Originally Posted by mattface
I get the vegan thing alright, but I don't get the I won't use cows so give me some plastic instead thing. How many animals are harmed and or killed by the petroleum industry each year. How is using plastic which does not bio degrade, and comes from petroleum better than using something from a renewable resource that does biodegrade. You don't want to buy a dead cow, OK, but how is plastic better than leather? I know in many cass non-animal, non-petroleum alternatives don't really exist. Most leather saddles are leather covered plastic anyway. Maybe the Fred Flintstone saddle is the only choice.
(god, we've been here many many times before, people. if you want to argue with me about this, please PM me.)
first, um, your first sentance provides evidence that you really don't "get" the vegan "thing." hey, i don't have a problem with people using second-hand leather, wool, etc., but that's the point: you do what you can. buying new animal products, in my mind, is hardly justified as "better" when there are so many used choices.
second, modern leather tanning processes are pretty environmentally harmful. so leather is not simply a "natural" choice.
look, i'm just saying that there are compromises to both. synthetics are not "better" than leather, but (modern-day, mass-prodused) leather is hardly "better" than synthetics.