Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The pro-life coalition American Life League has a new tactic for convincing women not to use birth control: The Pill Kills the Environment campaign, set to launch this Saturday, June 5. From the “Talking Points” section of the campaign website:
Q: What can we do to help save our environment?
A: Educate! Educate the women in your life about the dangerous consequences the birth control pill can have, not only on them but on their preborn baby and all of the people in their community as well. The very fact that scientists are finding “intersex” fish, that is male fish with eggs in their testes, should be enough to alarm the environmentalists in your area and others that are concerned about protecting our environment. Scientists are finding that the presence of female hormones in our water is making male fish, frogs and river otters less masculine.
Oy. It’s true that the hormones from birth control are a problem in waterways, but ALL’s take on the subject lacks some serious perspective, to say the least. As we reported in an Econundrum on the subject:
Long-lasting devices like diaphragms create less waste than single-use rubbers, which can end up in sewers, clog waste treatment plants, and potentially pose a threat to wildlife. The Pill, while waste free, sends small amounts of estrogen into waterways, possibly harming fish. But whatever works for you—the toll of a few prophylactics is nothing compared to the environmental consequences of population growth.
For more on the environmental consequences of overpopulation, read MoJo environment reporter Julia Whitty’s excellent piece on the issue here.
In the meantime, if you’re worried about the pill’s effect on the environment, you might be just the kind of person who would enjoy this. Endangered species condom!
