Explainer
There’s Nothing “Humane” About Killing Pigs in Gas Chambers
CO2 gassing is standard practice among the world’s largest pork producers, but not because it’s more humane, as the industry promises.
Factory Farms•5 min read
Explainer
Explainer
Agriculture and Climate Change: Environmental Impact of Factory Farming
News anchors broadcast about it, scientists are scrambling for ways to reverse it, and consumers unknowingly contribute to it. What is it? Climate change.
Big Meat•17 min read
Explainer
These Foods Are Threatened by Climate Change
Climate scientist Ryan Towell from the Climate Reality Project explains which foods will be harder to produce as a result of climate change - and which foods are making it…
Climate•2 min read
Explainer
How Your Diet Contributes to Climate Change—in Three Graphs
Eating less meat and dairy is the single best way to reduce your climate impact. How does your diet stack up?
Climate•6 min read
Explainer
Your Guide to Slashing Single-Use Plastic
Plastic consumption is on the rise, but so are the innovative ways to ditch it. This guide will help you to reduce single-use plastic and set you up for plastic-free…
Climate•8 min read
Explainer
JBS USA: Behind America’s Leading Meat Processor
JBS USA is a leading American meat processor responsible for some of the worst recalls, environmental scandals, and animal cruelty cases ever seen before.
Food•14 min read
Explainer
Tyson Foods: How Many Chickens Does Tyson Kill Per Day?
Tyson Foods produces 20 percent of the United States’ chicken, pork, and beef products. Their market dominance is won at the cost of cruelty to animals, harm to the environment,…
Food•12 min read
Explainer
Smithfield Foods: How Many Pigs Does Smithfield Slaughter Per Day?
An estimated 121 million pigs are slaughtered every year in the United States, and one pork producer is responsible for over 15 million of those deaths.
Food•12 min read
Explainer
Go Vegan: A Practical Vegan Guide for Beginners
Going vegan has never been easier. As grocery stores and restaurants add new vegan options and more information becomes available online, going vegan is the logical answer to anyone looking…
Diet•16 min read
Explainer
How Many Vegans Are There Really in the U.S.?
It's a controversial question. So we put together a comprehensive timeline tracking 24 surveys of vegans over the past 25 years.
Diet•8 min read
Explainer
Fast Food’s Not-So-Secret Vegan (and Vegetarian) Menus
Making the most out of a not-so-good thing can feel, well, kinda good, like ordering off of the secret vegan and vegetarian menu at your local fast food joint. It’s…
Diet•5 min read
Explainer
The Western Diet: Processed Foods and Meats Are Killing Us
Over the years, the Western Diet has created numerous dangers for people who follow it. Unfortunately, many of those people don’t realize they’re harming their body or are unwilling to…
Diet•13 min read
Explainer
Vegan Weight Loss: Why Veganism Goes Beyond Just Your Diet
Healthy weight loss involves a well-balanced diet, plenty of exercise, and a true understanding of how your actions impact your health. That goes for vegans, too.
Diet•11 min read
Explainer
Vegan Health: What You Need to Know About the Vegan Diet
Vegan health is an important topic for everyone, even if you’re not quite vegan yet. The more you learn about your food choices as well as other things that impact…
Diet•13 min read
Explainer
The Meat Industry and Their Deceitful Marketing Messages
The idea that we need to consume meat to remain healthy is a myth rooted in a culture with customs of eating meat and in an industry that wants to…
Food•13 min read
Explainer
The Flexitarian Phenomenon
Animals are suffering. The climate is on the brink. People are dying from preventable diseases, and it all starts with what we eat.
Diet•6 min read
Explainer
What Are Free-Range Chickens?
Chickens and laying hens that have continuous access outside are considered “free-range” as labeled by the USDA. For egg-producing hens, this access must be available throughout their laying cycle. The…
Food•1 min read
Explainer
What Is the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act?
In 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the first federal legislation of its kind designated to protect the nation’s wild horse population on both…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
What Is Cage-Free Poultry?
Cage-free is a labeling term regulated by the USDA. It refers to eggs that require hens to be raised in an enclosed facility or building where they have unlimited access…
Food•1 min read
Explainer
What Is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?
Passed in 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal to “take posses, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or barter, any migratory bird,…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
Is Vegetarianism Healthy?
Throughout history, there have been doubts about the health benefits of vegetarianism. In the 1980s, The American Diabetic Association was concerned about the health merits of an all-vegetable diet. Now,…
Diet•1 min read
Explainer
What Is Animal Intelligence?
The concept of animal intelligence has its roots in the theory of sentience, or an animal’s ability to experience both positive and negative emotions. Philosophers and scientists have debated the…
Science•1 min read
Explainer
What Is the Horse Protection Act?
In 1970, the public began to voice their outrage to Congress over the treatment of Tennessee walking horses for the show ring. There was a call for politicians to ban…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
What Is the Twenty-Eight Hour Law?
Vladimir Morozov/akxmedia This federal law set standards for animals being raised for food and transported across state lines. It states: animals that fit into this criteria cannot be transported by "rail…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
What Is the Health Research Extension Act of 1985?
IAEA/Flickr This legislative mandate directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and enforce guidelines for the care and treatment of animals used in research. It's important to…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
What Is the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act?
Originally passed in 1958, the law was amended in 1978, then again in 2002. It requires USDA inspected slaughterhouses maintain the proper handling and humane treatment of all animals slaughtered…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
What Is Manure Runoff?
Manure from agricultural operations and livestock farms is the main source from which phosphorus and nitrogen enter surface and groundwater. Rainwater and over-irrigation cause these elements to seep into waterways…
Climate•1 min read
Explainer
What Is the Animal Welfare Act of 1966?
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was preceded in the 1960’s by a public outcry about the growing theft of cats and dogs to be sold for laboratory research. Life and…
Factory Farms•2 min read
Explainer
What Is a Hatchery?
A hatchery is used to raise eggs under controlled conditions. Most poultry hatcheries in the United States operate under a vertically integrated system, where the company that owns or supplies…
Food•1 min read
Explainer
What Is a Nuisance Lawsuit?
A major point of contention over the last 20 years between residents and farmers has been nuisance lawsuits. These claims come in two forms, private and public. A public lawsuit…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
What Are Ag-Gag Laws?
Ag-gag laws is a name given to a set of bills by former New York Times columnist Mark Bittman that began gaining traction in several states around 2011. The laws…
Factory Farms•1 min read
Explainer
What Does It Mean to Be Vegetarian or Vegan?
Many different forms of vegetarianism exists but at its core it is defined as a choice to not eat or otherwise exploit (in clothing, entertainment, etc.) chickens, cows, fish, or…
Diet•1 min read
Explainer
What Is a CAFO? The Truth About Animal Agriculture
For the last century farming practices have shifted with the growth of technology from a family-oriented model to an industrialized setup that maximizes profits and output. Today most of the…
Food•1 min read
Explainer
How Do Hog Farms Operate?
Hog producers are often contracted by corporate pork producers to raise hogs for processing. The farm and equipment are generally owned by the farmer, while the pigs themselves belong to…
Food•2 min read
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Sentient investigates and explains factory farms and their effect on climate, the environment, animals, health, politics and rural communities.