Yes

by margaret hillcroft

Created on: November 09, 2008   Last Updated: December 30, 2010

"Bye baby bunting, Daddy's gone a-hunting,

Gone to fetch a rabbit skin to wrap his baby bunting in"

(and mummy made a great stew)

Does that really sound immoral? Or should daddy have gone and drilled for oil, built a factory, mixed up some noxious chemicals and made faux fur?! Oh! and killed a few life threatening bears and wolves in the process?

Humans have been wearing animal skins since the Stone Age. Why? Because they are THE natural way to keep warm. Not only that they feel gorgeous and look fantastic [ if you like that kind of thing]. For hats, gloves, coats and boots there is no material which will beat the weather better.

Animals come in many shapes and sizes and each has a place in the food chain. The reality is that many creatures are prey animals and exist to be killed by other animals. Nothing eats without taking the life of another life form be it that of a carrot. crab or cow. Nature does not cast moral judgments on this fact. Humans do have a choice about there eating habits denied many other animals and being omnivorous can exist on meat laden or meat free diets. Make no mistake about it though, when the chips are down and life is tough, humans will eat each other rather than face starvation. It is called survival. It is a real fact that in the natural world every creature, at some point in its existence will become prey for another. Bird eats worm, snake eats bird, mongoose eats snake, big cat eats mongoose, big cat dies, worm eats big cat and so on.

Some people find the using of animal skins for clothes abhorrent. In these days of extinctions caused by indiscriminate hunting of wild animals that is understandable. Yet those same people will happily wear synthetic fur which if they stopped to consider, is probably more environmentally damaging. Its production involves the petro -chemical industries which are not famous for their environmental friendliness or green ethos.

All natural fibres are considered to be healthier to wear than synthetics. Cotton, linen, fur, leather and skin are organic and allow the skin to breathe. They have properties which no synthetic fabric can ever reproduce and are the ideal fabrics from which to make human clothing. In these days of pollution and energy conservation it makes a lot of sense to use materials which come straight from the natural world and cut down on the use of chemicals and plastics wherever possible. Yes, the curing of skins and manufacture of fur coats does use chemical processes but less than the manufacture of synthetics and once produced they last a life time.

Frankly I find the idea of owning and wearing a few cotton. leather , wool , silk and fur clothes which are ideally suited to my skin and the seasonal changes and which will last a few years infinitely preferable to today's fashion culture of consumerism where mass produced cheap clothes made from chemically produced synthetics are thrown away by the ton each week. I work in a charity shop and it is frightening to see how much clothing is getting discarded each week and it cannot all be resold. Some is recycled but that takes energy and still leaves a carbon footprint. I cannot see anyone throwing away a mink coat with such abandon. The fashion industry, along with all the plastic junk we feel we need, has been completely responsible for filling the world with a cloud of pollution emanating from China.

There is nothing finer to wear than a fur. There is nothing more suitable from which to make warm winter outerwear. There is nothing more long lasting and hard wearing. Yes, it is wrong to slaughter, indiscriminately and without control, thousands of wild animals. Yes, it is wrong to keep animals in conditions of cruelty and deprivation. Yes , it is wrong to be greedy and demand a new fur coat each week, or even each year. But the fact remains that with responsibility, respect , effective controls and animal protection policies in place, leather, wool and skin will always be the best and most natural materials for human clothing. If we farm for food, why not farm for fur? Rabbits are especially useful. They have a great fur and are good to eat as well. Be real, in the wild they would be killed and eaten anyway. Or they would be gorging on our crops.

There is such a vast population of humans on the planet is is hard meeting everyone's needs. This makes it more imperative to adopt a"made to last" policy . To those who do not like to use any animal products in their lives I can only say this. To produce enough animal free food for the whole population would involve clearing massive areas for cultivation. The rain forest would disappear at an even faster rate and the animal world would be seen as a great threat to this production of vegetarian food. We are not the only creatures who like to feast on maize and soya. It would also require massive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Diversity and flexibility in our diets and clothing sources is essential if we are to make the most of natural resources at our disposal and I, for one , can be sure I will not be throwing my sable jacket into the re-cycling bin next week because "it's so last season".

Learn more about this author, margaret hillcroft.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.