As the effects of winter fade with the turning pages of the calendar that brings us spring, I lament at seeing winter go. Its icy touch, its cool embrace and its long nights — just call me a winter baby.

But as winter departs, leaving us with sunny skies, there are a few things I can safely say will not be missed. Fur coats are on this list, and especially the many articles of fur-trimmed clothing tastelessly worn around campus this passing season.

Before I can call the fashion tacky and tawdry, especially given today’s technology and availability of faux alternatives, I have only one thought in your defense — perhaps you were an ill-informed consumer. Maybe you did not realize what you were buying.

Since 2007, the Humane Society of the United States has actively been running campaigns to raise awareness of the use of fur in the fashion industry. It’s not only the use of fur that’s getting headlines, but also false labeling that allows companies to get away from admitting their fur use.

The ongoing “Fur-Free” campaign is specially designed to target advertisements and labels breaking laws or misleading consumers in their decision-making. Depending on the worth or value of the fur, it may not even need a label, leaving ecologically-conscious shoppers in the dark.

Based on the society’s two-year investigation, the Washington Post has reported that even stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Burlington Coat Factory have all admitted to selling jackets made with rabbit or dog hair. These were in turn labeled as another species or as faux fur.

The society also found many of these same stores were selling clothing trimmed with fur from the raccoon dog, which is only found in Asian countries and is similar to raccoon fur.

Admittedly, there is faux fur trim around the hood of my winter jacket. Fortunately, I am able to tell faux from real, and I knew when I bought it that it was not the latter of the two. But it’s getting harder and harder to do that.

My sister’s boyfriend bought a jacket at Christmas unknowingly made of a combination. The only animal he is allergic to is cats, and soon enough he reacted to it accordingly. We were convinced there was cat fur embedded in the faux trim.

Love them or hate them, one visit to PETA’s Web site is not only informative but stomach churning. With videos and stories of fur farms, they really illustrate what’s going on behind closed doors.

Their Web site tells of the horrors. “Animals on fur farms spend their lives in tiny cages only to be killed by electrocution, which causes them to have a heart attack. Some are skinned alive. Animals in the wild may languish for days in traps before they die or are killed.”

Although the fur industry does what it can to stay in business, we need to be aware of what we’re buying, even if the label tells us it’s OK.

This means not only carefully reading those labels, but maybe researching the clothing line before we start shopping. Or, maybe it means staying away from “fur” trims altogether, especially if you can’t tell the difference.

Imagine finding out days after purchasing something that you’re actually wearing fox or cat fur. Whether you think it’s ethical or not, this is about more than just fashion. As consumers, we should be aware of what industries we are supporting by buying their products.

The Federal Fur Products Identification Act specifically states: “All furs are subject to the act and regulations regardless of whether the name of the animal producing the fur appears in the Fur Products Name Guide.”

The Act further states, “Each and every fur product, except those exempted … shall be labeled and invoiced in conformity with the requirements of the act and rules and regulations.”

However, by labeling it as faux, companies find the loophole and nothing more needs to be said.

States like Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Delaware and Illinois already have or are working on bills to address the issue. Delaware, for example, has amended its Prohibited Trade Practices Act to include label requirements for apparel containing fur.

Iowa does not yet have any such bills on the table, which means it is up to us to be informed about the products we are buying for ourselves, our children and as gifts.

Dealing in fur should not be an option. But even as ethically-aware consumers given an array of synthetic and faux alternatives, this is still difficult to achieve because of an industry that actively confuses and hides its practices.

Erin Mastre is a graduate student in landscape architecture from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.