President’s View: Animal Agriculture & California’s Inferno

As wildfires like the ongoing Palisades fire devastate communities, destroy homes, and claim lives, we see the consequences of ecological imbalance unfolding in real time.

These fires are fueled by the climate crisis, and the climate crisis is fueled by industrial practices — most notably, animal agriculture. The destruction caused by these fires is a stark reminder of the urgent need to reevaluate our relationship with the planet and its inhabitants.

Animal agribusiness and the climate crisis are inseparable. The brutal exploitation of animals fuels environmental destruction at an alarming scale. Animal farms are ecological disasters — clearing forests, draining and polluting water, and driving up greenhouse gas emissions. Whether it’s local, organic, grass-fed, or factory-farmed, every bite of meat, dairy, and eggs comes with a heavy toll: lost rainforests, poisoned rivers, an overheating planet, increased pandemic risk, and of course, horrific cruelty to animals.

Methane from the millions of innocent cows exploited by animal agribusiness is heating our shared planet much faster than most people realize. Meanwhile, the current use of land, water, and grain to sustain animal agribusiness is recklessly unsustainable. These industries are not just cruel to animals — they are robbing a livable world from future generations of all species. The science is clear: transitioning to plant-based systems is one of the fastest, most impactful ways to combat the climate emergency.