The Eco Ethics Of Fur
As real fur flaunts its newly-minted eco-wash, fake fur continues to fluff itself in the eco-limelight. Is fur green? Is faux fur any greener?
Listen: fur is being promoted as good for the environment. In one case, it’s that of the Common Brush-Tailed Possum, an Australian marsupial. Introduced to New Zealand by fur traders, it’s lately become a pest of epidemic proportions. Consequently, the New Zealand World Wildlife Fund supports a cull of the possum population, and other New Zealand environmental groups want the possum fur trade to enjoy the backing of the government. Celebrities are being encouraged to promote it – for example, Tiger Woods swears by possum fur gloves.
(If you’re wondering, the numbers of possums are being reduced as quickly as possible by independent hunters – and that means the cheapest methods available, which are traps and cyanide. “We support killing possums,” says Eric Pyle, Conservation Director of the World Wildlife Fund New Zealand, as printed in The Guardian.)
Worldwide demand for fur helps finance the hunters. That’s why wearing possum fur is “eco-friendly”. Also, the Fur Council of Canada would like to inform us all that fur is environmentally friendly. Fur is green!
What? I thought faux fur was green. Which is it?
Synthetic pile fabrics can simulate any natural colour or texture, allowing designers to mimic nature flawlessly. And because no animals are harmed, they’re “eco-friendly” (although there is that slightly pesky problem of a non-renewable resource – petroleum – being used for many faux fur fabrics).
Now for the truth: investigations by the Humane Society of ther United States found that many luxury items were using racoon and dog (yes, dog) fur, including one worn in public by Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Amongst the high-profile design houses implicated were Calvin Klein, Sean John and Rocawear. The faux fur item gracing a customer’s shoulders might contain real animal hair.
Save the animals by wearing fake fur, and you’re not only likely to be wearing a product made from synthetics (read: petrol), you’re keeping real fur products desirable, because they look identical. And that’s if the faux fur is even, er, genuinely fake. But I suppose we can save the New Zealand environment by supporting the international fur trade.
Real furriers claim fur is eco-friendly, being a “renewable resource”. But faux furriers claim it’s faux fur that is eco-friendly, since no animals are harmed.
Where do you stand? (And what will you wear?)
Image: fox fur ear muffs at Bluefly
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3 Comments
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:33 am
Fur is NOT green in any way. You must take in account the amount of energy & chemicals it takes to raise & slaughter the animals.
I only wear fake fur which is neon pink ie. does not look real at all. It’s silly to make a big deal out of using petroleum when everyone is buying lip gloss, lotion, fruit and candy bars which are coated in this same chemical.
Trapped fur uses 3.5 times more in total energy content than faux fur.
Ranched fur uses 15 times more energy than producing synthetic fur.
Animal fur and skin production cases serious air and water pollution.
More chemicals are needed for animal fur production to preserve the fabric from naturally decomposing: Ammonia, chromates, bleaching agents, coal tar derivatives, hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, sulphides and ranched fur animal feces are contaminating YOUR water!
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Note that the problem in New Zealand is currently being dealt with by using Poison 1080 which causes an inhumane death for the invasive species–Paihamu–which is also called Australian Brushtail Possum. Marketed fur is humanely collected. It is truly green. Plus, you don’t have to wear it as fur. It is spun with wool to make a cashmere-like fabric that is softer, warmer and lighter than plain wool. Check out http://www.Wild-Wool.com.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:41 am
Heart— did you not notice that faux fur is made from petroleum and acrylic? It probably took other toxic chemicals to make “neon pink” faux fur, too. Real fur is biodegradable because it is real animal skin, but if taken care of it can also last much longer than faux, meaning less production. Faux fur is not biodegradable… it’s polyester. I think it is silly that people who claim to be environmentally friendly are passing up a natural product in favor of a manufactured one.
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