Pope Francis has landed at Andrews Air Force Base for his first visit to the United States. There’s a lot of speculation about what he might say, especially when he addresses Congress Thursday morning in light of first visiting Cuba. I am hopeful that he will discuss American capitalism’s flaws, a theme he has hit on since the 1990s, including a book with an chapter focused on “the limits of capitalism.” Pope Francis has said, “Economic powers continue to justify the current global system where priority tends to be given to speculation and the pursuit of financial gain, which fail to take the context into account, let alone the effects on human dignity and the natural environment.”
That quote resonated with me and I recalled reading earlier this summer a disturbing article by Hannah Sayle who reported on the deleterious effects of BigAg in my beloved home state of Minnesota.
http://www.citypages.com/news/big-ag-is-conquering-minnesota-like-a-noxious-unkillable-weed-7446687
Decades ago, pigs were generally left outdoors. BigAg changed that with their lobbyists and greed. Pigs these days are kept indoors in cramped facilities that seek to fatten the pigs as quickly as possible for the almighty dollar. This new mode of farming has wreaked havoc on water quality.
Pig producers now route waste through pipes and into holding tanks and sell feces to farmers as fertilizer. That alone is not necessarily bad, but according to Ms. Sayle, regulations to prevent spills are weak, at best. Spills occur on a regular basis. If a hog farm is located near a stream, river or lake and a spill occurs, dangerous levels of bacteria, phosphorus and bacteria pollute the water. If animal waste is simply poured onto a corn field, the runoff, in addition to pesticide and herbicide runoff, pollute water.
Politicians beholden to campaign cash from BigAg write public policy that is leading to the destruction of clean water and aquatic life, and Minnesotans love their lakes and fishing. Read: Minnesota has more boats per capita than any other state! Ms. Sayle reported that during one public hearing in Minnesota a farmer from Iowa testified, “Being so close to Minnesota, I think highly of your state. I have fished up here many times. Beautiful state. I would like to see it stay that way. I look at what’s going on in Iowa. We are 49th in water quality. I’m ashamed. We have more impaired waterways in Iowa than we did a year ago. I’m ashamed. I don’t want to see that happen in other states.” (Iowa is the nation’s leading pork producer and pigs eat a lot of corn.)
The situation has become dire. Ms. Sayle reported, “There are no more swimmable lakes in southwestern Minnesota, a 1,783 square mile stretch that spans six counties.” Minnesota is no longer “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” Instead, as Ms. Sayle wrote, Minnesota is now “The Land of 9,000 Lakes and 1,000 Cesspools.” Disgusting. The Pope has a message, and I hope and pray that you are listening.
