When I first started to hear about resistence to antibiotics, I felt a tremendous amount of guilt about all the times I pleaded with my doctor to give me a prescription ‘just in case’ when really, the infection may well have been viral. (and even if it hadn’t been, a bit of bed rest & TLC would have done the trick - as the NHS - National Health Service in the UK would prescribe).

The real problem is the misuse of antibiotics in agriculture, specifically in farm animals produced for their meat such as pigs, cows and chickens. The Environmental Defense Organization produced a report back in 2001. These animals are medicated for several reasons including accelerated growth as well as fighting off disease due to the cramped and unsanitary conditions in which they are kept. And it gets worse.

Science News published a short article in its September 9th issue (Vol. 170, No. 11) on the appearance of drug-resistant DNA in the environment. In short, the misuse of antibiotics has led to these resistant genes which are now showing up not only in our rivers but also in treated drinking water. A group of environmental engineers at Colorado State University in Fort Collins have tracked the spread of these genes and found that the highest concentrations were in waste collection lagoons on dairy farms near the river. They then made their way thourgh the irrigation ditches to the rivers.

These days, we are faced with more than just one inconvenient truth. The sentience of the animals we consume for food and clothing should definitely hold the same title, but as the Abrahamic view of man’s inherent right to dominate the land and everything both on and in it holds strong in even the most adament atheist, I ask you to embrace this alternative reason and think twice before opting for the cheaper pack of chicken cutlets: consume less meat and when you do buy it, spend a little more and go for the organically produced, free range option.