6 ms·

This needs to be done on a global scale and we haven't even made progress on that in the US. How do we start?

mschuster91 11y ago
Well the current problematic situation of animals is relatively well contained to the Western sphere (US, EU, maybe China). The Chinese already recognize the effects on nature, the EU too (and iirc they're already beginning to introduce measures), the biggest problem is and always will be the US because of the huge influence of the farming lobby on US politics (and even if that was not the case, then the grid-lock between D/R where everyone boycotts bills from the other side, just because. Brain-dead US politics.)
- davidw 11y ago
  The article actually specifically calls out agriculture in China: "The Chinese resistance cases were down to overuse of antibiotics in agriculture."
  - mschuster91 11y ago
    Yes, but at least in China there is the political will to tackle environment issues. The US is still locked and highly corrupt :/
    - refurb 11y ago
      "Political will"? That's an interesting way to describe a dictatorship!
    - gozur88 11y ago
      When you can't breathe your concern about the environment goes up markedly. The reason you don't see as much concern in the US is we've already tackled the obvious, major problems. At one time in the US there were rivers you could set alight, but that was a long time ago.
  - invaliddata 11y ago
    A number of sources I've found indicate that (see links below for sources): 1) China consumes about 50% of the total global antibiotic production (roughly half for agriculture and half for human use). 2) Per capita human consumption of antibiotics is on the order of 10 times greater in China compared to the US. Some of these articles are several years old, and from sources I'd classify as more internal than foreign. It is likely that these figures would be conservative. If this data is approximately correct, I think we could say that 1) China has an outsized effect on the problem of antibiotic resistance (even considering it's large population). 2) The US problem of antibiotic use is mostly an agricultural one (which deserves a lot of attention), and the Chinese overuse of antibiotics is not confined to either human or agricultural use. I'm sure the chinese leadership is aware of the issue, and given their ability to make changes when something is very important (ie, air pollution during high profile events), the fact that little has been done is telling. It is likely that this simply isn't a high priority issue and thus we are unlikely to see any movement on it anytime soon. http://china.org.cn/china/2015-07/14/content_36057168.htm http://china.org.cn/china/2015-07/14/content_36057168.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-07/14/c_134411007.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-07/14/c_134411007.htm http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00.html http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00...
- Betelgeuse90 11y ago
  South America is extremely problematic as well in that regard.
- vanilla-almond 11y ago
  "the biggest problem is and always will be the US" Did you see the chart from another poster above? Many European countries like Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy have very high levels of antibiotic usage in agriculture http://i.imgur.com/9ybmhwE.jpg http://i.imgur.com/9ybmhwE.jpg I live in Europe, and am well aware of the common belief among many Europeans that we have excellent and high animal welfare standards. But the reality is that animal welfare standards also vary greatly between countries. That chart above clearly demolishes the view that overuse of antibiotics is a problem principally for non-European countries.
jMyles 11y ago
It sounds cruel, but I think we need to call people out when they eat factory meat.
- tptacek 11y ago
  So, basically, shame low-income people?
  - arethuza 11y ago
    Having had my son suffer from an antibiotic resistant eye infection, if its a choice between low cost meat and useful antibiotics I'll go for the latter every time. It's not like anyone in Europe or the US is actually suffering from a lack of meat is it? [He's fine - but we were terrified he might lose the sight in one eye for a while].
    - tptacek 11y ago
      I am not suggesting that antibiotics in meat are a good thing, but I am pointing out the reality that antibiotic-free meat is a luxury item.
      - deleted 11y ago
        [deleted]
      - jMyles 11y ago
        <strike>antibiotic-free</strike> meat is a luxury item. Unless you hunt.
        tptacek 11y ago
        If you're proposing a law that allows the people who buy chicken at Aldi to hunt people who want to shame them for doing it, I'm right there with you.
        TeMPOraL 11y ago
        It's not a sustainable solution... wait, scratch that. Factory farming is not a sustainable solution, hunting is not even in the same ballpark as any viable solution to providing as much people as we have with regular meat meals. And then even if, you'd have a resurgence of people sick and dying from parasites and other stuff you catch from improperly handled meat.
robotkilla 11y ago
regulations through government. remove agricultural lobbyists from washington. raise awareness and turn it into a hot button topic that people in the US government have to address. fine the hell out of agricultural companies who have ruined our planet and stop putting the onus on individuals.

