The fat lady has sung for Vanity Fair’s Green Issue, which, in its three-year life has featured such megastars such as, Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna and the adorable Knut the polar bear.

A victim of the global financial crisis, 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.

“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 says.

Some say the move is typical of what’s going on right now – that the environmental crises is taking a back seat to the financial one. With everyone focused on the economy, research firm TNS Media Intelligence reports that media coverage on environmental issues fell by 27 percent in 2008.

Colin Butfield, head of WWF campaigns said, “With so much else going on relating to the global financial crisis, we have been focusing on that of late. It is vital that green living is not treated as a trend that comes and goes, but that it becomes part of the way we live.”