Hi,
Today, I was browsing Five Ten website and stumbled across an astonishingly disappointing content - an event titled Grab Life by the Horns, Pampalona 2011:
http://fiveten.com/community/blog/pamplona/tag/blogtags/pamplona/criteria:8
along with the new freerunners shoes designed for "bulls run".
http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/11997-a-freerunners-review-of-the-...
I simply do not understand what has driven Five Ten folks. I'm not an eco-warrior of any kind, I'm a typical customer but I try to make my shoppping decisions on the basis of common sense (yes, I consider recycling as a common sense nowadays). So, I do consider if a company is aware of recycling, carbon-neutral, eco-friendly, at least tries to not to make in China [1], does the business with minimum degree of ethics [2], etc.
For myself, the thrill-seeking at the animals' expense stays in contradiction with the ethics in economy.
Here are other and quite related issues referred above I've been contemplating lately:
[1]
http://news.v12outdoor.com/2011/08/05/llanberis-slate-guide-coming-to-v12-s...
"Llanberis Slate guide has been packed off to the printers in Hong Kong"
This is another interesting aspect - globalisation versus local business.
I asked V12 on Facebook if couldn't really support local business, saving energy, and received answer:
"Most of us at the at the shop totally agree, and your argument is well made. It would be really interesting to see what other people think on the matter, as working day to day in the shop, it is alarming how many climbers complain about guidebooks costing £20 or less!!"
[2] It reminds me my surprise I read Patagonia FAQ:
http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=37493#relations
Q: Do children make your clothes?
A: (...) we will work with no factory that employs workers under 15 (...)
I know parents in UK who are scared to death if they allow their 12 years old kids walk to school alone!
"Darling, says father to his teenage daughter keen in outdoor sports, here is a new jacket sawed by your little friend in China, try it on, will you?"
There are climbing folks & companies considering these as issues worth to face. ProRock, outdoor company from Poland started "China Stopper" initiative. Polish bouldering champion displayed t-shirt with "China Stopper" logo (inspired by Windstopper, but with changed text) during Bouldering Cup in China in 2009 to manifest support for Tibet...and was arrested (news in Polish):
http://www.climb.pl/tomasz-oleksy-zatrzymany-za-noszenie-nowej-kolekcji-pro...
Climbing communities have been driven by/aligned to high ethical standards.
Sometimes I'm wondering how quickly and silently things can change. Hopefully not irretrievably.
"times they are a changin"