Veganism is a privilege and classist lifestyle. If you live where the growing season is very short and the cost.of transportation makes a head of lettuce cost $20 then you don't have the luxury of being vegan. Particularly in northern Canada and Alaska...places where they have to wear animal products in winter to survive. ... veganism is a lifestyle choice that should be no more pushed on to others as religion, sexual orientation or what have you. Being close minded is the worst you can do here.

I try to eat vegan as often as possible, and eat vegetarian. The ungodly amount of resources that go into raising cattle was my main reasoning. I don't mind eating local as the ethical standards are usually much higher, and I know that a patch of rain forest wasn't burnt down to raise that cow so I want to support that particular source of animal products and hope that others without my goals will end up eating local by happenstance. I think that veganism should be about the overall picture, and if you're poisoning the world around you with unnecessary plastic when you could've used a sheep's wool coat, you're missing the point.

its so sad that a sheep got a haircut awh im so sorry

When people dont know what the circle of life is it annoys me

YOU are the RIGHT vegan. OREO your name don't fit you.

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

the oreo love

It probably has a lot to do with wearing fur as a fashion product, like whole fox around your neck when you actually don't need it, just have money for it and brag about it, but a lot of these people fighting against it might have forgotten about those who truly need and prefer it, in terms of weather conditions.

I'm a scientist in human-animal relationship and ANIMAL WELFARE. every time i share about animal welfare on this website i am downvoted. Because if i saw a squirrel, a hedgehog, a dog or a rabbit or any kind of animal i don't say "AWWWW too cute i want one" but i talk about real things. I have a rabbit and a dog, i wear rabbit fur, i would eat dog meat if i were into an household who think that dog meat is a favor. Veganism is an absurdity for me, i do love my rabbit and spend 2000 euros for her needs because some human thinks it is better to have a small face for a rabbit. And i wear rabbit fur. Veganism is a cult. They don't even know that they are killing animals, they just want to lecture you.

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

No, Aunt Messy, Mewton is one of the few really nice ones around here. There is no excuse for fur that is sufficient these days - period. If it is oh-so-natural, and that even is used in an attempt to outsmart - well, those natively living inuit who don't use all that western society's crap like being vegan, electricity, ... ....... oh, nevermind, they DO use all of that, it's just to be applied where it justifies outdated habits, how could I forget.......

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I live in an area where it often gets -30. Your fur coat is unethical. Buy a good winter coat, it can absolutely keep a person warm in temperatures as low as -40 and not get wet.

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Your fur is still unethical, the temperature of things doesn’t make it more ethical. The fact that you think this is even a line of reasoning says a ton about your level of intelligence.

4) This article seriously downplays the environmental impact and cruelty of modern leather and fur industries. Indigenous people doing the thing they’ve been doing for centuries is a very small part of this (and rather non-problematic part). Millions of minks culled in Denmark? Forced children labour with toxic chemicals in tanneries in India? These are just a few examples. And, unfortunately, typically animals raised for leather are not the same than those raised for meat. Mostly because it’s more convenient for the big industries this way, but, in some cases, also for purely aesthetic reasons (for example, the softest and most exclusive leather can be obtained from calves before they are born; thus, pregnant cows are slaughtered for the purpose).

2) Just like it is possible to produce leather in a more environmentally friendly way, the same is possible with vegan materials. There are several companies (many in Scandinavia and Canada, so the argument about vegan materials not being warm is not valid) that use recycled and recyclable cruelty-free materials, which retain warmth and serve for long time, even decades. Not to mention that not all vegan leather is PU. Now there are leather-like materials from cacti, apples, grapes, cork and so on. Yes, they might be less common for now, but this is changing rapidly.

6) I can’t help but wonder why Bored Panda regularly tries to create a radical, one-dimensional image of vegan community? I don’t even consider myself vegan (rather mostly plant-based), but this seems weird and sad at the same time. A platform like this could use its impact to raise awareness on environmental issues. Instead, it’s trying to make one of the lifestyles with least impact look petty and silly. Reducing consumption of animal products has been constantly pointed out by scientists as one of the key aspects of lowering one’s environmental footprint and emissions. Trying to downplay this is shooting in your own leg. Well, maybe it’s a sign to switch to sites with higher quality, more carefully researched content.

Whew, all the pieces of your comments here are very long! But worthwhile reading. Thank you for the thoughtful breakdown of all the things we should be thinking about when making choices like these. I'm not vegan, not even vegetarian, but I kind of wish I were. I have problems getting enough protein on a vegetarian diet but I am slowly expanding my awareness and trying to make environmentally-conscious choices. It's not always easy. But if we have patience with each other and can rationally discuss the options, it helps. So thanks again! :)

3) I am sorry to point this out, but thrift-store business contributes to pollution too. It encourages people to buy more clothes than they actually need and then to “donate” them. A small part of those tons of clothes gets bought by poorer people in poorer countries. This is nice. The vast majority ends up as imported textile waste in those same poorer countries, typically buried not recycled. Buying less clothes of high quality materials and wearing them for longer is more important than simply switching to thrift shops.

5) If we go back to the plastic pollution, switching to a more plant-based diet can seriously reduce one’s consumption of plastic (especially if you mostly eat whole-food products not vegan junk food). Fruits and veggies come in natural packaging called skin, and more and more stores are ditching the unnecessary plastic wrapping of them. It’s often quite easy to find plastic-free options. As to products of animal origin, ditching plastic packaging often is quite hard due to hygiene and food safety considerations.

This comment has been deleted.

Mary what

Mary follower

And? Is it sturdy?

Pineapple leather is created by combining pineapple cellulose with polylactic acid (a thermoplastic) and petroleum-based resin (also plastic). Took me seconds of googling to determine that it isn't plastic free.

Thanks for the info. That's something I didn't know and it's useful information. It encourages people to look for vegan alternatives that not plastic.

And how long do they last? I have leather boots that I have been wearing for 10 years.

hobbitly yes

Exactly. People are trying to simplify an issue that is way more complex than just "fur vs faux fur"

Monty Is Fiennes Good response!

Thats cause people bred sheep so they have lots of wool = $$. But there are also sheep in nature, that dont need shaving. So if people did not meddle with sheep they do not need shaving.

KombatBunni love

Even as a vegan, I don't think it is so bad to wear second-hand leather or fur, though I find it disgusting. That said, I do object to the idea that you are 'respecting' the animal by doing so. This is an animal that didn't want to die, that was abused and used his/her whole life was killed by the people who claim that they 'protect' and 'love' their animals. You wear a victim's skin, that is not respect. Would it be respectful to kill your dog and wear their skin as your own?

https://www.boredpanda.com/fox-rescued-from-fur-farm-stien-van-der-ploeg/

https://www.boredpanda.com/rescued-fox-fur-farm-ayla-mikkeline/

https://www.boredpanda.com/russian-woman-saves-sable-from-becoming-coat/

https://www.boredpanda.com/rescue-foxes-fur-farm-saving-animainternational/

https://www.boredpanda.com/animals-fox-rescued-fur-farm-good-cause-donation-open-cages-amy-lawrence/

JV yes