Which Plant-Based Alternative Milk is Best for the Environment?
By Mila Maltby, Sidwell Friends School
When you walk down the milk aisle in your local grocery store, there are often rows and rows of plant-based alternative options: almond, oat, soy, and coconut, just to name a few. You might wonder, why not just drink cow’s milk? One reason is the significant environmental impact of the production and consumption of cow’s milk. Every day, farmers tend to approximately 270 million cows just to produce milk and other dairy products. Dairy cows and their manure emit large amounts of greenhouse gases: around 18% of all GHG emissions worldwide -- more than the entire transport sector, which includes automobiles, trains, ships, and planes. Additionally, cow manure and fertilizers often degrade nearby local water sources. Finally, dairy farming and feed pr...