by Nathaniel Lee
There are now 27 people presumed dead, and 40,644 acres have burned as a result of the wildfires raging in California. As the nation looks on and people around the world watch in horror, one can’t help but wonder about the cause of the blazes that continue to spread out of control.
The high winds and dry conditions are, of course, major contributors, and arson has not been ruled out in some areas – but there is something more, something not quite right here. Perhaps the wildfires in California and other extreme weather crises have something in common. Perhaps the sources might be right under our noses. In fact, in the foods we choose to put in our mouths. Maybe these weather extremes can be traced to our purchasing decisions, lifestyles, and habits.
In a press release issued by PETA, “The meat and dairy industries are causing the climate crisis and the natural disasters – including these wildfires – that come with it.” The article goes on to read that California spends billions of dollars on subsidies to the meat and dairy industry.
PETA, never shy about expressing their opinions when it comes to the welfare of animals or the environment, issues a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with a box of matches, which read, “Issue an executive order ending California’s mindless handouts to the planet – killing meat and dairy industries, or he might as well be lighting the match himself that will burn down the rest of the Golden State.”
Unfair to put the disaster on subsidies to the meat and dairy industry, you say? Well, wait, maybe not as outlandish as one might think.
According to the United Nations, “Animal-based foods, especially red meat, dairy, and farmed shrimp, are generally associated with the highest greenhouse emissions.” It is these same greenhouse emissions said to play a major role in climate change, increasing both the number and intensity of extreme weather incidents.
The World Meteorological Organization backed this up in a statement released on January 10, 2025.
“The WMO has confirmed that 2024 is the warmest year on record, based on six international datasets. The past ten years have all been in the top ten, in an extraordinary streak of record-breaking temperatures.”
In other words, the planet is getting warmer and warmer every year, and each of the previous 10 years has topped the previous record for the warmest year on the planet. With this comes consequences and repercussions.
“The U.S. experienced 27 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2024, which are becoming more frequent and intense in response to human-caused warming,” reported Climate Central, an independent group of scientists who research and report information about climate.
As much as we would like to distance ourselves from any responsibility for the ever-increasing number of natural disasters and climate-related catastrophes occurring across the globe, we can’t ignore the fact that the evidence is now insurmountable: We are going to have to make different choices on how and what we eat, and how we live if we are going to have any serious chance to reduce these extreme weather emergencies and hence the loss of life, health, and well-being that result from them.
Just a thought.
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