Some of the proceeds from your next purchase of a jacket, backpack, or pair of ski pants could help聽fund Koch Industries, the聽company run by brothers Charles and David Koch.
The billion-dollar conglomerate is known primarily for its the fossil-fuel industry, including ownership of oil and natural-gas pipelines, refineries, and Canada鈥檚 Alberta tar sands. And its owners have earned press for their聽hefty donations to right-wing political candidates who in general聽. As earlier this week, the Koch brothers are聽planning to spend a record $400 million to support conservative politicians and agendas during the 2018 midterm elections. Koch Industries also owns Invista, a fabric company whose product lines include Lycra, Coolmax, and Cordura.
You鈥檙e probably familiar with聽these materials from your gear closet. Notoriously tough 聽fabrics are common in backpacks and outerwear from top gear companies, including Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Topo Designs, North Face, Mammut, and Mountain Hardwear. (The companies we reached out to either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comments before publication.) Meanwhile, is commonly added to fitness聽clothing,聽from yoga apparel and performance jeans to socks and underwear. , a wicking synthetic fiber, is found in many running socks.
When it comes to expensive, technical outdoor gear, where durability is paramount, brands and consumers want the best materials available. Yet in this case, the materials聽come with a聽catch for some buyers and brands, as the funds ultimately trickle back to two of the most politically influential聽anti-public-lands figures in the country.
鈥淲e never would compromise our environmental or social standards and stand firm behind our sourcing principles,鈥 a Patagonia spokesperson told 罢丑别听骋耻补谤诲颈补苍. 鈥淏ut sometimes we end up doing business with companies whose ownership has values very different from our own. We can only hope to inspire them to join us in putting the planet and people ahead of short-term profit.鈥