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Pink narrates a graphic PETA video which shows workers snipping folds of skin on the backsides of struggling sheep.She said: The wool trade uses methods so sadistic that it makes you consider clearing your closet of any animal products.
I am calling on consumers to check labels on sweaters before buying them, and if theyre merino wool or made in Australia, to leave them on the racks.
So New Zealand wool seems to be OK? Probably New Zealand is too small and exotic for the average US citizen to even know it exists (but they sure do have a lot of sheep over there). So what are the alternatives to wool? We have to wear something...
A bit of searching finds that there are a few answers on offer:
The good news? With all the amazing alternatives to wool available these days, there's now a thriving community of cruelty-free crafters who are keen to enjoy knitting without hurting sheep.You can get stitching, too, with rayon, cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, ingeo (from corn), and soy silk as well as synthetics like acrylic, nylon, and microfiber. Most of these materials can be found at craft stores or by following the links belowthere's something perfect for every knitting need!
OK, half of those are synthetics and these products hinge rather solidly around the oil industry. I'll fully agree that the oil industry does not mutilate sheep... but I'm decidedly dubious about the suggestion that the oil industry might be "cruelty-free". Start to count the wars that have been fought over oil and let's not just look at human deaths but the environmental degradation that goes along with war as well.
So the other big fashion fibre would be cotton. Oh yeah, the cotton industry, such an icon of environmental management, standing as a lone icon of water consumption, fertiliser usage and pesticide residuals.
So let's consider hemp.
Here's an excellent little article covering the history of hemp laws in the USA. We will note that marijuana was made illegal primarily because the synthetic fibre industry didn't want competition from hemp, and the tree-pulp paper industry didn't want competition either.
Hearst had invested a huge amount into newsprint/print media and owned an overwhelming amount of timber acreage. When hemp-pulp manufacturing began to become more advanced, this posed an immediate threat to Hearsts empire. Hemp, a cousin of marijuana, is often confused for the latter. Hemp-pulp paper not only cost less than half the amount of tree-pulp paper, but it was more environmentally friendly as well.
Interesting that our phobias and prohibitions always seem to boil down to someone finding an economic advantage and a convenient lie to hoodwink people into obedience.
Even worse for his business, hemp could be grown in anyones backyard, unlike the plastics and polymers DuPont was synthesizing. DuPont also processed paper. Conveniently, Hearst was doing business with DuPont, whose lawyers nephew just so happened to be the aforementioned Harry Anslinger.
Let's not just consider this an unfortunate side-effect of history now long gone. The tree-pulp paper industry and the synthetic fibre industry still don't like competition and still have much to gain by keeping hemp illegal. We have seen slow creeping forward in hemp production for clothing but it isn't all going to change overnight. Ultimately we have to recognise that the laws against both hemp and marijuana are in place to protect certain profit-making industries. Are we going to see Pink stand up for the legalisation of marijuana? That would be an anti-establishment cause but I'd be surprised if Pink would have the guts to be even slightly anti-establishment. She is no doubt the property of some media conglomerate that built her and I'm sure she knows the deal.
Having a go at the Australian sheep farmers is OK, having a go at unfair laws or pointless oil-wars or anything genuinely controversial is way too scary.
Grow some balls Pink and stand up for a real cause like saying No to the War on Drugs.
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