UKC

Five Ten driven by cruel activities

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 mloskot 03 Sep 2011
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"
 JLS 03 Sep 2011
In reply to mloskot:

Intresting post raising many issues of concern.

For good or bad I think globalisation is going to be around for a while but my gut feeling is that western capitalism will implode in the not so far future. When all our jobs have been shipped East who will be left able to afford a new IPad? Ofcoarse my gut feeling may just be a symptom of irrational fear of change. Perhaps work in Tesco won't be so bad when those that are planing to move my job to India succeed.
 Sir Chasm 03 Sep 2011
In reply to mloskot: I think you'll find that they don't generally stick the swords and picadors into the bulls during the running. So that's ok.
OP mloskot 03 Sep 2011
In reply to JLS: Thanks.

I work in IT, so I also feel the breath of East on my shoulder
I hope I don't sound paranoid. I consider myself quite sensible and pragmatic. It's just there are things of higher nature and of various kinds which make me ask questions.
OP mloskot 04 Sep 2011
In reply to Sir Chasm: In my opinion, it is not. For similar reasons I rather buy free range eggs, even if the intensive factory farming companies promise they don't squeeze the eggs out of chickens

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