Things aren’t looking good for Planet Earth.
“If you look at average temperatures around the world going back to 1850, what’s most worrisome is the acceleration in climate change,” says Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
In these comments the Center for Science in the Public Interest asks the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that any actions taken to clarify the labeling of plant-based milk alternatives prioritize public health, and to adopt a mandatory labeling disclosure requirement to inform consumers about nutritional differences between plant-based and dairy milks, as it first asked in 2019.
“Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing, global temperatures keep rising, and our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a climate conference in November. “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.” Here’s how climate change is already putting us at risk...and what you can do about it.
Dumping dairy? The payoff: plant milks have a lighter impact on our overheating planet. And you have more options than ever. Choose carefully, and you can still net as much—or more—of milk’s key nutrients plus some healthy fats, all while keeping a lid on added sugar. Here’s what to know.
The world has to cut carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change, says the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. And by 2050, we need to hit “net zero”—that is, emissions must be matched by removals from the atmosphere.
Older womenwho ate a healthy plant-based diet (fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, etc.) had a lower risk of frailty over 14 years, while those who ate an unhealthy plant-based diet (refined grains, sweets, juices, etc.) or a diet with more animal foods had a higher risk. (“Frailty” means symptoms like fatigue, weakness, and weight loss.)
Muscle protein synthesis increased equally when researchers randomly assigned 24 men to eat either plant protein (from wheat, peas, and corn) or animal protein (milk). (The study was partly funded by the plant-protein makers.)