What a great example of externalized costs -- and what a waste of what
should be a resource.
Joel
At 11:28 PM 8/13/09 -0400, you wrote:
Dear Nick and Friends--Well maybe not.... The problem is arsenic. 80
percent of all commercially raised broilers (and some laying hens) are fed
an arsenic compound as a growth stimulant. See, for example:
http://scienceline.org/2006/09/20/env-wenner-arsenic/
http://news.softpedia.com/news/A-Great-Peril-From-Arsenic-Fed-Chicken-Meat-51554.shtml
http://www.speciation.net/Public/News/2007/01/11/2579.html
An Internet search will show up a lot more info.
When the arsenic contaminated chicken poop is burned (or charred or
whatever) the arsenic is volatilized and goes into the air, spreading
inorganic arsenic compounds all over the Kingdom. This is a very bad
thing as not only is arsenic a well know toxin it is, even at very low
levels, below the "toxic" level, an equally well known human
carcinogen. A Maryland farmer was recently denied a permit for a chicken
poop-to-energy plant because of the arsenic contamination of the poop. In
fact, any waste material with more than 5 ppm inorganic arsenic is
probably a RCRA hazardous waste and should be buried in special landfills
designed to handle hazardous wastes!
And just think about it folks, every time you eat chicken--at home or with
Colonel Sanders--that isn't organically raised, or at least "natural", you
have a good chance of getting your dose of arsenic for the day!
Bon Appetit! Tom
P.S.: The jury is still out on biochar. It may not be all that it is
cracked up to be. I think that composting any organic material that can
be composted is better than burning/charring it. Aerobic composting,
overall, sees a "carbon savings" (carbon not put into the air) of about 20
percent. Maybe not quite what biochar claims, but then all of the other
pyrolysis products are NOT being put into the air as well.
******************************************
Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
[email protected]
Learn more about the Sustainable Chicken Project at
http://steephollowfarm.wordpress.com/
http://www.myspace.com/99319958 (Last updated 6/13/09.)
http://www.facebook.com/129295929#/home.php (Last updated 6/13/09.)
Compost Educator and Sustainability Scion*
What Does Zero Waste Mean?
"If it can't be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished,
refinished, resold, recycled, or composted, then it should be restricted,
redesigned, or removed from production."
Berkeley Zero Waste Resolution
See http://www.cityofberkeley.info/council8/newsletter.pdf
*noun: a shoot or bud of a plant, esp. one for planting or grafting
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_______________________________________________
For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please
visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for:
[email protected]
http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins
Questions about the list? ask [email protected]
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