Green Options

Humane Society Canada has sent a representative to the Gulf of St. Lawrence to document and broadcast the commercial killing of over 300,000 young seals beginning today.

Rebecca Aldworth, who has attended the seal hunt for 11 years in a row, has arrived in the area. She will photograph the scene and send live updates through the Humane Society website and via Twitter (@humanesociety or #sealhunt09).

Writing for three green business blogs, I come across and write about my fair share of ideas. My greenwash filter is quick, swift, and merciless. And then you come across something like Wild Wool, and everything gets confused.

The front page has pleasing images of piles of soft, fuzzy fabric and clothing, made from what it describes as, “…a 100% natural fiber product made from 60% merino wool and 40% paihamu spun together to make a premium cashmere-like fabric that is softer, warmer, and lighter than plain wool.” Sounds good so far, right?

My eyebrow started to cock when I read a seemingly throwaway sentence, without a connecting justification for it: “Eco-friendly and practical - talk about a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Going to the Ecological Profile page to learn more, I was surprised to read what I can say is the most unique claim to being sustainable I’ve seen in a while - Basically, by killing them for their fur, they are helping restore ecological balance on New Zealand.

Canadian officials are in Brussels this week to ask the European Union not to pass proposed legislation that would ban the import of seal products.

The trip was organized by the Canadian federal Fisheries and Oceans Department.  According to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), the delegates are hoping to sway members of European parliament to vote against the ban.

In the coming days, there will be 22 inauguration balls held to celebrate President Barack Obama’s entrance into the highest office. Of those balls, two will officially be green.

In fact, both of these balls are called “The Green Inaugural Ball,” which could certainly lead to confusion for guests invited to both. One ball will be held by Al Gore and the other by PETA. From the Baltimore [...]

Walmart Canada removed slippers containing real fur from their inventory after receiving a complaint from The Animal Defense League of Canada. The slippers, made in China, had been labeled as faux fur. It was determined that the slippers were in fact made of rabbit fur. Walmart has a no-fur policy and immediately removed the offending item from their shelves when the mistake was brought to their attention.

This is yet another instance of the deliberate mislabeling of a Chinese-made product involving fur.

Just days after Project Runway’s Tim Gunn sent a message to Donna Karan asking her to ditch the use of fur in her collection, the company has announced that her fall 2009 lines will be fur-free with “no plans” to use fur in the future.

Looking at 2008 green coat collections, I am amazed and yin-yang impressed. Those who dare to share their perspective on what constitutes a sustainably made garment for warmth are ahead of the game, yet it sure is tricky biz!

What is eco outerwear? Answers definitely differ, leaving most environmental consumers literally in the cold. The answer lies in one’s moral perspective on what constitutes a sustainably made garment.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has teamed up with X-Files star Gillian Anderson (Agent Scully) to urge celebrities, such as Tom Cruise and Heidi Klum, to boycott designer Giorgio Armani, who they are accusing of going back on his word to stop using fur.

PETA sent letters to a number of celebrities who have worn Armani in the past urging them to boycott the designer. In the letter to Tom Cruise, PETA’s Vice President made particular note of Cruise’s daughter, Suri, saying:

“Please be vigilant about any packages that Armani sends for Suri, as they could include bunny fur from his toddler lines.”