The production of milk takes place all around the world on a daily basis. As the population grows, so does the demand for more dairy. With it being in such high demand, there’s a lot of pressure on natural resources such as freshwater and soil. The amount of farms that are unsustainable and lack the ability to properly care for the animals is huge. Supporting dairy industries like this is damaging to our environment.

Dairy production has an immense effect on climate change due to the greenhouse gases that are emitted, this is one of the many reasons why we should not drink dairy milk. Also, dairy operations consume a huge amount of water to grow feed, water cows, and to manage manure. The runoff from the manure and fertilizer can pollute water sources. No wonder it’s causing such a big impact on our planet.

I know what you’re thinking. “So no ice cream and no cheese!” Well, let’s be honest, why would we still be consuming this after realizing how damaging dairy is for our planet? The amount of wild areas that go to agriculture is tremendous, this adds on to the cause of the current mass extinction of wildlife. 

Fortunately, you can still enjoy all of the cheese and the ice cream you want, and with no dairy. Today, there is such a huge array of different plant based alternatives to the things we love that are far less harmful than the real deal, like ice cream made out of almond milk. There are also yogurts made out of soy and coconut. The different types of dairy free milk is extraordinary, they range from hemp, macadamia, to even pea milk. There are even easily accessible vegan butters at most supermarkets. 

Overall, although it may be difficult to make the switch, the positive impact you’ll have will benefit our planet greatly. Even though milk might not be necessarily damaging to our body, it definitely is to our planet. These are just some of the many small steps we can take to better our home.