TOPIC:
Fur Trade Industry Issue
'Faux' versus Real Fur Debate
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Fur Industry Debate
Comment:
<<Fur is
warmer, so that's why I wear it!>>
"Fur…is warmer than any synthetic product." (Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.)
If fur were warmer than any synthetic product, it is doubtful that arctic
explorers would always appear in gortex, thinsulate, and a myriad of other
synthetic fibers that keep people perfectly warm in temperatures as low as -100
degrees Celsius.
There is no need, whatsoever, for any person to choose fur over
a synthetic product for warmth. Moreover, the fur industry markets their product
to wealthy people in urban centers, where warmth is generally not the primary
issue in choosing outerwear.
The fact is, fur is not marketed for warmth, but
rather for "luxury" and "glamour". And the reality is, there is nothing
"luxurious" or "glamorous" about a skin that has been ripped off of the back of
an animal who did not want to die.
Source:
Global Action Network FAQ sheet
For fur to be warmer than a
synthetic, it would have to be next to the skin - with the
fur side in and the leather side out - in order for the
necessary trapped air pockets for warmth. This is also why wool as a
natural resource is warmer than fur - because wool has 'kinky
fibers' that allow air pockets to be trapped within the kinks of
the fiber.
Source:
CBS News - Bundling Up : Different in 2005
But if you are really cold and
need that extra warmth, look for and buy 'Polartec
Wind Pro' products. Made from recycled PETE (soda bottles)
and post consumer polyester materials, the fabric is water
repellant and offers more sunscreen protection -- besides the
fact it washes nicer than fleece and is four times warmer too!
Much lighter than wool, 'Polartec Wind Pro' products
dramatically decreases that 'wind chill factor' which makes us
cold. The 'curly' Polartec fabric looks strikingly like
lamb (also known as 'Monkey Pfur' or 'Poodle Pfur'), but is many
more times durable.
Source:
Polartec Wind Pro
Source:
Polartec Wind Pro - a revolution in thermal fabrics
Source:
Discovery Trekking Outfitters
Source:
Cabrela's - Women's curly Polartec vest
Besides that, Polartec fabrics are actually good for the
environment! Polartec Patagonia was the first outdoor
manufacturer to use recycled fleece, introducing it in 1993.
From spring 1994 to fall 2005, the company diverted more than 98
million plastic soda bottles from landfills; 3,700 2-liter
bottles can make 150 Synchilla garments. For every 3,700 bottles
that are recycled, a barrel of oil is saved and a half ton of
toxic air emissions avoided.
Source:
Look Smart Articles : Positively Primal
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