At least 10 humans have died, thousands of homes have been burnt to rubble, and hundreds of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate amid the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history. Scores of firefighter crews are struggling to contain the massive inferno—in large part due to the tremendous pressure on the city’s water supply. Reportedly, water pressure to fire hydrants has diminished across 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 uncontained as of January 10. This unprecedented catastrophe begs the question: Where did all the water go?

The Link Between Animal Agriculture and Diminished Water Supply

We can’t talk about California’s water crisis without looking at animal agriculture’s tremendous use of water. According to some reports, the meat and dairy industries account for an 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 mega-dairies use an estimated 152 million gallons of water each day—more than enough to meet the indoor water needs for every resident 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 a week—approximately the same amount of water that 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, requires only 244 gallons of water.

Water is used for all parts of animal agriculture—from growing feed crops and managing animal waste to cleaning massive, filthy farms and slaughterhouses and filling scalding-hot tanks used to remove animals’ hair or feathers after workers slaughter them.

This isn’t just an issue in California—animal agriculture’s egregious waste of water is occurring all over the world, accounting for an estimated 20% of freshwater use globally. In the U.S. alone, animal agriculture guzzles 36 to 74 trillion gallons of water per year.

Farming animals not only consumes massive amounts of freshwater but also pollutes it with tons and tons of animal waste. According to a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 68% of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds in the U.S. and more than half of the nation’s rivers and streams are considered too polluted to use—and a main culprit is animal agriculture.

Is the Climate Catastrophe Making Wildfires Worse?

Research shows that the climate catastrophe contributes to the frequency—and severity—of natural disasters like the current Los Angeles wildfires. Additionally, the drastic changes between wet and dry years in California—which scientists say is exacerbated by climate change—are amplifying wildfire risks. In other words, the vegetation that grows abundantly during “wet” seasons becomes easily flammable—and vulnerable to ignition—during subsequent “dry” seasons.

This, too, is linked to animal agriculture, which scientists agree is a leading cause of the climate catastrophe. 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 single largest source of methane emissions. Methane is far more potent in terms of 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 grazing livestock and that animal agriculture is responsible for the loss of over 16.4 million trees each 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, yet in California alone, they have collected more than $1.112 billion in taxpayer dollars from government subsidies in the last 30 years.

“While people lose their homes, you’re propping up the very well-financed industries that are killing our precious state,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman in a letter to Los Angeles Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Animal agriculture may be gasoline, but you are holding the match as long as California has dairy and meat subsidies.”

How YOU Can Do Your Part

The single most effective thing you can do to reduce your environmental footprint is to go vegan. Every individual who is vegan saves 1,100 gallons of water, nearly 40 pounds of grain, and 30 square feet of forested land each day—while sparing nearly 200 animals every 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 on those issues. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party.

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