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02/04/2008: "Entertainment culture replaces nature"

As people spend more time communing with their televisions and computers, the impact is not just on their health, researchers say. Less time spent outdoors means less contact with nature and, eventually, less interest in conservation and parks.

Camping, fishing and per capita visits to parks are all declining in a shift away from nature-based recreation, researchers report in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Declining nature participation has crucial implications for current conservation efforts," wrote co-authors Oliver R. W. Pergams and Patricia A. Zaradic.

[ But they're enjoying their freedom, even if it spells doom for them and you and me and everyone else. God bless America. ]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080204/ap_on_sc/communing_without_nature