now Consumes Four-Fifths of All Antibiotics.” Mother Jones. February, 2013
“Reducing antimicrobial use in food animals.” Science. 2017. 351 (6358)
“How do we reduce antibiotic resistance from livestock?” Our World in Data. November 16, 2017
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WE HAVE THE NEW PANDEMIC ALREADY EMERGING, A PANDEMIC OF PEOPLE DYING IN THEIR MILLIONS EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT WE’VE KEPT ANIMALS FOR ALL THESE YEARS
“Antibiotic Resistance Will Kill 300 Million People by 2050.” Scientific American. December, 2014
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A LOT OF PEOPLE DURING A PANDEMIC DON’T ACTUALLY DIE FROM THE VIRUS ITSELF, THEY DIE FROM THE SECONDARY BACTERIAL INFECTIONS THAT FOLLOW. AND IF WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE A RISE IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES BECAUSE OF THE WILDLIFE TRADE, BECAUSE OF ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION, BECAUSE OF FACTORY FARMING; WE NEED ANTIBIOTICS
“Antibiotic Resistance Could Lead to More COVID-19 Deaths.” Scientific American. April 1, 2020
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THE FDA’S GUIDANCE 2009 AND GUIDANCE 2013 THAT ACTUALLY CAME ABOUT IN 2017 LIMITS THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN ANIMALS RAISED FOR FOOD, PARTICULARLY IT LIMITS THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO HUMAN MEDICINE THAT ARE USED IN ANIMALS RAISED FOR FOOD AND INCREASES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VETERINARIANS AND PRODUCERS TO MAKE SURE ANTIBIOTICS ARE APPROPRIATELY USED BASED ON SCIENCE. BECAUSE OF THESE ACTIONS, BY THE INDUSTRY AND BY THE FDA, WE’VE SEEN A REDUCTION OF 38% IN ANTIBIOTICS SALES TO ANIMALS RAISED FOR FOOD FROM THE YEAR 2015 TO THE YEAR 2018
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FDA GUIDANCES ARE NON-BINDING ADVISORY STATEMENTS. THEY ARE NOT REGULATIONS BEING LEGISLATED BY THE FDA, THEY ARE SUGGESTIONS TO COMPANIES SELLING ANTIBIOTICS
“CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.” FDA. Revised as of April 1, 2020
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IN 2018 WE ACTUALLY SAW A RISE AGAIN. WE SAW A 9% RISE IN THE SALEs OF ANTIBIOTICS. WE SAW A 13% RISE IN A MEDICALLY RELEVANT ANTIBIOTIC, CALLED AMINOGLYCOSIDES, THAT’S A CLASS OF DRUGS THAT I ROUTINELY USE IN THE ICU. AND ON TOP OF THAT WE SAW AN INCREASE OF 13% IN ANTIBIOTICS IN ANIMAL FEED. SO THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE ANSWER THAT HE’S GIVING US
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HERE IN THE UK, WE HAVE HALVED OUR USAGE IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS, WHICH IS EXCELLENT. WE’RE FOUR YEARS AHEAD OF TARGET
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YES, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE’VE HAD A TARGET TO HIT AND WE HAVE DROPPED DOWN, BUT IT’S SORT OF [PLATEAUED]. SO WHEN WE STARTED MONITORING IT, IT REALLY DROPPED DOWN BECAUSE WE REALIZED WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS RIDICULOUS. AND THEN IT SORT OF GOT TO A POINT WHERE THE AMOUNT OF ANTIBIOTICS WE’RE USING NOW IS CLEARLY WHAT WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE ANIMALS ALIVE IN A SYSTEM WHICH IS NOT GOOD FOR THOSE ANIMALS
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YOU SCROLL BACK FIVE YEARS AGO AND HALF THE WORLD’S ANTIBIOTICS WERE BEING FED TO FARM ANIMALS, NOW IT’S SEVENTY PERCENT OR MORE
“How do we reduce antibiotic resistance from livestock?” Our World in Data. November 16, 2017
“Reducing antimicrobial use in food animals.” Science. 2017. 351 (6358)
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CONTINUING AS WE ARE, THE PREDICTION IS THAT 10,000,000 PEOPLE A YEAR BY THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTURY COULD BE DYING BECAUSE WE SQUANDERED ANTIBIOTICS
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LOBBYING IN 2020 - ANIMAL AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY $16,481,355*
“Dairy: Lobbying, 2020.” OpenSecrets.org. 2021
“Meat processing & products: Lobbying, 2020.” OpenSecrets.org. 2021
“Livestock: Lobbying, 2020.” OpenSecrets.org. 2021
“Poultry & Eggs: Lobbying, 2020.” OpenSecrets.org. 2021
*The amount of money used to influence politics by the meat and dairy industry is likely even higher, this data focuses on specific sectors of agribusiness and lobbyists and may not include related PAC’s.
