Reference no: EM132456418

BIOL1107 - Environmental Science Issues - Minnesota State Community and Technical College

Worksheet: Slaughter house Blues

Chapters 1 and 2

Question 1. Modern agriculture is divided into 5 main areas. They are 1. _______________ 2. farm production 3. processing 4. ___________________ and 5. consumption.

Question 2. According to the author, the three revolutions that have occurred in agriculture are 1) traditional seed agriculture, 2) intensive traditional agriculture and 3) ______________________________________

Question 3. When a large transnational corporate agribusiness controls all 5 steps of the production process it is referred to as _____________________ integration.

Question 4. CAFO stands for ________________________________ Animal Feeding Operation.

Question 5. Look at Table 1.4. What does per capita mean? ________________________________
What was the total per capita consumption in 1970? _________ 2000? ______________
What else changed within the total figures between those two years? __________________

Question 6. Page 15 gives the names of the "big 4" meatpackers as of 2000. Check out this link and name the Big 4 just 7 years later. Can you find any current info? (extra credit)

The Big Four Meatpackers - High Country News
___________________ ______________________ _____________________ ____________________
This is for the moment; anyway, further consolidation is in the works!

Question 7. What is the name of the largest poultry company in the US? ______________________

Question 8. Name two things that were done to the calves at the Flying V ranch roundup. ______________________________ __________________________________

Question 9. What percent of Americans work on farms? ______________%

Question 10. 100 years ago we butchered steers that were 4-5 years old. How old are they now when they are slaughtered? ___________________ months

Question 11. Cattle used to be finished on grass and surplus crops. Now they are finished on ________________.

Question 12. The Ogallala ___________________ was tapped for irrigation to grow grain for cattle feeding.

Chapter 9

Question 1: According to the book, what is now the largest polluter of water in the U.S.?

Question 2: List some types of water pollution related to agriculture.

Question 3: Which type of water pollution is most related to CAFOs?

Question 4: What do the authors mean when they say that tobacco is being "chickenized"?

Question 5: State two reasons that western Canada was targeted for CAFO development.

Question 6: What is the meaning of hydrogeological and why are there concerns about hydrogeological conditions when talking about CAFOs?

Question 7: What does the acronym NIMBY stand for? What does it mean?

Chapter 10

Question 1: Explain what vertical integration means for the producer (farmer) when talking about the relationship between the producer and the packer in the beef cattle industry.

Question 2: What 2 diseases decimated the British beef industry?

Question 3: Why would a CAFO be more vulnerable to a catastrophic disease outbreak than a small diversified farm?

Question 4: What was the significant of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring?

Question 5: What is being done in Western Europe and New Zealand that the authors find appealing in reference to the meat industry.

Question 6: Define the terms "organic" and "natural" in reference to meat.

Question 7: After reading these chapters and chapter 7 in the book; what can we do as urban (non-farmer) consumers to promote a more ethical and natural way of meat production in this country? Answer for yourself as an individual. Be as specific as possible.

Attachment:- Environmental Science Issues.rar