Question

How has our relationship with milk changed pollution in the last 200 years?

Answer 1

Milk production and consumption now cause much more pollution.

Explanation:

Globally, milk production and consumption requires extensive dairy farming. This leads to emission of methane which is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming and climate change; air and water pollution.

The decomposition of wastes from dairy farm animals leads to the release of gases like methane and ammonia into the air leading to air pollution. Ammonia mixed in air along with dust spreading out from dairy farms causes to a lot of respiratory illness.

Methane (a greenhouse gas) emission increases carbon footprint leading to climate change and global warming. The runoff water from dairy farms is a huge cause of water pollution when they are released into lakes, ponds or rivers. This increases the nitrate levels of groundwater which affects the health.