Having recently viewed 'An Inconvenient Truth', by Al Gore, my mind continues to swirl through the new maze that is always created by thought-provoking fodder. Whatever one's political view of Al Gore, it has to be said that within this product, his film, is contained the highest-profile, easiest to digest look at global climate change ever created. Al Gore might win an Oscar for it, and he would be well-deserving. Probably never before in history has the person who lost the presidential race returned to public view so decisively.

What will the result of Al Gore's and so many others work be on public action? That remains to be seen. The first thing to look at is: What are we directly responsible for? On the website climatecrisis.net, there are some easy ways highlited to reduce our personal burden on planet Earth. One that makes a lot of sense is 'ride a bike'. There are reasons for commuting and running your errands by bicycle that have a much greater effect on our lives than lower carbon emissions. Greater health, for example. Sometimes healthy people don't feel the need for greater health, so reducing their carbon emissions now moves to the #1 spot. Whatever your reasons become for using the bicycle more in your everyday life, they are the right ones. I now use a bicycle to manage over 90% of my 'inside city limits' travel. DeFeet Founder Shane Cooper rode his one hour commute to DeFeet 70 times by bicycle in 2006. His goal in 2007 is to double that. My favorite time for commuting by bike is during the snowy, icy winter. For me it has become the preferred method simply because it's much more entertaining to maneuver 35 lbs. and two wheels than 6,000 lbs and four wheels. Cars and trucks really do lean the wrong way while cornering.

We also look at the impact made by our company. This is where it feels pretty good to be with DeFeet. We have always been told, and realized through our own usage, that DeFeet products don't just last longer than comparable products - they last WAY longer. Durability is a hallmark result of our manufacturing processes. While we made our stuff the same way before it became vogue to talk about the environment, the truth remains: DeFeet socks will see more seasons and stand a greater chance of being used through even more life-cycles on the second-hand market. How can a sock say that? We've seen the independant lab test results, and in product-to-product testing against the other top brands, DeFeet socks are at minimum 5x more durable, and in most cases over 10x more durable! Those are staggering results.

What is the result of the results? You tell us - we hear again and again that if we made less durable socks that you would by them more frequently. No one wins, though, if that were the case. Even us - we'd have to work harder making more socks. We'd rather work harder to make less of a better product, and that's what we do.

DeFeet also goes further to find new materials that both meet our perfomance standards and lessen the impact on Earth. The 'Eartheator' sock, made from the annually renewable resource of corn, is a big step in the right direction. It is also a step that DeFeet was the first to make in our industry.

Making a pair of socks, whether they are $12 or $1, requires a substantial amount of water. DeFeet uses high-speed washing extractors that use much less water than other facilities. That 12 pac of socks at Costco? They come with a price - and Mother Earth pays the dearest. There is a very good chance that one pair of DeFeet socks will outlast three of those 12 pacs (and then live on for another wearer!). Our closest competitor? You might have to buy five pairs of theirs during the life span of your DeFeet pair.

So, we ask - why? Why make less? Even if Earth were the healthiest she has ever been, DeFeet would do it this way. Our 'raison d'etre', our purpose for being, is to make the finest socks on Earth. That ours are also the best socks FOR Earth is yet another compelling reason to keep making them - and we hope for you to let others know that they too can buy and use less by wearing DeFeet socks.