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Showing posts with label green news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green news. Show all posts

Beautiful Creative Encourages You To Beautify Our Beaches For California's Coastal Cleanup Day.



above: a cropped version of the full poster

WHAT IS COASTAL CLEANUP DAY?
Every year, on the third Saturday in September, people join together at sites all over California to take part in the State's largest volunteer event, California Coastal Cleanup Day. In 2012, over 65,000 volunteers removed almost 770,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from California's beaches, lakes, and waterways.



Families, friends, coworkers, scout troops, school groups, service clubs, and individuals come together to celebrate and share their appreciation of California's fabulous coast and waterways.




The event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, which is the largest volunteer event on the planet.

The Creative Promotional Work
To promote this annual event, posters and digital work are created yearly, much of it wonderful. This year's campaign is no exception. Created by Art Director Greg Coffin and Copywriter Mike Brenner under Creative Director Ron Lim, the posters and other promotional pieces have turned trash into a 'species' whose extinction we need to bring about.

Lovely depictions of various culprits (cigarette butts, lids and/or caps and broken bottles) are rendered in watercolors and given faux Latin names in three large format posters exclaiming "Let's Make Trash Extinct":





In addition to the above posters, they've created a daily digital social media campaign that is a 29 day countdown to the event. Each day an individual piece of trash encouraging you to be part of the solution appears along with the number of days left until the event on the California Coast's official Facebook page. One example is shown below and several more are scattered throughout this post.


above: The plastic bottle cap (Screwtopia forsakus) is a small top that unscrews from assorted beverages. If your city cannot recycle #5 plastic, it should be placed in the trash. Find out how to be part of the solution at www.coastalcleanupday.org

WHY ARE BEACH CLEANUPS IMPORTANT?
Vast amounts of plastic debris litter the world's oceans causing all manner of harm, and most of this debris comes from land. Our beaches are collecting spots for trash from city streets and highways. Trash travels - via inland waterways, storm drains, sewers, and on the wind, and eventually ends up on the coast. If not removed, this debris will end up in the ocean. Beach cleanups are a last line of defense - to prevent debris from causing harm to our oceans, to wildlife, to our coastal economies, and even to beach-goers.


above: The Aluminum Can Pull-Tab, Fliptopis familiaris, is a close relative of the Screwtopis familiaris. Both come from the tops of the family Briny Vessels and can be easily recycled when disposed of properly. Find out how to be part of the solution at www.coastalcleanupday.org

TRASHING CALIFORNIA'S BEACHES
Californian’s love their coast and ocean — nine out of ten will visit the beach at least once this year. When they arrive at the beach, they are finding a lot more than sand and surf. During a recent summer, Orange County collected enough garbage from six miles of beach to fill ten garbage trucks full of trash every week, at a cost to taxpayers of $350,000. Other California counties spend even more.


above: Javus squashticus, commonly known as the coffee cup lid, hot tea lid, or cappuccino cover is a species of rural lidlings that never really “go away.” They break apart and can leach toxins into food under changes in heat. Ask yourself if you really need that lid. Find out how to be part of the solution at www.coastalcleanupday.org

In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that ocean-based sources, such as cargo ships and cruise liners, dumped 14 billion pounds of garbage into the ocean. In 1988, the U.S. signed onto MARPOL Annex V, joining 64 other countries that signed the international protocol that regulates ocean dumping and made it illegal to dump plastic into the ocean. Laws like MARPOL have reduced the amount of trash on our beaches and in our ocean. Even so, plastic pollution is still a major problem. A recent study found an average of 334,271 pieces of plastic per square mile in the North Pacific Central Gyre, which serves as a natural eddy system to concentrate material.1 Results of more than 10 years of volunteer beach cleanup data indicate that 60 to 80 percent of beach debris comes from land-based sources. And debris in the marine environment means hazards for animals and humans. Plastic marine debris affects at least 267 species worldwide, including 86 percent of all sea turtle species, 44 percent of all sea bird species, and 43 percent of marine mammal species.2
1 Moore, C. J., S. L. Moore, M. K. Leecaster, and S. B. Weisberg, 2001. A comparison of plastic and plankton in the North Pacific Central Gyre. In: Marine Pollution Bulletin 42, 1297-1300. 2 Laist, D. W., 1997. Impacts of marine debris: entanglement of marine life in marine debris including a comprehensive list of species with entanglement and ingestion records. In: Coe, J. M. and D. B. Rogers (Eds.), Marine Debris -- Sources, Impacts and Solutions. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 99-139

