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Rundown
In this episode we explore the intersections of speciesism, capitalism, racism, and climate change by taking a sobering look at the threats to public health and safety for communities living near factory farms. From respiratory diseases to brain damage to anti-bacterial resistance, the impacts of concentrating animals into large-scale killing operations (for profit) go far beyond the already devastating consequences for animals and our environment. We discuss how and why poorer communities of colour are disproportionately targeted and impacted by these operations, and close by highlighting some ways in which communities are organizing to resist the construction of new factory farms.
Sources and Links
- Anna Dorovskikh, “Killing for a Living: Psychological and Physiological Effects of Alienation of Food Production on Slaughterhouse Workers”: https://scholar.colorado.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2157&context=honr_theses
- National Association of Local Boards of Health, “Understanding Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and Their Impact on Communities”: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/docs/understanding_cafos_nalboh.pdf
- David Post, “Across Rural Minnesota, People Are Saying NO to Factory Farms”: https://landstewardshipproject.org/posts/blog/923
- Emily Kolbe, “”Won’t You Be My Neighbour?” Living With Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations”: https://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/print/volume-99-issue/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-living-with-concentrated-animal-feeding-operations/
- Food Empowerment Project, “Slaughterhouse Workers”: http://www.foodispower.org/slaughterhouse-workers/
- Food Empowerment Project, “Environmental Racism”: http://www.foodispower.org/environmental-racism/
- Rebekah Barber, “VOICES OF RESISTANCE: Organizing Where Racism and the Environment Intersect”: https://www.facingsouth.org/2018/03/voices-resistance-organizing-where-racism-and-environment-intersect