Architecture 2030 selects winners of graphic design contest. Students use face/body paint to send a clear message: "No Coal!"
If you could only use a single still image, your own face or body as a canvas, and body paint as your medium, how would you communicate the powerful message: "No Coal!"?
That was the challenge laid out by Metropolis magazine, USGBC, American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), and Architecture 2030 in their "Face It" graphic design contest, part of Architecture 2030's ReVERBerate project, launched on January 30th-31st (along with Focus the Nation).
The entries, from students across the nation, were varied and creative. Many were frankly stark and disturbing! Check out the submissions here.
And without further ado, here are the winners in the three categories: face, black-and-white, and body:
Check below the fold for the grand prize winner and some good runners up (my picks, may take a while to load given the number of images)...
Some other good submissions...
My favorite runner up (particularly relevant given upcoming Fossil Fools Day):
Some other good ones.
I think this one broke the rules, but it's pretty good...
Here's to some patriotism...
And finally...
Face It also involved a video contest. Check out submissions here. Voting has closed and winners will be announced soon by Architecture 2030 and the Face It partners.
This one has my vote for impact...
And this one for humor!
[A hat tip to Edward Mazria at Gristmill]
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Face It Contest Says "No Coal!"
Monday, March 10, 2008
Beyond Al Gore and Inconvenient Truths: A New Generation, A New Vision, a New Dream
Al Gore, the erstwhile trumpeter of inconvenient truths and dire warnings of climate catastrophe has fallen under attack by the climate deniers and flat earth-ers of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
CEI is taking Gore, perhaps the most visible figurehead of the climate movement, to task for living in "a posh Nashville mansion" that allegedly uses 20 times the energy of a normal American home while making money as he calls for action to halt the climate crisis.
Adhering to the age old maxim, "If you can't kill the message, kill the messenger," they cry "Hypocrite!" trying to besmirch Al Gore's cause as they besmirch his reputation.
Some of my friends and fellow bloggers have been bustling to rise to Al Gore's defense. I on the other hand, have not.
So what if Al Gore isn't a perfect model of a modern major climate hero? That's only a problem so long as we insist on making him our figurehead. His alleged hypocracy is only a problem if we insist on making climate solutions all about personal sacrifice. Heck, the bulletproof veracity of the dire predictions of climate science is only critical if we insist on making our movement solely about avoiding the nightmarish future Gore describes in "An Inconvenient Truth."
So defend Al Gore if you want, but I'm going to waste little time on it. Al Gore is not the leader of my movement. He's not my inspiration, or my hero. His message is not the message that inspires me to act.
Do we think he's going to be our MLK with a message of inconvenient truths and dire warnings? Is that what will inspire America and the world to act?
The leaders of my movement are the hundreds and hundreds of citizens and activists, many (most) of them young, working day in and day out to make a difference, trusting implicitly that others out there are doing the same. These climate champions aren't former "next presidents of the United States," or millionaire politicians. They are everyday people rising to do great things, motivated not by fear (by a sense of urgency, yes) but rather by a vision of the better world we're striving to create, a sustainable, just, and prosperous future.
Don't get me wrong, Al Gore has done a great service, tirelessly raising the profile of climate science and highlighting the warnings of the nightmare future we stand to inherit if we fail to act to end the climate crisis. But now it is time for a new generation of leaders, and a new vision of a brigther future, a vision where we talk not about "inconvenient truths," but about the very convenient fact that we stand at a moment of unique opportunity, at a catalyzing chance to create a better world.
A crisis is not yet a disaster. Gore himself says something akin to that, although that message is often lost in the rest of his rhetoric. A crisis is a choice, a choice between futures, and we still have time left to choose.
Will we choose the nightmare or the dream? And which will inspire us to action? I say it's time to dream.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Vote Now on Global Warming Solutions
You’re thinking, “If only we could get Congress to actually pass some of these policies…” We won’t stop until they do! So far Focus the Nation teams have invited more than 150 members of Congress to participate in dialogs on global warming solutions. 30 Congressional offices have confirmed so far, and we’re getting more every day. Check out who’s coming to Focus the Nation and what’s happening around the country.
The Focus the Nation Choose Your Future Vote is now officially open. “Build Green: Carbon Neutral by 2030” is out to an early lead with “Create Green Jobs” and “Invest in Clean Energy” close behind. What solutions do you want to see? Vote on your top five solutions now!
In other exciting news, Edward Norton will make an appearance on the 2% Solution web-cast along with Senator Bill Nelson and Governor Crist of Florida, Governor Napolitano of Arizona, Van Jones, Hunter Lovins and Stephen Schneider. Check out the trailer with Ed Norton and if you haven’t already, sign up to host a screening in your community.
Wait, there’s more: Project Slingshot, a partnership between Clif Mojo and Focus the Nation, is offering $10,000 scholarships in three categories – Outdoor Fanatics protecting the places they love and play, Artists inspiring their communities, and Innovators challenging our expectations. You all fall in to one of these categories, so apply now!
Read more!