HOW MARINE DEBRIS HARMS WILDLIFE
Entanglement: Common items like fishing line, strapping bands and six-pack rings can hamper the mobility of marine animals. Once entangled, animals have trouble eating, breathing or swimming, all of which can have fatal results. Plastics take hundreds of years to breakdown and may continue to trap and kill animals year after year.


above: The 6-pack soda holder (Seagullus strangularum) is a species of plastic trash in the Plasticus tangularus family. Marine animals get tangled in them easily. Remember to cut them up before properly disposing of them. Or better yet, buy soda cans packaged in a cardboard box. Find out how to be part of the solution at www.coastalcleanupday.org

Ingestion: Birds, fish and mammals often mistake plastic for food. Some birds even feed it to their young. With plastic filling their stomachs, animals have a false feeling of being full, and may die of starvation. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods. Even gray whales have been found dead with plastic bags and sheeting in their stomachs.


above: The plastic bag (Grocerus gatheramus), also referred to as a shopping bag, is the most commonly found member of the Plasticus tangularus family. They photodegrade, or break down into smaller pieces which eventually enter the food web when animals ingest them. Find out how to be part of the solution at www.coastalcleanupday.org

HOW MARINE DEBRIS HARMS PEOPLE:
Beachgoers can cut themselves on glass and metal left on the beach. Marine debris also endangers the safety and livelihood of fishermen and recreational boaters. Nets and monofilament fishing line can obstruct propellers and plastic sheeting and bags can block cooling intakes. Such damage is hazardous and costly in terms of repair and lost fishing time. In one Oregon port, a survey revealed that 58 percent of fishermen had experienced equipment damage due to marine debris. Their average repair cost was $2,725.


above: The broken bottle, Cuttano yourfootae, is the result of a mixture between the originating species Kickonme andstubto and a sharp rock. Glass bottles are readily recyclable but broken glass can harm both people and wildlife. Find out how to be part of the solution at www.coastalcleanupday.org



Find a Cleanup:
Cleanups take place along bays, creeks, rivers, highways, and the coast at more than 800 locations throughout California.  Use the map or list of California counties on this page to find your cleanup site and then contact the local coordinator.

If there is no cleanup scheduled in your area, you can volunteer to set one up, just call (800) COAST-4U or e-mail coast4u@coastal.ca.gov.


Register here to join the California Coastal Clean Up.

Zachary Quinto and Alanis Morissette Design For Kiehl's To Benefit Recycle Across America.




For its fifth Limited Edition Label Art Series for Earth Day, Kiehl’s Since 1851 has partnered with actor Zachary Quinto and musician/actor Alanis Morissette to benefit Recycle Across America.



Each has designed a Limited Edition label, depicting their vision of social responsibility for Kiehl's 4.2 oz. Ultra Facial Cream, which will be available April 20 (that's tomorrow!) in Kiehl’s stores and at Kiehls.com in time for Earth Day.

Alanis Morisette's Design:


Zachary Quinto's Design:


100% of the net proceeds of this series will benefit Recycle Across America™ (RAA), and through this program, Kiehl’s will be donating $50,000 to the organization.

Below are a few videos from Zachary and Alanis, discussing the inspiration for their designs and from RAA's executive Director Mitch Hedlund, sharing their commitment to the environment in their own words.

Zachary Quinto:

Alanis Morissette:

Zachary and Alanis:

Mitch Hedlund:


Make your own:
Show your support by drawing up some Earth Day art of your own for Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream label for a chance to win a year's supply of Kiehl's.

RAA is not-for-profit organization dedicated to delivering society-wide solutions that eliminate public confusion, stimulate the environmental economy and expedite progress, and the funds raised from these labels will be used to create 65,000 standardized recycling labels, which will be donated to K-12 schools nationwide.

Earth Month is also the time to reinforce Kiehl's Recycle and Be Rewarded! in-store recycling program. This ongoing program is available only in Kiehl’s free-standing stores nationwide, and allows their customers to return their empty Kiehl’s bottles, tubes and jars for recycling, in exchange for product. Since 2009, Kiehl’s has recycled over 900,000 bottles! Not only can their customers support recycling with our Limited Edition collection, but they can also recycle at Kiehl’s themselves, and earn complimentary product while doing so!



They'd love for you to share their message of social responsibility — it means the world to them (and you). Join Kiehl’s in their commitment to the environment.



