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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Vegan Leather

Walk the Talk with Cruelty-Free Shoes

With a wealth of luxury faux alternatives available in today’s market, shoe lovers can obtain the quality footwear they desire without incurring the usual environmental and human health costs.

Vegan leather is an animal-friendly alternative to real leather, derived from synthetic materials. No cow, sheep, goat or any other animal is killed in order to make vegan leather shoes, and for most people, that’s a good enough reason to choose it over the “real” thing. Provided that we pick the right maker, it also boasts the added advantage of being far more eco-friendly and sustainable than conventional leather.

Elizabeth Olsen, founder of the luxury vegan shoe brand Olsenhaus, says, “The only difference is the materials—one uses a dead animal’s skin preserved in toxic chemicals; the other is made from a mixture of natural and manmade materials that are better for animals and the environment.”

Twenty times more energy is used to create a leather hide than what is required for synthesized material. Conventional leather tanning involves treating animal skins with large quantities of toxic chemicals, including mineral salts, lead, cyanide and formaldehyde. This process wreaks havoc on our environment and the people that work in or live near tanneries, where chemical exposure can cause sickness or even be lethal.

Olsen cautions that just because a shoe is vegan doesn’t mean it’s been made in an eco-friendly way. She uses natural and manmade materials such as linen, cotton, cork, wood, imitation leathers and recycled faux suede in her vegan shoe line. To assess the quality of vegan leather shoes, she advises, “Shoppers can feel the material and look at the grain to see if it’s faux; with faux, the grain will show a repeating pattern. Also, look for labels noting materials either inside or on the bottom of shoes.”

Olsen notes that an online search for vegan fashion will yield everything from adult couture to baby clothes. Several websites and blogs report on the latest vegan products. She especially likes GirlieGirlArmy.com for vegan lifestyle and fashion.

Eco Tip
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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