Revolutionary Fashion: 5 Reasons Leather Is Not Cool | Mickey Z.

Photo credit: Mickey Z.

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

Feb. 23, 2013

"I admit to having worn suede and leather myself for a while, but you just never felt clean, and it's degenerate anyway to use animal skins."

- Andy Warhol

A great victory within the global animal death industry has been keeping leather immune from the (semi) stigma of fur. Not only is leather marketed as discrete from the barbarism that makes it possible, it enjoys an enviable reputation for "cool."

Fonzie wore leather.
Brando wore leather.
The Ramones wore leather.

What could possibly be un-cool about leather?

I’m glad you asked…

Reason #1 Why Leather is Not Cool: The leather industry exerts a massive carbon footprint. As a matter of fact, it consumes as much energy (per unit produced) as the aluminum, paper, steel, cement, and petroleum-manufacturing industries. Some point to petroleum-based leather alternatives (e.g. "pleather") as also having a deep footprint. While this is a valid point, of course, it does depend on the specific alternative and to fully embrace this retort is to ignore the immense -- and direct -- cruelty factor (see numbers 4 and 5 below).

Of course, if hemp weren’t marginalized and demonized, we could all enjoy a far more eco-friendly, cruelty-free fiber.

Reason #2 Why Leather is Not Cool: The leather industry is highly toxic. Transforming once-live skin into leather requires the use of dangerous chemicals like mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes, some of them cyanide-based. Thanks to the chrome tanning process, the subsequent waste contains chromium (considered hazardous by the EPA). In addition, highly elevated levels of lead, cyanide, and formaldehyde have been found in the ground water near tanneries.

The deleterious impact of this poisonous practice on human life is well-documented. Here are but two examples:

• According to a study released by the New York State Department of Health, more than half of all testicular cancer victims work in tanneries
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the incidence of leukemia among residents in an area near one tannery in Kentucky was five times the U.S. average

Reason #3 Why Leather is Not Cool: The leather industry pollutes “undeveloped” countries, too. "Like every other industry, tanneries have shifted their operations from developed to undeveloped nations, where labor is cheap and environmental regulations are lax," writes Bruce Friedrich, citing an investigation into India's tanneries that found "workers in just hideous conditions, forced to breath and touch the entire gamut of toxins, all of which were then dumped into rivers for nearby villagers to drink."

Reason #4 Why Leather is Not Cool: Leather is a slaughterhouse and dairy industry byproduct. "It's dead animal skin, which means that animal has to be raised: fed, watered, pastured, and eventually slaughtered," explains Collin Dunn.

Consider this: 66 percent of leather comes from cows, and to grow one cow from an 80 pound calf to its full size, when it can be slaughtered and the hide harvested, requires:

• Eight acres of land.
• 12,000 pounds of forage.
• 125 gallons of gasoline and other petroleum derivatives for fertilizer.
• 2,500 pounds of corn.
• 350 pounds of soybeans.
• 1.2 million gallons of water.
• 1.5 acres of farmland (to grow the crops for feed).
• Plus, of course: insecticides, herbicides, antibiotics, hormones, etc.

Reason #5 Why Leather is Not Cool: Leather is horrifically cruel. For example, one tactic for procuring animal skins is hunting. Species such as zebras, bison, water buffaloes, boars, deer, kangaroos, elephants, eels, sharks, dolphins, seals, walruses, frogs, crocodiles, lizards, and snakes are murdered solely for their hides. These animals are often endangered or illegally poached -- and death is rarely swift or painless. Alligators are clubbed with axes and hammer and may suffer for hours. Reptiles are skinned alive to achieve suppleness in the leather and may take days to die. Kid goats are boiled alive.

"There's nothing 'natural' about poisoning the Earth to make shoes, purses, and belts from animals' skins,” declares PETA's Poorva Joshipura. "It is time for bunny huggers and tree huggers to unite and throw out the leather."

Mic Check: Compassion is an activist fashion that never goes out of style.

#shifthappens

NYC Event Note: To continue conversations like this, come see Mickey Z. in person on Mar. 19 in NYC for Occupy for All Species: Social Justice in the Age of Climate Change.

Mickey Z. is the author of 11 books, most recently the novel Darker Shade of Green. Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, he can be found on an obscure website called Facebook.

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