The massive wildfire ravaging the Mojave Desert Preserve doesn’t only pose a danger to Joshua trees. Desert tortoises, black-tailed jackrabbits, bighorn sheep, coyotes, and other animals are at risk, too. Thick smoke disorients them, stings their eyes, and makes it hard for them to breathe. Those with babies, as well as animals who are very young or elderly, often succumb to the flames.
Though the cause of this wildfire is still under investigation, we can safeguard against future blazes. Report unattended fires, extinguish campfires and fire pits completely, keep vehicles off dry grass, don’t throw cigarettes from car windows, check weather conditions before burning trash or leaves, and forgo fireworks.
And there’s something else we can do. Studies show that human-caused climate change increases the risk of extreme weather events, including wildfires—and animal agriculture is a leading driver of the climate catastrophe. Eating vegan not only helps prevent wildfires and other disasters, but together we can prevent billions of chickens, pigs, cows, and other animals from suffering painful, terrifying deaths in slaughterhouses every year.
Melissa Rae Sanger
The PETA Foundation
Norfolk, Virginia
This article appears in Education Today 2023.
What are you smoking?