Shadow Art

Tim Noble and Sue Webster "Kiss of Death"
Fred Ederkins "Holy Spirits Come Home"

Recycling in the form of meticulously crafted sculptures; they create profound juxtapositions of images with piles of trash, (or in the case of "Kiss of Death," animal corpses). The first work says something about the dark side of humanity, both in terms of the physical harm it imposes on the environment through its waste, and the willful violence that is sometimes necessary for human survival. "Holy Spirits Come Home" positions immaterial light in the form of a spiritual message against identifiable packages for commodities (the rest of the message is on the other side), which comes off as a comment on consumerism.

Stick Sculptures

Andy Goldsworthy
Deborah Butterfield
Paul Schick
"Second Sight," an installation by Patrick Dougherty

Nature's Way
Bergfichte
Urs-P. Twellmann

Nele Azevedo. These awesome ice-sculptures eloquently address global warming. I'm pretty sure they can't be topped.

Atul Bhalla

<--Chabeel, Atul Bhalla, 2008

This is a current exhibition in New Delhi. It addresses such issues as water conservation, recycling, and changing values and social/structural landscapes. Plus it's neat.

Solar Powered, Portable Medical Outfits

This story points to how effective university competitions for Humanitarian funding can be. Dr. Laura Statchel created and funded the $1000 kits that will help reduce the extremely high rate of maternal mortality in Nigeria, using its location and high solar potential to alleviate some of the electrical infrastructure problems that contribute to some of the failings of the medical system.

Before-After Bathtub

This old tub was in the house when we moved in. We cleaned it up and painted it with no-voc paint, and now we have a beautiful, functional bathtub of sustainability!

Litter of the Day

I don't think dropping a paper towel on the problem is going to clean it up...

Scale of gorilla poaching exposed- BBC

According to this article, in the Kouilou region of the Republic of Congo, up to two gorillas (an endangered species) are killed each week. The population totals about 200 in the area, though up to 50% may be killed in a year. A study gives the entire area population about a decade before extinction.

The study has shown "the horrific scale of the endangered species market in the Republic of Congo, especially endangered gorillas sold as meat."

Mr Pierre Fidenci, president of Endangered Species International, was quoted as saying:

"We intend to stop the killing in the area by providing alternative income to locals and working with hunters not against them. We hope to conduct conservation awareness with educational programs with other NGOs and to create a gorilla nature reserve."

One Way => Venus Vodka Hope

A couple of photos of a water tower and a second tower with the word "HOPE" across the top, with abandoned trucks in the foreground, in the Smoketown neighborhood.

Silly String

http://www.google.com/patents?id=E50rAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=3705669#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Silly string is probably not one of the most immediate threats to the environment (though it is sprayed from an aerosol can), but there is something visceral and gross-out to coming across it in public places.  I'm all for silliness, but this is a blog about litter.

Campus Canvas

This was my response to a classroom assignment in which we had to create an artwork with something outside of the building.  I used acorns, a hollowed piece of wood, and placed it against a background of concrete and a surprisingly well-composed, "found" pile of yellow seed husks.

Engineering Earth 'is feasible'

This article from the BBC lists some methods for carbon reduction currently being considered by governments and scientists.  Not to sound like a Luddite, but the implications of some of these technologies sound dangerous and shortsighted.  Injecting saltwater into clouds? Storing carbon underground?  Carbon-capturing devices that simply remove carbon from the ecosystem, rather than recycle it back into oxygen via plants?

Really, sometimes the most simple solutions are the easiest.  The article states that inaction now is caused not by limitations in our ability to cope with environmental problems, but by an inability to effectively legislate and cooperate with cross-border initiatives.  It warns that if we don't get our act together now, these harsh engineering solutions may be our only options in the future.