Now, in this case, I know the amount of water used in the production of cotton is huge. Just look at the Aral sea (or rather what is left of it).
In the article it says this
> Farmed sheep don’t live as long as they naturally would and experience varying degrees of exploitation in their lifetime.
Okay, fair enough. Now suppose I source my wool from sheep that are kept well, but have shorter lifespans. If I'd then switch to cotton, I'd contribute to entire ecosystems being impacted due to water usage.
So what is the morally correct choice? Is there one? Can we as consumers even actually make an educated call here? I really do hope the answer to the latter is yes, but certainly isn't straightforward to me.
That was not the intention with that claim. I meant to convey something more minimal: if you after investigation have no strong reason to think either is environmentally worse then let animal harm considerations break the tie.
> suppose I source my wool from sheep that are kept well, but have shorter lifespans. If I'd then switch to cotton, I'd contribute to entire ecosystems being impacted due to water usage.
What does "kept well" mean? If a sheep was really treated well in the sense of it not being subjected to the many harms that 99% of all sheep currently are subjected to and was individually cared for, including appropriate food and veterinary attention, then it would likely live much longer, unless someone kills it while still healthy and with years left to live, which does not sound like "kept well". Also, the water usage comparison depends on what type of cotton production you're comparing to, since there exists recycled cotton and various smaller scale production methods geared to reduce water usage.
As for the climate impact of wool see https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24008053/wool-marketing-e...
Side note, the article they link to about alternatives states
> The most common vegan alternative to wool is organic cotton. Now cotton is not perfect, as it requires a lot of water to produce, but I’ve found it to be the best functional alternative.
Which for clothes I guess is true. But it also is interesting to me how easily they brush past the water issue.
It is the sort of thing I personally often get stuck on as a consumer trying to do the right thing. There are so many things to weigh against each other that sometimes it seems like it is impossible to make the right choice.
I suppose making any choice is better than making no choices though. I just wish it was easier for me in these type of situations.