Greenpeace recently funded a survey in which it was claimed that using kangaroo leather in place of other leathers can radically reduce one's carbon footprint. The perhaps unhygienic reason for this is that kangaroos don't produce flatulence (so to speak). Cows and sheep produce vast volumes of methane through belching and, well, whatever happens at the other end.
The kangaroo's superiority in many ways might not be as bizarre as it might first appear: the marsupials have great personal hygiene, need less food than sheep or cattle and are better adapted to drought; they are generally high up the evolutionary tree (although, sadly for them, not as high as us).
The Greenpeace-funded report, authored by the Australian scientist Dr Mark Diesendorf, claims that Australia can reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent by 2020. One way it can do this is by cutting down on cows. Dr Diesendorf writes that reducing beef consumption by 20 per cent and putting Skippy on the dinner plate [and on your feet] instead would cut 15 megatonnes of greenhouses gases from the atmosphere by 2020. "Kangaroos do not emit greenhouse gases," he writes. "They are not hooved animals, either, so they don't damage the soil." He adds that kangaroo is very healthy and low in fat. "There's a small subset of environmentalists who see the kangaroo as a cuddly animal which should be left alone. They are entitled to their view, but more and more people are moving towards eating it."
Vein Wear makes stunning customised men's shoes and boots in supple kangaroo leathers. They are soft, light weight, flexible and durable. "Kangaroo leather is by far one of the best leathers in the world to make shoes from", says Vein Wear shoe designer Christopher McCallum. "If the leathers are tanned in Australia then they are also subject to our country's stringent environmental policies."
So there you have it. If you're into eco-friendly shoes, a walk in a roo is the best thing to do.
Contact Vein Wear [chris@veinwear.com] or visit one of their Brisbane boutiques to discuss making a pair of your own kangaroo leather shoes.
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