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At least 10 people have died, thousands of homes have been burned to the ground and hundreds of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate amid the most devastating wildfires in Los Angeles history. Dozens of fire crews are struggling to contain the massive inferno – largely due to the enormous pressure on the city’s water supply. According to reports, the water pressure to fire hydrants has decreased all over the city – and many have run completely dry.
Why is California out of water to fight fires?
Los Angeles’ water system is buckling under the pressure of these ongoing fires, which are mostly not contained as of January 10th. This unprecedented disaster raises the question: Where did all the water go?
The connection between animal agriculture and reduced water supply
We cannot talk about California’s water crisis without looking at the enormous water use of animal agriculture. According to some reports, the meat and dairy industry is responsible estimated 47% of California’s water footprint. Up to 15% of California’s water is used to grow crops to feed livestock on farms. According to Food & Water Watch, California’s megadairies use an estimated 152 million liters of water every day-more than enough to meet the indoor water needs of all residents of San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose combined.
In Southern California, residents are encouraged to limit their water use to 500 to 600 gallons per week — about the same amount of water it takes to produce a single hamburger. You need 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, 477 gallons of water for 1 pound of eggs, 900 gallons for 1 pound of cheese, and 1,000 gallons for 1 gallon of cow’s milk. One pound of tofu, on the other hand, only requires 244 liters of water.
Water is used in all parts of animal agriculture – from growing feed crops and handling animal waste to cleaning massive, dirty farms and slaughterhouses and filling scalding hot tanks used to remove hair or feathers from animals after workers slaughter them.
This is not just a problem in California – animal agriculture’s rampant water wastage occurs worldwide and accounts for an estimated 20% of freshwater consumption globally. In the United States alone, animal farming guzzles 36 to 74 trillion gallons of water per year.
Farmed animals not only consume huge amounts of fresh water, but also pollutes that with tons of animal waste. According to a report by the US Environmental Protection Agency, about 68% of lakes, reservoirs and ponds in the United States and more than half of the country’s rivers and streams are considered too polluted to use – and a main culprit is animal agriculture.
Is the climate disaster making wildfires worse?
Research shows that the climate catastrophe is contributing to the frequency – and severity – of natural disasters like the current wildfires in Los Angeles. In addition, the drastic changes between wet and dry years in California – which scientists say is exacerbated by climate change – amplifies the risk of wildfires. In other words, the vegetation that grows abundantly in “wet” seasons becomes highly flammable – and vulnerable to ignition – in the subsequent “dry” seasons.
This, too, is linked to animal agriculture, which scientists agree is a leading cause of the climate disaster. By some estimates, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the world’s transportation systems combined. Animal agriculture is also the largest single source of methane emissions. Methane is far more potent at trapping heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. It has been estimated that more than 90% of all Amazon rainforest land cleared since 1970 is used for livestock grazing and that animal agriculture is responsible for the loss of over 16.4 million trees every day.
PETA points out that the meat and dairy industries are causing the climate crisis and the natural disasters—including these wildfires—that come with it, but in California alone they have collected more than $1.112 billion in taxpayer dollars from government subsidies in the last 30 years.
“While people are losing their homes, you are supporting the very well-funded industries that are killing our precious state,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a letter to Los Angeles Governor Gavin Newsom. “Animal agriculture may be gasoline, but you keep fighting as long as California has milk and meat subsidies.”
Here’s how you can do your part
The most effective thing you can do to reduce your environmental footprint is to go vegan. Each individual who goes vegan saves 1,100 gallons of water, nearly 40 pounds of grain, and 30 square feet of forested land every day– while saving almost 200 animals each year. Don’t wait until a devastating disaster is in your own backyard – do your part to protect the planet today. Order PETA’s Free Vegan Starter Kit to make the compassionate switch now:
Note: PETA supports animal rights and opposes all forms of animal exploitation and educates the public about these issues. PETA does not participate directly or indirectly in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party.