Comment about fur is green
May 28, 2010
The fur industry conveniently neglects to mention that all of the animal skins used to make fur coats are tanned. Tanning is a procedure that stabilizes the collagen or protein fibers in animals skins specifically to stop them from biodegrading. Today's tanning processes use a variety of environmentally damaging substances, including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes, some of them cyanide-based. In addition to the toxic substances mentioned above, tannery effluent also contains large amounts of other pollutants, such as protein, hair, salt, lime sludge, sulfides, and acids.
Among the disastrous consequences of this noxious waste is the threat to human health from the highly elevated levels of lead, cyanide, and formaldehyde in the ground water near tanneries. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the incidence of leukemia among residents in an area surrounding one tannery in Kentucky was five times the national average.
People who work in tanneries are dying of cancer caused by exposure to dimethylformamide and other toxic chemicals used to process and dye the skins. The coal tar derivatives used are extremely potent cancer-causing agents. According to one study released by the New York State Department of Health, more than half of all testicular cancer victims work in tanneries.
Not to mention the millions of carcasses, the cruel leghold traps and the animals going insane in fur farms - facing horrific execution methods by machine-like fur farm workers.
Do you really actually think that this is a 'human' and 'green' business? You can't be serious. Depriving wild animals from their natural habitat, lock them/breed them for a life in small wire cages where they go insane for years (minks...need water...to swim, hello!!) and then make all kinds of statements about 'human' treatments -- in the 21st century's advanced technology there's no excuse for this shameful operation.
Regards,
Glen King
Vancouver
Dear Mr. King,
We notice that most of the examples you cite relate specifically to leather tanning.
But fur "dressing" is very different that leather "tanning", not least because much milder products are used -- to protect the fur and hair follicles.
In leather tanning, of course, the whole idea is to remove all the fur or hair.
For more information, please consult the section on fur dressing in our website: http://www.furisgreen.com/earth-friendly.aspx)
As for your other comments:
- carcasses of wild furbearers (if not eaten by humans) are returned to the bush where animals are hungry in the Winter; farmed mink carcasses are now often composted to produce organic fertilizer.
- Canada is a world leader in humane trapping research and regulations -- work that led to the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards being signed with the EU.
- mink farming is one of the most studied forms of animal agriculture -- and, despite what some animal-rights groups would have you believe, no study has ever found animals "going insane".
- methods used to euthanize farmed mink are quick and do not stress the animals; they are far less stressful than transporting animals to distant slaughterhouses (as is required for food animals).
- "machine-like farm workers"? That's really very insulting to thousands of decent hard-working Canadian farm families, as are many of your other remarks...
We understand that your very negative and unfair comments about our trade were influenced by sensationalist "animal-rights" websites.
This is precisely why we have launched the Fur is Green campaign -- to provide another side of the story for people who care enough to write to us.
We understand that you may not think we should kill animals for any purpose; that is your right in a democracy and we respect those who choose not to eat meat, use leather or fur, etc.
But most Canadians do accept the use of animals for food, clothing and other purposes, so long as it is done responsibly.
Our goal is to make clear that the Canadian fur trade is "a responsible industry based on the sustainable use renewable natural resources" -- a principle promoted by all major conservation authorities.
Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns, even if we must sometimes agree to disagree.
Sincerely,
Alan
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