Could Genetically Engineered Pigs Reduce Water Pollution?
This story might sound like an April Fool’s joke, but we assure you, it’s totally real. Canadian researchers have developed Enviropig, a line of genetically engineered Yorkshire pigs that can digest phosphorous more efficiently than traditional Yorkshires. Scientists hope the Franken-pigs will prevent phosphorous from running into waterways and decrease the incidence of dead zones. While the idea of modifying pigs to be more earth-friendly is certainly interesting, we have to ask – wouldn’t it make the most sense environmentally to simply stop eating or at least cut back on consuming so many animal products? Instead of messing with nature, we could drastically cut the impact of all of the pigs and cows we eat if we just changed our diets a bit. –> Run-off from agriculture and animal operations often winds up in rivers, lakes and ocean deltas, spiking the water’s phosphorous levels. All that phosphorous acts like a fertilizer and sparks the growth of algal blooms. Those blooms deplete
