* Milk and the Environment

Tonight at dinner my husband told me he didn't care about my cause. He equates wanting to reduce milk consumption to hating Santa Claus, and that's just not American. I figure there must be a thousand more people who feel the same way.

This post is dedicated to the environment, Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard and Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD). I won't talk about cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, strokes, autism, attention deficit disorder, obesity, allergies, acne, arthritis or Alzheimer's. I will discuss milk and the environment (which seems to be a more popular topic).

A 2006 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations says that livestock generates more green house gases than driving cars. So the more we eat, the higher the demand and the higher the concentration of gases being produced. This doesn't include the land and water degradation.

Henning Steinfeld, Chief of FAO’s Livestock Information and Policy Branch and senior author of Livestock's Long Shadow - Environmental Issues and Options report said, “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation.”

Global meet and dairy production is expected to double by 2050 and this will come with a steep environmental price. Livestock (cows and sheep) damage the air, land and water, three resources we can't live without. Currently, livestock accounts for more CO2 (9%), methane (37%), ammonia (64%) and nitrous oxide (65%) emissions than human contributions to green house gasses.

The Natural Resource Defence Council agrees with the FAO that livestock pollution affects public health, especially water. Siting California officials who have identified cows and agriculture as the major source of nitrate pollution in more than 100,000 square miles of polluted groundwater. Livestock damages our water resources; contributing to water pollution, euthropication (water enriched in dissolved nutrients) and the degeneration of coral reefs. The major polluting agents are animal wastes, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides.

This lifestyle is not sustainable. We have to make changes, whether they are big or small, and we have to do it now. I understand things won't change over night, but we can't stop trying to do our part. We can set personal goals to cut back beef and dairy by 25%, promise to read the research and educate others.

Dr. Hubbard, you can make a difference for 22,000 plus students in your district by reducing the amount of dairy offered in the school lunch program, selecting products safe from chemicals and hormones, and educating our students about what is a truly healthy diet - More Organic Fruits and Vegetables.

Don't settle for the status quo, remember your hero Dr. Hubbard.

"Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”
- Sir Winston Churchill