THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 12, 1995 TAG: 9511100023
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Regarding your Oct. 25 report about Governor Allen and Smithfield Foods:
Every 24-hours animals destined for America's dinner tables produce 20 billion pounds of waste. The livestock of the United States produce 20 times as much excrement as the entire human population of the country.
How is this excrement disposed of? Most of it is not. In most cases this excrement ends up in our water. Animal waste is high in nitrogen, which is why it makes excellent fertilizer. But if it is not returned to the soil, much of the nitrogen converts to ammonia and nitrates. Increasingly high levels of nitrates have been more and more common in our water supply, which is dangerous for our health and our growing children.
As a Chesapeake resident, I and many others have learned what a valuable resource our water is. Smithfield Foods and many other similar companies need to take responsibility for their companies' waste.
Citizens need to take action: ask questions of these companies that are in our back yards; boycott companies that are not environmentally responsible; vote for politicians who know the meaning of conflict of interest; voice concerns (the more voices the louder the message); lower consumption of animal products or, better yet, go vegetarian. We cannot stand by and let our most valuable resource continuously be contaminated.
DAWN GARDNER
Vice president
Hampton Roads Vegetarian Society
Chesapeake, Oct. 26, 1995 by CNB