Bearskin Hats
Wednesday, 24. May 2006, 22:54:25
In recent news the NZHerald reports on the protests against the British army's use of bearskin headgear. This story has got a bit of coverage worldwide (hey, it reached New Zealand after all).
I'm all for the continued use of bearskin hats.
It's a renewable resource that is environmentally friendly. Synthetic materials tend not to be so good for the environment.
Also, as bear populations are managed by hunting, not using the fur does seem rather wasteful. Especially when this seems to pose no palpable risk to the bear populations.
Finally, it's a fine tradition to bearskin headgear going back to the Napoleonic era. Snythetic hats look very poor in comparison (like a bad 60s-style Beatles wig) and get much heavier when they're wet.
I'm all for the continued use of bearskin hats.
It's a renewable resource that is environmentally friendly. Synthetic materials tend not to be so good for the environment.
Also, as bear populations are managed by hunting, not using the fur does seem rather wasteful. Especially when this seems to pose no palpable risk to the bear populations.
Finally, it's a fine tradition to bearskin headgear going back to the Napoleonic era. Snythetic hats look very poor in comparison (like a bad 60s-style Beatles wig) and get much heavier when they're wet.
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By hungryghost, # 26. May 2006, 01:30:37
By leirom, # 26. May 2006, 05:25:31
Polyester "bearskin" hats really don't work for me...
By chthoniid, # 28. May 2006, 20:50:55
I think I've had this conversation with other Norwegians :-). I think the key so often with wildlife, is that if something is working, don't mess with it.
John Wamsley in Australia has a nice description of how animals get 'conserved to death'. You might have a farmer with a patch of bush on his property. He might be maintaining it for a bit of erosion control or something similar. Inside are some native animals. The farmer shoots pests (foxes and the like) as they're also a threat to his stock. Based on this management, the native animals are sustained.
Then someone works out the farmer has some threatened animals in his patch. The area is turned into protected area. The farmer stops managing the area.
Nobody else steps up with the day-to-day management the farmer does. Weeds and pests encroach into the protected area. The native animals get wiped out. The populations have been literally 'conserved to death'.
By chthoniid, # 28. May 2006, 21:09:52
By leirom, # 29. May 2006, 03:11:49