Following the devastation and deaths caused by Hurricane Otis, PETA rushed a letter to World Meteorological Organization President Abdulla Al Mandous, pointing out that animal agriculture is a major contributor to the climate catastrophe that’s making cyclones, hurricanes, and tropical storms ever more devastating and urging him to enact a new policy to name storms and hurricanes after beef, butter, cheese, and other animal-derived foods—the proliferation of which contribute mightily to the weather problems now facing humanity. PETA notes that the United Nations states that about a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked to food production—with the largest percentage of these gases, particularly methane, coming from the meat and dairy industries—and reports that a global shift toward vegan eating is vital in order to combat the worst effects of the climate catastrophe.

“Deadly storms are sweeping the Earth and will continue to increase in ferocity, devastating communities and causing fatalities, as long as people continue to choose chicken wings, beef burgers, and cheese sandwiches over vegan fare that reduces greenhouse gas emissions,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, a vegan for over 50 years. “PETA is calling on weather officials to put the blame where it rightly lies, call it like it is, and remind everyone to take personal responsibility for our planetary crisis, with PETA ready to provide free vegan starter kits for all.”

PETA points out that growing water-intensive crops just to feed animals raised for food consumes more than half the water used in the U.S. and that up to 80% of deforestation in the Amazon has been caused by the destruction of land to grow animal feed and graze cattle. Vegan foods—such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, nuts, and lentils—require less land, energy, and water to produce.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.