Sustainable Earth Eating Digest
Posted on May 19, 2023
A BI-WEEKLY version of mONTHLY “Food is Climate”
“Got Milk” now “Not Milk” in teen’s campaign to avoid dairy
Monday’s (5.15.23) Washington Post article: “High School student sues district over dairy milk debacle,” (A-8) reminded me of the ubiquitous “Got milk TV ad campaign by the dairy industry” making us believe that milk was necessary for good health. Increasingly, studies show the opposite: cow’s milk is implicated in breast cancer studies, and many populations are lactose intolerant, including 95% of Asian Americans, 60-80% of African Americans, 80-100% of American Indians, and 50-80% of Hispanics.
Because of widespread lactose intolerance, California high school student Marielle Williamson chooses plant-based milk as do many of her peers, and cites animal cruelty as well as impact on the planet from animal agriculture for this choice.
Marielle, with the help of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, sued her school district and the USDA for violating her First Amendment right to share information at school about alternatives to cow’s milk and concerns about dairy consumption.
Thanks to students for standing up for their rights—and for their concerns in protecting the planet. Many reports suggest cutting methane emissions from the agriculture sector, particularly meat and dairy production, as among the most impactful ways to slow climate change.
Thanks, Marielle for leading the way. Every day is Earth Day!
Jane DeMarines