After Florence, Farm Animal Death Toll Could Be in Millions
*By Max Godnick*
Florence may be over, but floodwaters from the hurricane are still wreaking havoc in North Carolina ー and not in just the usual ways.
The state's hog-waste lagoons, some of which are larger than Olympic swimming pools, are now either overflowing or in real danger of being breached. That poses an immediate danger to the surrounding communities ー and the planet as a whole.
"The potential for groundwater contamination is massive," said Zoë Schlanger, an environmental reporter at Quartz.
The storm, which was eventually downgraded to a tropical depression, caused [at least 110](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/climate/florence-hog-farms.html) "reservoirs" to release their contents into the environment.
North Carolina is the second-largest hog-farming state in the country, with close to 10 million pigs producing about 10 billion gallons of manure each year. In the counties where most of the state's pork production takes place, hogs outnumber humans, each one producing two to five times more waste than people do each day.
Rain and floodwaters have rendered many of the affected facilities unreachable for the farmers eager to check on their livestock and assess the damage.
Schlanger said some areas still expect more flooding, which could worsen the already-rampant contamination.
"In certain places, it's going to get better. In certain places it's going to get worse," she said.
While there's nothing that can be done to contain the waste that's already been released, Schlanger said officials can prepare for the future by rethinking the industry's infrastructure.
After all, Schlanger said hog-waste has been a "daily health issue" for people in the state long before Florence.
One of the most-vulnerable counties is Duplin, where most of the farms in the state are located.
"They say even without the storm, the smell is horrendous," Schlanger said.
It's one of North Carolina's poorest counties and has a predominately black and Latino community, which she said poses a "very specific environmental justice issue."
But the problem isn't just with contamination ー there's also a significant economic impact.
According to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, over 3 million chickens and turkeys and 5,500 hogs drowned during Florenceー a significant loss in inventory for the thousands of farmers who rely on the animals for their livelihoods.
"This will be devastating mostly for the small family farmers who are contracted by much larger companies," Schlanger said. "Those farmers often take on a lot of debt to run these operations."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/pig-manure-lagoons-flood-after-florence).
Digital mental health company Little Otter recently announced it closed a $22 million Series A round. Little Otter was founded in 2020 by a mother-daughter team, which based the company on the idea that a child's mental health can only be addressed by treating the whole family through technology available to everyone. Little Otter CEO and co-founder Rebecca Egger and her mother, Little Otter Chief Medical and Scientific Officer and co-founder Dr. Helen Egger joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Adi Robertson, senior reporter at The Verge, joins Cheddar News to break down the battle between two NFT collections by Phunky Ape Yacht Club and PHAYC that are selling plagiarized Bored Ape Yacht Club designs.
Covid-19 has changed the way we view wellness. Jillian Hughes, communications director of Mental Health America, joins Cheddar News to discuss breaking the stigma around mental health. Justin Davis, CEO and co-founder of Spectrum Labs, weighs in on how social media impacts our wellbeing. Lastly, Precision Nutrition CEO Timothy Jones advices us on what trends to watch in 2022.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Founder of Unlimited Tomorrow breaks down how he is creating completely 3D printed prosthetics to make them more affordable, customizable, and accessible; Chief Technology Officer of Zebra Technologies explains what the future of collaboration between robots and humans may look like; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Mystery of the Roman Skulls.'
According to a recent analysis from ProPublica and the Wall Street Journal an analysis of Facebook posts, internal company documents, and interviews reveal key evidence about the social media giant's role in January 6 insurrection. National Reporter at ProPublica Craig Silverman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
In the fight against climate change, much of the conversation revolves around reducing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane - and attempting to raise oxygen levels. But there's another gas - hydrogen - that could play a big role in the fight for the climate. Marco Alvera, CEO of Italian energy infrastructure company Snam and author of the book, 'The Hydrogen Revolution,' joined Cheddar Climate to explain the role hydrogen plays in helping achieve a net-zero future.
Vietnam's first global automaker is coming to the United States. VinFast unveiled the company's full EV lineup of five models at CES 2022. A reservation program for its first two electric vehicles, the VF 326 and the VF e35, officially opened on Wednesday, with the company set to announce the vehicle's retail prices in the U.S. and Vietnamese markets. VinFast is also one of the world's first automakers to apply blockchain technologies to the process of certifying reservations, payments, and eventually vehicle ownership. VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
