Pamela Anderson to Boris Johnson: It Would Be ‘Unconscionable’ Not to Replace Bearskin Caps With Faux Fur
Pamela Anderson to Boris Johnson: It Would Be ‘Unconscionable’ Not to Replace Bearskin Caps With Faux Fur
London – Following PETA’s unveiling of the world’s first faux–bear fur hat created by luxury faux furrier ECOPEL, actor Pamela Anderson sent a letter to Boris Johnson urging him to replace the bearskin caps worn by the Queen’s Guard with the humane alternative. She pointed out that, as prime minister, Johnson is now in a position to make good on the statement he made as Mayor of London that synthetic fur caps should be used if they would “help save a few bears”.
In the letter (available here), Anderson notes that the switch would save more than just a few, as it takes the fur of at least one bear to make a single cap. “[It’s] outrageous that the caps worn by the Queen’s Guard – a British icon – are still made from the fur of bears who are killed in my native Canada,” she writes. “This is especially senseless given that PETA and top luxury faux furrier ECOPEL have created the world’s first faux bear fur that looks and feels exactly like the real deal – but doesn’t harm a hair on a bear’s head.”
ECOPEL – which donated its time and expertise and built custom machinery to produce the animal-friendly material – has offered to provide the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with faux bear fur free of charge until 2030. The material matches the exact length of real bear fur, is easily rendered 100% waterproof, and is more eco-friendly than real fur, which must be treated with toxic chemicals to prevent it from decomposing. ECOPEL’s faux fur is also made in closed-loop factories, which means all water and chemicals used in its production are recycled.
Over the past seven years alone, the MoD has spent more than £1 million of taxpayers’ money on 891 bearskin caps, which are ornamental and serve no military purpose. About 20 years after the UK banned fur farming, and with a post-Brexit ban on the importation of fur anticipated, a tried-and-tested alternative to the Queen’s Guard’s bearskin caps is ready to be rolled out. “It would be unconscionable not to take [this solution] and to continue to allow innocent animals to be killed when a humane alternative exists,” concludes Anderson.
A PETA “bear” also descended on 10 Downing Street on Thursday, carrying a sign reading, “Boris, Save My Skin!” calling on the prime minister to quick-march the new fabric into use.
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
An image of Anderson is available here. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Contact:
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]
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