• Ottawa Sun, Monday, December 3, 2007 12 PM

A new ad campaign hopes to position the fur industry - long demonized by some environmental and animal rights groups -- as an eco-friendly business. The Fur Council of Canada has rolled out print ads touting its "eco-fashion"to consumers, while countering past and present anti-fur campaigns. According to Alan Herscovici, the council's executive vice-president, "it was important to explain the real story of the fur industry. And that is 'if you care about nature and protecting the environment, fur is an excellent choice."

One ad criticizes fake fur for its petrochemicals, calling them "non-renewable resources that cause environmental problems." The real thing by contrast, "is a natural, renewable and sustainable resource." Herscovici says the group wants to capitalize on the current interest in green products with the message that fur is a biodegradable, renewable resource and stresses none of animals used are endangered.

Opponents are not swayed: Mike Rice, a senior campaigner with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), says the approach is "completely ridiculous" and the trade is "the most violent and bloody on the planet." He claims the amount of fossil fuel needed for a farm-raised animal skin is 20 times what goes into a fake fur coat.

Read the whole story at Ottawa Sun »