[pct-l] down vs synthetic

[elee at microsoft.com (Eric Lee (GAMES))]

Dude wrote:
>
If you really want to consider what type of bag impacts the environment
least (and by extension, which bag is less harmful to living creatures),
you may want to consider that **most** sythetic fibers require the use
of petroleum, which is very harmful to the environment.  Support of the
petroleum industry causes tons of terrible chemical pollution every
year, global warming, oil spills that kill all sorts of animals, wars,
etc.
>

If you really want an environmentally-friendly bag, you could look into
eider down.  It's produced primarily in Iceland and is collected from
the nests of eider ducks after they've raised their chicks, so there's
zero negative impact on the animals.  Of course, it's also outrageously
expensive, but hey, you can't have everything.  I doubt that you'd be
able to find a manufactured bag with eider down, but I just happened to
have recently heard AYCE at http://www.thru-hiker.com say that he could
source it for you if you want to build your own.  

Eric