Re: Re: I prefer

[mdillon]

If you like "natural" fiber, you should consider sustainably grown hemp or exclusively organic cotton. Here's an interesting link showing all the pesticides and herbicides used in growing conventional cotton (i.e. most of the cotton that folks buy).

I'm planning to soon get a jacket from the Smith Center made with a 100% hemp shell and a hemp/cotton lining. The Smith Center is a textile/clothing manufacturer dedicated to the use of sustainable materials.

[demerphq]

Yeah hemp is pretty nice for some things. But cold weather kit isnt one of them.. For me its GORE-TEX and only GORE-TEX... (One of the most important inventions of the US space program...) Even the GORE-TEX rip offs dont come close. (At least the ones ive tried)

Yves / DeMerphq
---
Writing a good benchmark isnt as easy as it might look.

[Anonymous Monk]

Plus you can smoke it when you get bored

[Arguile]

I can't resist opening a good can of worms.

Actually quite a lot of cotton grown in North America is genetically engineered and produces a bacterial pesticide within itself, so it requires very little in the way of spray pesticides now.

However, given concerns about; quicker evolution of resistant insects due to how successfully the 'natural' bacterial pesticide works, large firms such as Monsanto having a virtual monopoly on specific crops (including cotton) due to the US patent system allowing patents of genes, introducing genetically modified plants into the eco-system at all, etc. You may still favour the other farming practices. ;)

Pro:
• Monsanto Press Release
• A Cotton Tale
Con:
• Sierra Club Biotech Articles

Edit kudra, 2002-05-27 closed unclosed list