There are many products that we use every day where we do our best to ignore the side effects. For example, there is a giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico right now primarily because we all need fuel for our cars, trucks, trains and planes.

There are many other products we use where we simply do not know the side effects that they have. Fish oil pills are one example, as discussed in this post.

If you have a down coat or a down comforter, chances are you have no idea where the down came from. The following video demonstrates one source of down that is truly distressing and painful to watch. You do not want to watch it unless you are looking for a dose of reality:

Goose down practices called animal cruelty

No one knows how widespread the practice is, but it appears to be fairly common in places like China and Hungary.

If you grew up in a rural area or if you are a history fan, you know that people have been making feather pillows and feather beds forever – long before there were manufactured mattresses. So where did those feathers come from? They were probably live-plucked, but in a more humane way, as seen here:

Plucking Ducks

If, after watching the video, you would rather use something other than down in your coat or comforter, what are your options? One option is Primaloft, as demonstrated in this video:

PrimaLoft Insulation Technology Demo

Another option is wool fibers, especially in comforters. One brand name is Mycraloft.

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