There are now clear environmental and animal rights reasons to avoid red meat and dairy. Unfortunately, animal rights motivations don't seem to cut it for most of my colleagues and friends, who are by and large highly educated. Arguments about whether cows are "alive" or "feel pain" the same way humans do inevitably conclude with an acknowledgement that they probably do in all likelihood, but too bad, they taste good/produce animal products we like, and thus it sucks to be them. Or "too bad our ancestors have been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years".
Thankfully, most are swayed by environmental arguments and have eliminated their red meat consumption. Far fewer have given up milk, probably out of long-standing habits of milk consumption with cereal/coffee.
Just like the choice of whether we hurt or inflict pain and enslavement on a fellow human (a choice which has taken centuries to reverse), there's a choice of whether we enslave another sentient species for the sake of our tastebuds and convenience. I hope the decline of the milk industry continues, and that more of these farmers can successfully switch into more ethical and planet-friendly sources of revenue.
Thankfully, most are swayed by environmental arguments and have eliminated their red meat consumption. Far fewer have given up milk, probably out of long-standing habits of milk consumption with cereal/coffee.
Just like the choice of whether we hurt or inflict pain and enslavement on a fellow human (a choice which has taken centuries to reverse), there's a choice of whether we enslave another sentient species for the sake of our tastebuds and convenience. I hope the decline of the milk industry continues, and that more of these farmers can successfully switch into more ethical and planet-friendly sources of revenue.