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THE FACT THAT OUR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES ARE KIND OF IN BED WITH BIG AGRIBUSINESSES IS A CRIME. BECAUSE RATHER THAN PROTECTING US, THE PEOPLE, OUR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES ARE PROTECTING AGRIBUSINESS INDUSTRIES INSTEAD
“Experts Say Lobbying Skewed the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.” Time. October, 2016
“Agribusiness: Long-Term Contribution Trends.” OpenSecrets.org. October, 2020
“New US food guidelines show the power of lobbying, not science.” The Verge. January 7, 2016
(00:49:18)
FOR YEARS THE FACTORY FARM INDUSTRY HAS HAD THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS POCKETS, IT’S HAD MILLIONS OF POUNDS TO THROW AT LOBBYING AND MAKING SURE THAT IT GETS ITS WAY. SO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT FACTORY FARMING IS NOW LOCKED INTO OUR FOOD SYSTEM
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THE VERY INDUSTRIES AND PRACTICES THAT HAVE CAUSED THIS ISSUE ARE BEING TREATED AS “ESSENTIAL,” THEIR WORKERS TREATED AS ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THEY’RE KIND OF BEING TREATED LIKE DISPOSABLE ENTITIES. AND WE KNOW THAT LIVING NEAR THESE PLACES AND WORKING ON THESE PLACES MEANS THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED, NOT ONLY BY COVID-19 BUT OTHER DISEASE ISSUES AND HEALTH ISSUES
“America’s Slaughterhouses Aren’t Just Killing Animals.” The Atlantic. May 12, 2020
“The Food Chain’s Weakest Link: Slaughterhouses.” New York Times. April 18, 2020
(00:50:28)
WE SEE A WIDE VARIETY OF ILLNESSES IN PATIENTS WHO LIVE AND WORK AROUND FACTORY FARMS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTICE WITH FACTORY FARMS IS A DECREASE IN AIR QUALITY AROUND THEM. AND IT’S DUE TO A FEW FACTORS, ONE OF THEM IS THE RISK OF AEROSOLIZED ENDOTOXINS, ANOTHER ONE IS THE CHEMICALS WE’RE SEEING SO THE PESTICIDES - BUT ALSO AMMONIA FROM THE EXCREMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND FINALLY WE KNOW THERE’S A LARGER PROPORTION OF THINGS LIKE GRAM NEGATIVE BACTERIA, OR FECAL BACTERIA THAT ARE KNOWN TO CAUSE ILLNESS IN HUMANS
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THE PIGS IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA ARE PRODUCING MORE FECAL WASTE EACH AND EVERY DAY AS IS PRODUCED BY ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE STATES NORTH CAROLINA, CA, NY, TEXAS, NH, AND ND. AND THEY’RE PUTTING IN THESE CESSPOOLS THEY CALL LAGOONS AND WHEN THEY FILL UP THEY SIMPLY DUMP IT ON THE GROUND UNDER THE PRETEXT OF GROWING CROPS RUNS INTO OUR RIVERS, FISH BEGIN TO DIE, PEOPLE GET SICK
“Water, air issues heighten clashes over huge pig farms.” The Seattle Times. February, 2015
“Why North Carolina has giant lagoons of pig poop.” Vox. September 6, 2020
(00:52:47)
THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN FACTORY FARMS AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR FACTORY FARMS ARE FAR MORE LIKELY TO BE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE OF COLOR
