James Cromwell is a legend! (Plant based milks now free in Starbucks)

[Snorkellingaround]

www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/11/james-cromwell-starbucks-stunt-celebrity-activism-succession?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

What a man! (It's the actor who played the farmer in Babe). He superglued his hand to a Starbucks counter to protest the extra charge for non-dairy choices and in doing so managed to bring press attention to the issue and change the Starbucks policy.

I've just been in my local Starbucks and there is a new poster up saying that all non dairy choices are now free

You can be allergic to milk (which was acknowledged very early in the thread) but lactose intolerance isn't an allergy, it's a normal variation in ability to digest milk sugars (in fact, not developing lactose intolerance is the variant). Two different things. A little cross-contamination won't matter for lactose intolerance.

More vegan bashing. 🙄 The world will be plant based soon enough so 🤷🏻‍♀️. Love James for all he has done for animal rights.

It's not vegan bashing to want vegetarian options at restaurants and not have those options combined with the vegan ones.

No it won't! 😂

Can you tell us more ?

Comments like 'the world will be plant based soon enough' are so first world privileged.

Yes, maybe your world, where you can stroll into a coffee shop and have a choice of several different milks which don't taste like shite to have in your mochacinno caramel latte, and walk into a huge supermarket and and be faced with an abundant choice of tasty vegan food which will keep you fully nourished, will be 'plant based'.

But that's not 'the world' is it?

It will because it will have to. Keep fighting it, I’m sure you will anyway but it’ll happen regardless.

Great! I love a cappuccino with oat milk.

It's pathetic how the meaningless phrase "plant based milks are worse for the planet than cow's milk" always gets trotted out on these threads. It doesn't need a scientist to work out that with all the grass a cow needs to live, cow's milk has to be the worst type of milk.

@kikisparks can you tell me more about the pig from babe?

Bizarre that it was this that he decided to make a stand against Starbucks about. Out of everything that is wrong with them this is probably pretty insignificant.

Yet another reason not to go to Starbucks. The main one being that their coffee if horrible.

This OP is a perfect demonstration of how gullible people are sadly misled by poorly informed social media propaganda.

For me issue isnt milk v plant it's about the welfare of the cows. If they are looked after then I prefer it to plant based which are often too sweet full of nonsense and there is no real credible evidence it's better for the environment. Plus, I'd always support british dairy farmers over plant milk flown in from god knows where

Agree, never liked starbucks anyway. Prefer costa if I must or independent

@Tontonmacoute I have a degree in environmental science and work in the environmental sector what are you saying I haven't understood? It was a Guardian article I linked to not social media. Dairy free milk is better for the environment there is a smaller carbon footprint and bonus no upset mother cows. I think it's great if it's not more expensive than cow's milk for Starbucks customers. The protest and news articles have brought attention to something that more people should be discussing and Starbucks should have been addressing the price difference anyway.

But the additives are not good for you.
Gums and emulsifiers are really bad for some people.
You don't know who until you get UC or Crohn's.

I refuse to use Starbucks since they support trans the gay away mermaids.

Imagine boycotting Starbucks because they're not charging other customers more money for something you don't even drink. Hit them where it hurts....😂

He said “I was doing a picture in Australia called ‘Babe,’ working with a lot of animals and animal trainers. I cared about their welfare and then, of course, you have lunch and it’s all there in front of you, and I thought, I should go the whole hog, so to speak. So I made that decision and kept that during the shooting.”

It’s mostly the western world that drinks cow’s milk. Most people in Africa and Asia don’t have lactase persistence.

There are many, many things that it is worth taking a stand for, but really this wasn't one of them. Getting het up over a multimillion international coffee chain charging whatever they like for their products doesn't even make the list.*

This. Its the most pathetic, middle class protest I've ever heard of.

Do you know what goes on routinely in the dairy industry though?

Newborn calves are permanently removed from their mothers between 24-72 hours after birth (confirmed when I emailed Tesco, Sainsburys and Yeo Valley in the U.K.)

To witness this is heartbreaking. I'd say that easily makes any plant based milk the clear winner ethically.

It’s mostly the western world that drinks cow’s milk. Most people in Africa and Asia don’t have lactase persistence.

Most people in Africa and Asia are not 'vegan' by any stretch of the imagination either.

And dairy is pretty big in India isn't it?

@Reallyreallyborednow @MumofCrohnie

I'd take this into account when deciding whether something is more or less ethical.

A huge number of the male calves are shot shortly after birth.

This is an unavoidable part of the dairy industry..... happens usually once a year when the cows milk dries up and she is artificially inseminated (check out the industry term for that if you like- grim.)
To make her pregnant again so we can take her milk (and her baby.)

Well said OP. I wish more people knew the horrors of what goes on behind closed doors in animal agriculture.

@Lynnthesearesexnotgenderpeople no, but likely closer to vegan than the average westerner who eats meat every day. Regarding India, it’s mostly north India where lactase persistence is common. Most people in southern India are actually lactose intolerant.
And regardless of current world dietary habits, we are all going to need to get closer to veganism if we want the world to remain habitable. The current heatwaves in India are awful.