Violinists at State Capitol: ‘Stop Fiddling While the World Burns’

PETA Will Deliver a Musical Message to Urge Gov. Little to Take Vegan Climate Action

For Immediate Release:
August 9, 2022

Contact:
Robin Goist 202-483-7382

As the climate catastrophe fuels Idaho’s wildfires, a trio of fiddlers will play “Fire on the Mountain” and other tunes on the steps of the state Capitol on Thursday, seeking to strike the right note in an appeal to Gov. Brad Little to reduce animal agriculture’s massive role in the crisis—a point on which his administration has failed to take action. The violinists will be accompanied by an ensemble of PETA supporters and a sign that reads, “Gov. Little: Stop Fiddling While the World Burns! Go Vegan!”

When:     Thursday, August 11, 12 noon

Where:    Idaho State Capitol, 700 W. Jefferson St., Boise

PETA points out that the Moose and Woodtick fires continue to sweep across the state and that the climate catastrophe has made a more intense fire season the new norm. According to the United Nations, a global shift to vegan eating is required to combat the worst effects of climate change, as animal agriculture alone is responsible for nearly one-fifth of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Clearing land to raise animals and grow crops to feed them is a leading cause of deforestation, and the massive amount of water used in animal agriculture contributes to the dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread.

“Idaho is on fire, and animal agriculture is the tinder that makes it burn, so we’re making Gov. Little face the music,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is pushing the governor to change his tune now and promote planet-friendly vegan meals, before we all go up in smoke.”

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 or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.