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New York, 9:20 PM
Thu Nov 26
3 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/13/08
11/13/08
My particular problem is with possums. Unlike in Australia where they are more sparse
11/13/08
The possum population is out of control, and efforts to control it have been largely unsuccessful so far.
Possum fur, although too short to be used alone, is heavenly warm and soft when mixed with wool, silk, and other fibres. Because of this, a demand for possum fur has emerged, which in turn helps create an industry both profitable for the economy and the environment.
Although I can understand and support the ethical reasons not to buy or wear furs such as fox or mink, I cannot condemn the use of possum fur, as without it, the New Zealand environment is at a much greater risk.
Well, that is my long winded two cents worth anyway...
11/13/08
i really can't buy the argument that certain animals cause problems to the environment and/or carry and spread disease, so therefore it's okay to use them for fur.
using that logic, humans would be at the top of any eradication list. i'd argue the human species has done more to damage the environment and spread various diseases around the globe than any other animal.
and anyway, with all the advances in technology and the pharmaceutical world, you can't tell me there isn't a way to lower the fertility level of "problem" species and therefore deal with overpopulation in a more humane way.
11/13/08
As I have stated in another thread, there are ways to buy fur in which you can be assured that the entire animal was used for meat, etc and that it wasn't done in a cruel way.
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11/13/08
Leather on the other hand -- we really need to find a synthetic leather that lasts as long as the real thing. Is it really environmentally responsible to keep buying synthetic shoes if they degrade and get tossed in a landfill way more often than leather shoes? Probably not. I'm in the market for a new pair of boots, and I'm kind of queasy about paying money for leather again. If only it was feasible to go barefoot in New England winters..
11/13/08
I grew up on a cattle ranch where animals were handled humanely, so I do eat beef and I do wear cow leather. With big factory farms, you don't know if those animals have been treated humanely, so I guess it's a little hypocritical of me to go on eating beef and wearing leather. But I'm no good at being a vegetarian (tried it) and I've had enough foot surgeries that I can't deal with cheap synthetic footwear anymore. Also, beef cattle are in no danger of going extinct.
It's hard to say. I could stop eating meat and I could stop using leather, if I had to, but the benefits to me far outweigh the disadvantages. I hope I am not heartless or hypocritical here, honestly.
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