Men Encouraged to 'Get Whacked for Wildlife' on World Vasectomy Day

In honor of World Vasectomy Day on Friday, the Center for Biological Diversity is encouraging men around the country to "get whacked for wildlife" to highlight the pressure human population growth puts on wildlife and the role men can play in preventing unplanned pregnancies. Men who pledge to get a vasectomy for World Vasectomy Day will get a free "Get Whacked for Wildlife" T-shirt featuring a polar bear carrying a pair of scissors on the front and text on the back that reads: "With more than 7 billion people, we're crowding wildlife off the planet. Vasectomies help."

The Center is also covering the costs for 20 vasectomies at two New York City clinics as part of World Vasectomy Day.

"Choosing to have fewer or no children is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint, but right now men are often left out of that conversation," said Leigh Moyer, the Center's population organizer. "If we want to leave room for wildlife on an already crowded planet, we need to get both genders involved in preventing unplanned pregnancies. The fact is vasectomies are the most effective form of male birth control, but many people feel awkward talking about it. The T-shirt helps start those conversations."

Men who have already gotten a vasectomy - and women who want to support men who get a vasectomy -- can also share their stories and request a T-shirt to help get people talking about the connection between human population growth and wildlife extinction. Testimonials will be shared at www.whackedforwildlife.org.

"I've been concerned about unsustainable human population growth, overconsumption and the destruction of ecosystems for a long time. I knew at a young age I was ready to forego having children," said Jeff Miller, who got his vasectomy when he was 26 years old. "There are too many people living out of harmony with their environment, and too few wolves, salmon and whipsnakes. It's turned out to be a good decision that I've never once regretted."

World Vasectomy Day was founded in 2013 by Jonathan Stack, an Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, and urologist Dr. Doug Stein in the hopes of heightening awareness of and dispelling myths about vasectomy, increasing access to the procedure, and inspiring more men to become engaged as equal partners with women in the family planning conversation. Since the inaugural World Vasectomy Day in 2014, more than 500 doctors in more than 30 countries have performed more than 4,000 vasectomies.

More than 227,000 people are added to the global population every day, and scientists agree that we are in the midst of the planet's sixth mass wildlife extinction. While previous extinction periods were driven by geological or cosmic factors, the current crisis is caused by human activities.

The Center's population and sustainability program promotes a range of solutions, including universal access to birth control and family planning, as well as education and empowerment of women and girls. The Center has also given away more than 500,000 Endangered Species Condoms since 2009.