This blog post is cross-posted at ecojunki.

Global climate change is the largest threat to sustaining life on Earth, but despite overwhelming evidence
– species extinction, dwindling water supplies, mass migrations and
mega-storms — some of us are still unclear what climate really means for us.

The CoolClimate online art contest will be exploring climate change in its many
forms and invites artists worldwide to participate. How is climate change impacting our lives? What can be done to ensure a sustainable future for all of Earth’s inhabitants.

Artist brief: submit a work of art that explores our relationship with the climate
– from clean energy jobs to pollution-free oceans – the subject choice is yours.
You can submit a piece you’ve already made, or pass this blog post along and get an
artist friend involved. Post your art on www.coolclimate.deviantart.com and you
will be eligible to win prizes, be featured on the Planet Green Planet100 show
and be displayed at key leader events nationwide on 10/10/10.

A panel of judges will select 20 finalists whose works will be shown on the Huffington Post and the winner chosen by public vote.

Submissions close on the 6th September 2010. Enter here.

UK urban land artist and guerilla gardener Anna Garforth turned 2-litre milk bottles into cute characters with green hair-does and put them out in the streets for everyone to enjoy. She calls this project “Head Gardner”.

[via Recyclart]

This blog post is cross-posted at ecojunki.

As a cult object and symbol of a responsible attitude, cycling made its comeback in many major cities. Very likely, it became the flagship of the new eco-committed generation. Meanwhile, fashion, luxury and design have established a real dialogue for several years with the creative and sustainable development, turning it more attractive.

Be Cycle & Fashion: Custom Bikes for Charity [Craft:]

Belgian artist Wim Delvoye carved this car tire to create a series of sculptures he calls “Pneu.”

Intricately Carved Rubber Tire [Craft:]

This Tuesday, 13th July, I’m going to be joining artist Janet Botes to launch ecojunki at the Atlantic Seaboard Greendrinks Meet-up. We’ll be showing some of our own recycled art and crafts, and inviting Greendrink-ers to bring along their own recyclables for a demonstration/have-a-go.

If you’re in Cape Town and want to come along, here are the details:

Atlantic Seaboard Greendrinks
Cape Creative Exhibition Centre, 37, Main Road, Greenpoint
Tuesday 13th July 2010
6 pm for 6.30 pm – till 9 pm
The theme for the evening is greening visual arts and wine making
Time changes for this month : 6 pm for 6.30 pm – till 9 pm.

Eco artist and activist Janet Botes will present the Ecojunki movement and projects in Waste Art.
Bring recycled packaging (paper, plastic) which can be used for a demonstration !

All Capetonian artists are invited to participate in an open discussion about how to green Visual Arts.

Heron Ridge Wine Farm from Helderberg will be presenting their experience of farming the wine biodynamically and offer some wine tasting, which you will be able to compliment for a small contribution with some cheese platters from African Cheese and Wine Tours.

Most think of mending as drudgery.  Some think of it as another way to be creative, while extending the life of a pair of jeans and saving money, and **being green**.

The Unpredictable Geography of Mending [dainty time]

I woke up to the sounds of vuvuzelas blowing this morning. Cape Town has reached fever pitch. Today is the start of the FIFA World Cup 2010. Flags are flying. There’s something in the air. It even feels like summer today, even though it’s winter here. The sun is shining, and it’s pretty warm. It’s a perfect day.

I’m no football/soccer fan. But there are some in my family who are quite keen, and have their own vuvuzelas that they’ll be taking along to watch the opening match in Cape Town tonight (France vs. Uruguay). I’ve got them each a pair of earplugs to take along after all the warnings of hearing damage from vuvu-blasts that have been all over the radio and newspapers lately.

My plan is to have a quiet evening in with my 6 year old daughter, with one eye on the  South Africa vs. Mexico match playing in Jozi on the box. There’ll be no vuvuzelas in my living room!

But what has this all got to do with the green lifestyle? Why am I blogging about cheap plastic noise makers that are probably made in China, using virgin oil, and shipped here? Because, there are better, greener, and definitely more beautiful options available, and you should absolutely know about them.

K.E.L.P Vuvus (see above images)

K.E.L.P. stands for the Kelp Environmental Learning Project.   It was founded by a chap called Adam Carnegie who’s made it his mission to get a more eco-friendly vuvuzela on the market, exploring creativity, job creation, social responsibility and environmental education in the process.   Each K.E.L.P. vuvu is a true work of art.   Check them out here.

Obsidian Glass’s Vuvu Africa

Made of 100% recycled glass, here are more vuvuzelas that can be considered works of art.  They also sound far more beautiful than the elephant fart plastic variety.   And if you’re thinking that glass can’t be a good idea for a vuvu, just incase you break it, you needn’t worry about that, because they come in a gorgeous handmade beaded carrying case.  See them here.

And that concludes my eco-friendly vuvu report, but if you know of any more out there, please leave a comment.

Popsickle stick guitar [Instructables]
Craftzine

I first found out about the old National Geographic stash when my boyfriend and I moved in together in 2001. He’s now my husband and the National Geographic collection has crossed continents with us. I was very excited to see this. Something like this would look great on the wall in the living room of our new house.

Sean Miller designed and made the National Geographic magazine shelf and was a finalist in the Inhabitat Spring Greening Contest.

Sean Miller
Inhabitat Spring Greening Contest finalists
Magazine shelf – Recyclart

Andres Arango sent me a pretty pair of turquoise vegetable ivory earrings from his Muichic collection to give away to a reader.

Andres is an architect & designer from Colombia living in Burlington, Vermont. His Muichic jewellery collection is made from the Tagua nut (aka.vegetable ivory): a botanical alternative to ivory; a seed that comes from the “ivory-nut palm” and only grows in South America’s rainforest.

There are necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings in turquoise, green, purple, brown, blue, red, pink, black, grey and natural. They have simple lines and are as smooth as silk. See for yourself, here, here and here.

How to enter:
Leave a comment.
For a 2nd/3rd/4th entry Tweet about this giveaway/follow me on Twitter/ follow Muichic on Twitter OR like the Muichic page on Facebook and tell me about it in separate comments. I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday the 31st of May.

And the winner is…

tania cadogan Congratulations Tania. I will be emailing you directly to arrange posting your earrings to you.

[ad#google]