The fiber derived from the fur of animals, such as sheep, goats, llamas and even camels, has protected mankind for over 25,000 years. Wool has an abundance of natural attributes, like inhibiting bacterial growth (body odor) and its built-in UV protection. It is soft, yet strong and durable, and is wrinkle, dirt and fire resistant (it will smolder rather then burn or melt), making it a good textile for carpeting, home furnishings, bedding and, of course, sweaters. There are some concerns with it as "pesticides are used on sheep for wool production to control infection from parasites (Fletcher, 10). Pesticides are either poured on the sheep or the sheep is injected with the insecticide or dipped in a chemical bath (10). Badly managed pesticides can adversely effect 'watercourses both on the farm and in subsequent downstream processing' (10). In cases where the organophosphates (Ops) has been replaced by cypermethrim, due to risk of health problems in humans, aquatic life becomes in danger of water pollution through high toxicity levels (10)." (Social Alterations: Fibre Analysis by Mary Hanlon, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License)
