For many, promoting the cause to help stop global warming while simultaneously harming the environment may seem to be a bit ironic.

However, the promoters for www.stopglobalwarming.org apparently have a different take on it. When browsing their website, an option to purchase promotional items can be found. Products such as sweatshirts, handbags, pants and watches are available to the public.

Among the various items, there is an entire collection of leather-made goods. Wait minute, leather? That’s right folks; our friends over at www.StopGlobalWarming.org are throwing us all for a spin.

Oil and water is what came to mind when viewing the leather wristband, which reads, “STOP GLOBAL WARMING”. We’ll take a step back here and look at the process taken to create these promotional leather items.

First, massive amounts of cows are needed in order for leather to be produced. This would call for the use of factory farms. Keep in mind; the slaughtering of cows is something, which helps us create items for the fashionable consumer. Way to go guys!

We won’t stop there. Factory farming has shown to be a leading contributor to our current global situation.

Jennifer M. Fitzenberger, reporter for the Fresno Bee, was quoted in www.Peta.org regarding a study finding “that a single dairy cow ’emits 19.3 pounds of volatile organic compounds per year, making dairies the largest source of the smog-making gas, surpassing trucks and passenger cars.'”

Keeping these cows huddled together in factory farms throughout the world contributes to releasing mass amounts of methane gas per day. Wouldn’t you think the leaders over at Stop Global Warming might have considered this before releasing leather bracelets onto the market?

In addition to methane gas, we also have other conditions and contributions to consider. Factory farms require fuel for trucks, electricity, water, land use, and production of grains.

Doris Schubert, writer for the Leather Processing Industry, found that most leather contains chromium.

“Chrome-tanning facilities waste nearly 15,000 gallons of water and produce up to 2,200 pounds of ‘solid-waste’ (e.g., hair, flesh, and trimmings) for every ton of hides that it processes,” said Schubert.

Now, let’s get this straight. The virtual march to stop global warming would like you and me to help this cause by purchasing leather goods that further worsen global warming. This really makes sense.

Not only do they sell leather wristbands, they have an entire market, run by the company Roots, located in Canada. Leather handbags, watches, wallets, and travel gear are also available to help fight the cause.

Now, don’t be thrown off by their misleading name or their slogan for the accessories, “eco-friendly”. Apparently, they believe that creating and selling these products made from scrap leather is a good idea.

Bottom line, leather is leather. This is as ironic as a vegan saying they don’t consume animal foods, only scrap meat.

Dr. Jacky Turner, Senior Research Officer for Compassion in World Farming Trust, wrote a report, ‘Factory Farming and the Environment”, which includes interesting information relating to the effects factory farming has on our environment.

His report stated the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concluded that production has become a big issue in the decline of the environment.

Ok, maybe the leaders over at www.stopglobalwarming.org and Roots Leather Production weren’t able to get their hands on this information. Perhaps this is why they opted for an entire leather market to back up their cause. Sounds possible, right?

Now, where does this leave us? A good idea might be logging onto the global warming website and writing an e-mail to the guys on that end. Give them a friendly earful and tell them what you think. Or maybe send them in the direction of the FAO to conduct a bit more research before they throw something like leather products onto the market.