Do you know how animals killed for their fur usually die? By anal electrocution. New York State has just banned this practice, which is widely used in the fur industry because it’s cheap. Though it’s not like they banned fur or anything, which would have been a lot happier for the animals involved. But at least this might send a message to fur-wearing New Yorkers: you shouldn’t wear an animal who died by ANAL ELECTROCUTION so you could look rich. That’s just in bad taste.

In other news, Dr. Bronner’s filed a lawsuit claiming that thirteen of their competitors (including Kiss My Face and Hain Celestial Group) use the term “organic” on their products while they continue to use petrochemicals in their ingredients. The suit also names two organic certification agencies who provided the certifications to the manufacturers named in the suit. The article says,

“The U.S. does not maintain standards for organic cosmetics and soaps, so Dr. Bronner’s went to the federal Department of Agriculture, which regulates farm goods, and obtained a seal for its products. Dr. Bronner’s lawsuit was conceived five years ago when the word “organic” began appearing on widely marketed products, which never had to meet a standard to use that term.”

The article also mentions that many of the products manufactured by the companies included in the lawsuit contain the chemical by-product 1,4 -Dioxane (which I wrote about here). Seriously, how can companies who include this crap in their products even possibly include the word “organic” on their labels? This has bothered me for a long time, and I wish Dr. Bronner’s luck in their suit. Since they’ve included Hain, one of the largest operators of natural food and body care companies (including Alba, Zia, and JASON, as well as Arrowhead Mills, Spectrum, and Celestial Seasonings), they’re going to need all the help they can get.