Categories

Content Type

Sources

Valentine's Day endangered-species condoms?

By Pat Brennan, The Orange County Register, Source: MCT News Service

Environmental activists worried about overpopulation say they'll have a Valentine's Day gift for the nation: free endangered-species condoms.

The Center for Biological Diversity, based in Tucson, Ariz., says it will distribute the condoms around the country. Images of six endangered species will appear on the condom packages.

For now, they are saying little else, keeping details _ including which species they've chosen _ under wraps until the big launch next week.

"Now we're trying to stuff tons of these things into boxes, trying to get them all out by Monday (Feb. 8)," said Randy Serraglio, a conservation advocate at the Center. "We'll see if that actually happens."

The activist group is best known for filing lawsuits and taking other action to stop development of habitat for threatened and endangered species. But it has struck a chord with the public in recent years with innovative publicity efforts, such as offering downloadable endangered-species ring tones.

And the point of distributing condoms? Increasing human population is threatening many species, both by erasing their habitat and, with rising greenhouse gas emissions, driving climate change, which could further shrink native ecosystems, Serraglio said.

"It's really a problem that can easily be addressed," he said. "Nearly half of all the pregnancies in the United States are unintended. A lot of people don't realize, that's a lot of irresponsible reproduction.

"The condoms are there to highlight the consequences of personal choices. These little things go a long way toward protecting whatever endangered species lives in your neighborhood."

The Center has been involved over the years in fights over many species, from the jaguar to the threatened California gnatcatcher, once the subject of bitter disputes over development in Orange County, Calif.

The condoms could be distributed at public events, on campuses, perhaps even in shopping malls; Serraglio told the group's members to use their imaginations.

___

Originally posted at Green OC (http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/).

___

(c) 2010, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).

Visit the Register on the World Wide Web at http://www.ocregister.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

_____

TO SUBSCRIBE TO GREEN

Items in the Green package are not included in your MCT News Service subscription. You can subscribe to the Green package or purchase the items a la carte on MCT Direct at www.mctdirect.com. To subscribe, please call Rick DeChantal at Tribune Media Services at (800) 245-6536 or rdechantal@tribune.com. Outside the United States, call Tribune Media Services International at +1-312-222-4444 or e-mail tmsisales@tribune.com.