Letters to the Editor: Giving up beef to save water is great. Don't forget chicken

Los Angeles Times Opinion
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ACTON, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: Rescued chickens gather in an aviary at Farm Sanctuary's Southern California Sanctuary on October 5, 2022 in Acton, California. A wave of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu has now entered Southern California as the fall bird migration sets in, raising concerns for wild birds and poultry farms in the region. Farm Sanctuary is home to rescued chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs and other farm animals. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Rescued chickens gather in an aviary at Farm Sanctuary's Southern California Sanctuary in Acton, Calif. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

To the editor: I appreciated that Aaron Mead's op-ed article on eating less meat to save water didn't focus only on beef.

Many articles I've read about reducing meat consumption suggest swapping chicken for beef. This advice makes sense from a water consumption perspective, but not from an animal welfare perspective.

We consume 9 billion chickens per year in the U.S. Most of these birds are raised on factory farms, where they live in cramped, unsanitary conditions. And, while large chicken farms use less water, the runoff they produce is a significant cause of water pollution.

For a healthier and kinder planet, the trick is to reduce animal consumption across the board.

Kristen Kessler, Ventura

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To the editor: Did you read the lecture on how to save the Colorado River? It was written by an engineer with the Metropolitan Water District, the big Southern California water agency, although The Times identified him only as a writer in Los Angeles.

It said to eat fewer hamburgers. That's after you rip out your lawn, take shorter showers and not wash your car.

I'll take mine medium-rare with onions and ketchup, please.

John Fonti, Thousand Oaks

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To the editor: Eat less meat to save Colorado River water — and eliminate animal suffering, as well as reduce the climate impact of raising cows to become our food.

And save your health. Trying to lower your cholesterol? Eat plants and ditch the statins.

And save your money. Broccoli and potatoes compared to steak? It's a no-brainer.

Alison M. Grimes, Yorba Linda

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.