The question is, why don't lawmakers force these folks to handle the waste in a proper manner? If say, a hotel were discharging an equal amount of waste, I would expect authorities to shut it down until the problem were fixed. Not to mention that such wastes can be converted to usable energy.
Another "drive-by" (a post to link without any abstract or explanation)...like the poster is so consumed with hubris that they think everyone WANT or SHOULD read their every post. Well, two can play that game. [livestocktrail.illinois.edu]
An issue of animal agriculture and clean water is pretty clear before even clicking on the link. I don't understand your problem.
It's industrial agriculture. Industry is all about profit at any cost to consumers, the environment or the communities around them.
All of the dairy farms in my area are family farms...not corporate-run farms. They struggle to make a profit. If they do not maximize production (with all the negative elements, antibiotics, etc.), they will go under. The typical dairy farm around here has little profit, with most of its equity tied up in the business...in other words, the 250,000 of so their dairy operation is worth, is not seen until they sell it...and then they never see that money if the pass it down to their children instead of selling. Family operations are caught between a rock and a hard place.
@dahermit What is more important, to ruing everything for everybody or to go under financially. There are always other ways. I remember when New Zealand cut all subsidies to its farmers and they had to look at ways to survive and most of them did and prospered. Sometimes people need to be "forced" into things that they don't want to do for the good of our survival.
@Jolanta Yes...unless it is you who is "sacrificed". Perhaps if we addressed the real problem...human overpopulation. We could mandate that any woman who gets pregnant in the next ten years be subjected to a forced abortion. Then we would require less dairy products. In the meantime, I will continue to consume dairy products.