When animals become extinct it is more than tragic, it is down right disgusting, and when animals appear on the endangered species list it is a very sad and pathetic truth of human behavior. It seems that humans refuse to take responsibility for their actions and turn a blind eye when a creature’s existence comes into question. As if the problem or issue will magically disappear if they just do not pay attention to the crisis. World Population Day was celebrated on Friday, July 11 and that was when the Center for Biological Diversity handed out, not just 40,000 condoms but 40,000 endangered species condoms to maybe help shed some light on a very serious issue.
The Center for Biological Diversity condom publicity stunt is hoping to get people to see how the human population is rising so quickly while certain animal numbers are dropping dangerously. The not for profit organization is hoping to start a conversation on how humans do not even consider how our rise in number can and is effecting wildlife everywhere.
Explaining that the world has a whopping addition of 227,000 people every day, the Center for Biological Diversity wants people to be aware of the numbers, of the consequences. In a statement the organization released, they explain how the rate of extinction is alarming and that no one seems to be talking about how our “well-documented affects our exploding numbers” actually have on the planet and everything that lives on it.
The condoms have catchy slogans that rhyme to help draw attention to the serious situation of endangered species. The project was launched in 2009 and has given out over hundreds of thousands of these endangered species condoms in the U.S. since. The condom packages are all wildlife themed and very colorful, designed by Lori Lieber with the artwork being done by Roger Peet. Some of the slogans include; Don’t go bare…panthers are rare, When you’re feeling tender…think about the hellbender, and Wrap with care…save the polar bear. Each packet includes two condoms and facts about the endangered species highlighted on that condom.
The concern is that the wildlife population is being pushed out to compensate for the 7 billion plus human population the Earth is trying to sustain. A serious problem that no one seems to want to talk about. Things like the loss of habitat, resource depletion, ocean acidification and climate change.
According to the World Wildlife Organization, there are 83 species of wildlife that are endangered and should be of concern to every one. Out of those 83 species, 10 are listed as near threatened, 15 listed as vulnerable, 33 are listed as endangered and 16 listed as critically endangered. Species like the black rhino, mountain gorilla, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran Orangutan, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhino, the leather-back turtle and the Amur leopard appear on the critically endangered list.
Maybe condoms will help the conversation of endangered species to continue and be taken seriously. However when humans are the problem, it is a little more difficult to get the situation under control but the Center for Biological Diversity is continuing to do its part. Donations can be made to help continue the endangered species condoms project at the Center for Biological Diversity website listed below. With the organization being a non-profit organization, condoms are not sold but given out free at special events like Earth Day and World Population Day. The condoms are given out in bars, universities, concerts, local events and even farmers’ markets.
By Derik L. Bradshaw
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2 thoughts on “Endangered Species: Maybe Condoms Will Help?”
Thanks, Derik, for sharing this news. And thanks, Tabitha, for expressing the very appropriate concern about the “taboo” on discussing overpopulation and limiting family size. That’s why I’m such a huge fan of what the Center for Biological Diversity is doing. In fact, I’ve been handing out their condoms and filming the conversations that inspires with people on the street, and I’ve finally come up with “Think Small” Family Stickers to allow people to express pride about their decision to plan a small family.
You can check out my videos with the Endangered Species Condoms on the GrowthBuster YouTube channel, and you can learn more about the stickers at http://www.growthbusters.org/think-small-family-stickers/ Don’t mean to be so self-promotional, but this is all part of a very worthy non-profit project.
Dave Gardner
Director of the documentary
GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth
Population growth is something that bothers me a great deal. There is certainly a sort of political incorrectness that I feel restricts me from talking about it. Nobody wants to be overpopulated but nobody wants to suggest that people refrain from having babies either.
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