"Condé Nast, publisher of Vanity Fair, argues that the environment has become so integral to the news agenda that there is no longer a need for a dedicated issue," Shields wrote.
"Vanity Fair remains committed to covering the environment, and we'll spread our coverage throughout the year, instead of relegating the bulk of it to a specific issue," a spokeswoman said to The Independent.
However, as Shields pointed out, this is a sign that the environment is an issue that is losing importance in the wake of the economic downturn - begging the question - how important was it really to begin with?
"But others interpret the move as a sign that the environment is slipping down the agenda, overtaken by the economic crisis," Shields wrote. "This theory is backed by new research showing that coverage of the environment has fallen significantly. The latest figures from TNS Media Intelligence, a research firm, show that national newspaper coverage of environmental issues - including climate change, global warming, green consumerism and sustainability - fell by 27 per cent in 2008. In the first quarter, there were 3,866 articles published on green issues, compared with 2,811 in the final quarter."
Shields also reported the Vanity Fair admitted the economy had something to do with it.
"With so much else going on relating to the global financial crisis, we have been focusing on that of late," the spokeswoman said to The Independent.
The issues have had a track record for making extraordinary statements. The 2007 issue banished conservatives to "hell" for not following the dogma of the global warming alarmist agenda. The 2008 issue made a bizarre moral analogy - comparing the reduction of carbon emissions to the abolition of slavery.
