Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagicFormer Smiths frontman Morrissey is challenging a major automobile manufacturer to offer vegan leather interiors.
In a letter to General Motors CEO Mary T. Barra, the longtime anti-animal cruelty activist suggests the company should offer the option of vegan leather, including steering wheels and gearshift, on GM’s Volt and Bolt models, which he notes “are being marketed to eco-conscious buyers.”
In his letter, Morrissey cites a recent video from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals decrying the treatment of animals that supply leather to GM and other car companies. He says cows are “branded on the face, electro-shocked, and beaten before they're slaughtered to become leather interiors.”
Morrissey also notes the environmental impact of leather manufacturing, saying “51% of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture” and the runoff from toxic chemicals used to treat animal skins “poisons vital waterways.”
Ever the polite Englishman, Morrissey ends his letter by saying, “Entirely vegan options would only broaden [the cars’] appeal. I look forward to your reply.”
Morrissey, who performs Wednesday night in Royal Oak, Michigan, near GM’s home base of Detroit, is a longtime vegan and member of PETA.
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.