“Permitting racial injustice in North Carolina hog country.” Facing South. April, 2019
“Who are America’s meat and poultry workers?” Economic Policy Institute. September 24, 2020
“CDC: Minorities affected much more in meatpacking outbreaks.” The Washington Post. July 8, 2020
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THE MAJORITY OF ALL THESE DIRTY INDUSTRIES CAFO’S, WHATEVER, LANDFILLS THEY’RE ALL LOCATED IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LATINO AND NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES THAT’S WHERE THEY ARE
“Permitting racial injustice in North Carolina hog country.” Facing South. April, 2019
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PART OF THE REASON WHY AFRICAN SWINE FEVER HAS RIPPED THROUGH CHINA IN THE WAY THAT IT HAS IS BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY BACKYARD FARMERS. SO IN TERMS OF DISEASE SURVEILLANCE AND KNOWING WHAT’S GOING ON WITHIN AN ANIMAL POPULATION IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REGULATE HUGE NUMBERS OF SMALL FARMS
“China's small farmers pose huge challenge in swine fever battle.” Reuters. September 11, 2018
(00:57:02)
IF PEOPLE DO WANT FREE RANGE MEAT, WE’D HAVE TO HAVE ABOUT 12 PLANETS. CLEARING LAND FOR LIVESTOCK GRAZING AND FEED CROPPING IS THE NUMBER ONE DRIVER OF DEFORESTATION WORLDWIDE. FEEDING THE CURRENT DEMAND FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTS WITH MANY SMALLER FARMS WOULD INCREASE THAT LAND USE
“The Myth of Sustainable Meat.” New York Times. April 12, 2012
(00:57:25)
AROUND 80% OF AGRICULTURAL LAND WORLDWIDE IS USED FOR PRODUCING FOOD AND GRAZING SPACE FOR LIVESTOCK
“What is the true cost of eating meat?” The Guardian. May 7, 2018
(00:57:38)
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THE HUMAN POPULATION IS ABOUT 7.8 BILLION AND THE POPULATION OF ANIMALS THAT WE KILL IS ABOUT 80 BILLION A YEAR. WHICH MEANS THE EARTH IS NOT JUST SUPPORTING US, SHE’S ALSO SUPPORTING ALL THE ANIMALS WE ARE RAISING FOR FOOD AND OUR ANIMALS EAT 7.3 BILLION TONS OF FOOD. SO WE DEFOREST LAND TO FEED OUR ANIMALS TO FEED US. SO ANIMAL EXPLOITATION IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON WE ARE IN AN UNSUSTAINABLE SITUATION
“Meat and Dairy Production.” Our World in Data. November, 2019
“U.S. and World Population Clock.” U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed April 1, 2021
(00:58:35)
IF HUMANS ATE CROPS DIRECTLY, RATHER THAN FEED CROPS TO ANIMALS FIRST, 76% LESS LAND WOULD BE REQUIRED
“The best way to save the planet? Drop meat and dairy.” The Guardian. June 8, 2018
“New estimates of the environmental cost of food.” University of Oxford. June 1, 2018
(00:58:53)
IN THE UK WE USE ABOUT A MILLION HECTARES OF SOUTH AMERICAN RAINFOREST TO FEED OUR LIVESTOCK, SO THAT’S SOMEONE ELSE'S LAND. AND THAT’S JUST THE UK
Tim Bailey. Livestock's Longer Shadow, Hope Lives in Kindness. The Choir Press, England. Autumn 2021.