Well the current problematic situation of animals is relatively well contained to the Western sphere (US, EU, maybe China). The Chinese already recognize the effects on nature, the EU too (and iirc they're already beginning to introduce measures), the biggest problem is and always will be the US because of the huge influence of the farming lobby on US politics (and even if that was not the case, then the grid-lock between D/R where everyone boycotts bills from the other side, just because. Brain-dead US politics.)

davidw 11y ago
The article actually specifically calls out agriculture in China: "The Chinese resistance cases were down to overuse of antibiotics in agriculture."
- mschuster91 11y ago
  Yes, but at least in China there is the political will to tackle environment issues. The US is still locked and highly corrupt :/
  - refurb 11y ago
    "Political will"? That's an interesting way to describe a dictatorship!
  - gozur88 11y ago
    When you can't breathe your concern about the environment goes up markedly. The reason you don't see as much concern in the US is we've already tackled the obvious, major problems. At one time in the US there were rivers you could set alight, but that was a long time ago.
- invaliddata 11y ago
  A number of sources I've found indicate that (see links below for sources): 1) China consumes about 50% of the total global antibiotic production (roughly half for agriculture and half for human use). 2) Per capita human consumption of antibiotics is on the order of 10 times greater in China compared to the US. Some of these articles are several years old, and from sources I'd classify as more internal than foreign. It is likely that these figures would be conservative. If this data is approximately correct, I think we could say that 1) China has an outsized effect on the problem of antibiotic resistance (even considering it's large population). 2) The US problem of antibiotic use is mostly an agricultural one (which deserves a lot of attention), and the Chinese overuse of antibiotics is not confined to either human or agricultural use. I'm sure the chinese leadership is aware of the issue, and given their ability to make changes when something is very important (ie, air pollution during high profile events), the fact that little has been done is telling. It is likely that this simply isn't a high priority issue and thus we are unlikely to see any movement on it anytime soon. http://china.org.cn/china/2015-07/14/content_36057168.htm http://china.org.cn/china/2015-07/14/content_36057168.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-07/14/c_134411007.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-07/14/c_134411007.htm http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00.html http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2103733,00...
Betelgeuse90 11y ago
South America is extremely problematic as well in that regard.
vanilla-almond 11y ago
"the biggest problem is and always will be the US" Did you see the chart from another poster above? Many European countries like Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy have very high levels of antibiotic usage in agriculture http://i.imgur.com/9ybmhwE.jpg http://i.imgur.com/9ybmhwE.jpg I live in Europe, and am well aware of the common belief among many Europeans that we have excellent and high animal welfare standards. But the reality is that animal welfare standards also vary greatly between countries. That chart above clearly demolishes the view that overuse of antibiotics is a problem principally for non-European countries.

jMyles 11y ago

It sounds cruel, but I think we need to call people out when they eat factory meat.

tptacek 11y ago
So, basically, shame low-income people?
- arethuza 11y ago
  Having had my son suffer from an antibiotic resistant eye infection, if its a choice between low cost meat and useful antibiotics I'll go for the latter every time. It's not like anyone in Europe or the US is actually suffering from a lack of meat is it? [He's fine - but we were terrified he might lose the sight in one eye for a while].
  - tptacek 11y ago
    I am not suggesting that antibiotics in meat are a good thing, but I am pointing out the reality that antibiotic-free meat is a luxury item.
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
    - jMyles 11y ago
      <strike>antibiotic-free</strike> meat is a luxury item. Unless you hunt.
      - tptacek 11y ago
        If you're proposing a law that allows the people who buy chicken at Aldi to hunt people who want to shame them for doing it, I'm right there with you.
      - TeMPOraL 11y ago
        It's not a sustainable solution... wait, scratch that. Factory farming is not a sustainable solution, hunting is not even in the same ballpark as any viable solution to providing as much people as we have with regular meat meals. And then even if, you'd have a resurgence of people sick and dying from parasites and other stuff you catch from improperly handled meat.

robotkilla 11y ago

regulations through government. remove agricultural lobbyists from washington. raise awareness and turn it into a hot button topic that people in the US government have to address. fine the hell out of agricultural companies who have ruined our planet and stop putting the onus on individuals.