We Took It to the Beach for World Environment Day

Visitors to Puri Beach in Orissa had a little surprise waiting for them this World Environment Day. Locally-based sand artiste Sudarshan Pattnaik made a 10-feet tall sand sculpture of a leather shoe crushing a polar bear. The sculpture included a sign that read “Your carbon footprints have leather shoes.” to highlight the environmental harm causes by the leather industry.

Check out a quote from this article about the demo: ‘Leather-production facilities destroy nearby waterways and delicate eco-systems in the water resources,’ PETA Campaign Manager N.G. Jayasimha told IANS.’The energy consumed and pollution produced by the leather industry makes it a leading factor in global warming, which is endangering polar bears and their habitat,’ he said.

Leather is the most important by-product of the meat industry, so it directly contributes to the cruelty in factory farms and slaughterhouses. And according to a 2006 United Nations report, raising animals for food creates more greenhouse gasses than all trucks, cars, planes, and ships in the world combined. The damage caused by India’s leather industry makes our country a major contributor to global warming and the further endangerment of polar bears and their natural habitat.

So just give leather the boot in honor of World Environment Day, and help do your bit to save the environment and animals. And don’t forget to tell us where you find your favorite cruelty-free fashions by commenting below!