The Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit conservation organization based in the US, will take full advantage of the love in the air this Valentine’s Day by disseminating 4,000 free Endangered Species Condoms to eight of the most romantic getaway cities in North America. From Bar Harbor, Maine, to Santa Fe, N.M., the condoms will be given away by volunteers to playfully raise awareness about how runaway human population growth is affecting endangered species around the globe.
The Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit conservation organization based in the US, will take full advantage of the love in the air this Valentine’s Day by disseminating 4,000 free Endangered Species Condoms to eight of the most romantic getaway cities in North America. From Bar Harbor, Maine, to Santa Fe, N.M., the condoms will be given away by volunteers to playfully raise awareness about how runaway human population growth is affecting endangered species around the globe.
“Valentine's Day is the perfect time to spread a message of love by speaking out about human population growth and endangered species protection,” said Taralynn Reynolds, population and sustainability organizer at the Center. “Endangered Species Condoms are a great way to start the conversation about how our actions have impacts on polar bears, panthers and other critically endangered species.”
The condoms — wrapped in colorful packages featuring six different endangered species — will be distributed in bars, cafes, yoga studios, farmers' markets, college campuses and more by volunteers in places recently ranked by USA TODAY as the most romantic getaway cities in the US: Bar Harbor; Santa Fe; Honolulu; St. Paul, Minn.; Savannah, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; New Orleans; and Naples, Fla. The Center says more than a half-million Endangered Species Condoms have been given away since 2009.
“The Center’s condoms are a great way to protect yourself and the planet this Valentine’s Day,” said Reynolds. “They’re also a fun way to get people talking about how our growing human population — which now tops 7 billion — isn’t leaving much room for other species.”
In addition to the condoms, the Center has created a series of cheeky “Endangered Love” e-cards that people can share with their loved ones on Valentine’s Day with slogans such as "Ménage à Wildlife" and “Harold, do you remember when we were wild?”
In 2013, the Center expanded its population program to encompass overconsumption and sustainability, which are intimately tied to the impact that human population size has on endangered species. The Center is the only environmental organization with a full-time campaign dedicated to addressing rampant human population growth and overconsumption and their link to the current extinction crisis.
Published Feb 12, 2014 7pm EST / 4pm PST / 12am GMT / 1am CET