“Replacing soya in livestock feeds with UK-grown protein crops: prospects and implications.” Centre for Agricultural Strategy - University of Reading. July, 2014
(1:00:00)
BIODIVERSITY ITSELF IS A PROTECTIVE MECHANISM AGAINST THE EMERGENCE OF ZOONOTIC DISEASES. THE MORE BIODIVERSITY YOU HAVE, GENERALLY THE LESS LIKELY THERE IS TO BE A ZOONOTIC EMERGENCE BECAUSE THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE, THE MOSAIC OF SPECIES, PREVENTS ANY ONE PATHOGEN FROM BUILDING UP IN LARGE AMOUNTS
“Celebrating and Safeguarding Biodiversity to Prevent the Next Pandemic.” UN Chronicle. June 5, 2020
“Why deforestation and extinctions make pandemics more likely.” Nature. August 7, 2020
(01:01:21)
90% OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19 HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE UNDERLYING DISEASE, THAT’S A LIFESTYLE ILLNESS, DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
“99% of Those Who Died From Virus Had Other Illness, Italy Says.” Bloomberg. March 18, 2020
“Coronavirus: Nine in 10 dying have existing illness.” BBC News. April 16, 2020 90%
(01:01:39)
WE KNOW THAT ANIMAL PRODUCTS, AGAIN NOT JUST MEAT BUT DAIRY, FISH, EGGS; ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN LINKED TO INCREASED RATES OF HEART DISEASE, TYPE 2 DIABETES, STROKE, ALZHEIMERS, SOME FORMS OF CANCER
“Do Lox and Other Smoked Fish Increase Cancer Risk?” New York Times. July, 2019
“Dairy Foods and Risk of Stroke.” Epidemiology. May, 2009. 20 (3)
(01:02:18)
OUR TOP KILLERS ARE MOSTLY LIFESTYLE RELATED AND MUCH OF THAT IS RELATED TO THE CONSUMPTION OF SATURATED FAT, ANIMAL PROTEIN, AND OF COURSE THESE ANIMAL PRODUCTS
(01:08:03)
IF EVERYBODY ON THE PLANET WAS VEGAN WE COULD RELEASE BILLIONS OF HECTARES OF LAND FOR WILDLIFE BASICALLY, BECAUSE WE WOULDN’T THAT LAND TO GROW FOOD TO FEED ANIMALS TO FEED US BECAUSE THAT’S THE MOST INEFFICIENT WAY OF GROWING FOOD. IF WE JUST ATE WHAT WE GREW THEN THERE WOULD BE PLENTIFUL SUPPLIES OF FOOD ON THE PLANET NOT JUST FOR THE 8 BILLION PEOPLE THAT WE’RE RACING TOWARDS NOW, BUT FOR MANY MANY BILLIONS MORE
“What would happen if everyone went vegan?” BBC. 2020
(01:10:29)
IF PEOPLE ADOPTED A PLANT BASED DIET WE WOULD SEE A REDUCTION IN CHRONIC DISEASES BY ABOUT 80%
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I ROUTINELY SEE PATIENTS GO PLANT-BASED IN MY CLINIC AND IN THE HOSPITAL AND THEY REVERSE THEIR TYPE 2 DIABETES, THEY REVERSE HEART DISEASE, THEY NO LONGER HAVE BLOOD PRESSURE PROBLEMS, THEY NO LONGER HAVE REFLUX OR GERD. I’VE HAD PATIENTS GET RID OF MIGRAINES. I’VE HAD PATIENTS COMPLETELY PUT THEIR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS OR THEIR INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE INTO REMISSION ON PLANT BASED DIETS. I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW POWERFUL IT WAS UNTIL I STARTED PRACTICING IT, BUT IT IS AS POWERFUL IN SOME WAYS AS WHEN I WAS DOING LUNG TRANSPLANTATION AND GIVING PEOPLE A NEW SET OF LUNGS
“Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary heart disease.” JAMA. December, 1998. 280 (23)
“Vegetarian Diets and the Risk of Diabetes.” Current Diabetes Reports. September, 2018. 18 (11)
“A plant-based diet and hypertension.” Journal of Geriatric Cardiology. May, 2017. 14 (5)
“Vegetarian and vegan diets in type 2 diabetes management.” Nutrition Reviews. May, 2009. 67 (5)
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WE TELL OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN, “YOU HAVE TO EAT MEAT OTHERWISE YOU WON’T GET ENOUGH PROTEIN,” WHICH IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE. WE TELL THEM “YOU HAVE TO DRINK MILK OTHERWISE YOU WON’T GET ENOUGH CALCIUM,” THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE
“Vegetarian diets in children and adolescents.” Paediatrics & Child Health. May-Jun, 2010. 15(5)
“Plant-based protein diets for children.” Contemporary Pediatrics. April 7, 2021. Volume 38, Issue 4