Factory Farming: The Negative Effects Of Global Warming

The world is getting hotter, and humans are to blame! Global warming is the term given to the slow rise in the earth’s temperature over a long period of time, which happens when air polluting gasses like carbon dioxide and methane gases get trapped in the atmosphere making the atmosphere thick. The thick atmosphere prevents heat from escaping, changing the earth’s temperature to a warmer climate. This warming has a negative impact on the earth and all that inhabit it, which makes it an environmental issue of global concern. While some may argue that global warming is not real, the earth is proving otherwise. Warmer temperatures are causing ice glaciers to melt, resulting in a rise in sea levels. It is also causing a change in weather patterns, imposing devastating and unpredictable weather conditions on plants, animals, and humans. While global warming is caused partly by natural environmental occurrences out of our control, human activities are responsible the majority of global warming.

All around the world, there are factory farms that raise animals like cows and chickens for food. These “Factory farms emit harmful gases and particles such as methane and hydrogen sulfide, which can contribute to global warming….” (citation). Factory farming is responsible for “37% of methane emissions, which has more than 20 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.” (citation) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says agriculture is responsible for “18% of the total release of greenhouse gases world-wide,” (citation) which is more than all the cars in the world emit. In addition to the harmful gases emitted by factory farms, land that is cleared for the grazing of these animals is responsible for global warming through the deforestation