Kiehl's

DDB Shanghai Promotes Walking Over Driving With Crowd-Sourced Art. Green Pedestrian Crossing for China's Environmental Protection Foundation.





Green Pedestrian Crossing - More Walking, Less Driving.
A project for China's Environmental Protection Foundation by DDB Shanghai



The Brief
40% of carbon monoxide emissions come from cars. According to China's Ministry of Commerce; the country is now the world's largest car market with over 500 million vehicles on the road. This is without a doubt having a huge impact on the environment. China Environmental Protection Foundation wanted an attention grabbing tactic to urge everyone to do their bit for the environment. They asked people to walk more, and drive less. DDB Shanghai created an outdoor advertisement on the street to push this message.




The Solution
The agency decided to leverage a busy pedestrian crossing; a place where both pedestrians and drivers meet. They lay a giant canvas of 12.6 meters long by 7 meters wide on the ground, covering the pedestrian crossing with a large leafless tree. Placed on either side of the road beneath the traffic lights, were sponge cushions soaked in green environmentally friendly washable and quick dry paint. As pedestrians walked towards the crossing, they would step onto the green sponge and as they walked, the soles of their feet would make foot imprints onto the tree on the ground. Each green footprint added to the canvas like leaves growing on a bare tree, which made people feel that by walking they could create a greener environment.



The Result
The Green Pedestrian Crossing was carried out in 7 main streets of Shanghai and later expanded to 132 roads in 15 cities across China. A total number of pedestrians that participated exceeded 3,920,000 people. Key media both online and offline rapidly wrote about the campaign. According to research, the overall awareness of environmental protection had increased 86%. After the campaign, the print was exhibited at the Shanghai Zheng Da Art Museum.

The final print was exhibited at the Shanghai Zheng Da Art Museum:


All images and info courtesy of DDB Shanghai and a special shout-out to Jaci Lerner for bringing this to my attention.

Ad Campaign For Plant For The Planet by Legas Delany Hamburg Uses Cut Leaf Art.






This latest print campaign for the Germany based organization Plant For The Planet was created by Legas Delany of Hamburg (who was also responsible for their large "Stop Talking, Start Planting" campaign) and utilizes the talents of artist Lorenzo Duran. Duran takes the art of leaf-carving and gives it an environmental spin in these three ads by illustrating common causes of CO2 emissions.



Plant For The Planet is an awareness raising global campaign, realized without any budget. You can help them in their fight for climate justice in the following three ways:
1. Become a fan on Facebook
2. Invite your friends to spread the word.
3. Start your own group


For more information visit www.plant-for-the-planet.org

Lorenzo Duran does sell his one of a kind cut leaf silhouettes, some of which are shown below, on his blog. If the leaf is already sold, he'll be happy to recreate it for you.





Plant For The Planet


If you like leaf-related art , you should check out:

Those Crazy Leaf Carvings; What, How & Where To Buy Or Create Custom Ones.

Vac From The Sea. Electrolux Turns Marine Debris Into 5 Vacuums.




Vac from the Sea is a project initiated by home appliance maker Electrolux, aiming at raising awareness about the immediate need for the world to take better care of plastics and support the heroes that do.



From Electrolux:
The environment is a concern and responsibility of everyone and marine plastic pollution is an issue much too big to just leave to politicians. Electrolux is in the homes of millions and can help raise awareness and affect many consumers. Plastic is the main raw material when making a vacuum cleaner. From a sustainable business point of view, Electrolux relies on an increased global supply of recycled plastic.

A limited number of vacuum cleaners will be made from marine plastic debris – harvested from the Pacific and other sites where the plastic problem is immense.


Below is the "green" Ultraone vacuum by Electrolux followed by 5 of the vacuums produced with the debris garnered from the aquatic environments (individual images below courtesy of inhabitat)





Depending on the local plastic situation the gathering of plastics will vary – from diving among coral reefs, clean-ups closer to shore to scooping up plastic directly from the water surface. The vacuum cleaners that are to be produced from the material gathered will be put on display for the world, decision makers and consumers to see.



At this point, there is no plan to actually sell the units produced. Separating the plastic cocktail is a great challenge and plastics in the ocean tend to act like sponges for other toxins.


The locations where plastic will be collected are in the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

The gathering of material will be documented on their site.

www.facebook.com/electroluxappliances
www.twitter.com/vacfromthesea

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