Get The Most Out Of Today's Interactive Earth Day Google Doodle

Today Google celebrates Earth Day with an interactive doodle that captures a slice of nature's subtle wonders. Click around and you'll discover tons of fun and cute options. Day or Night (the sun and moon act as pause and play buttons when clicked upon), Animals walk in and out of the caves, rainclouds you can control, even dandelions to blow upon.



Use the sightseeing checklist below to make sure you do not miss anything!



Google Doodler Leon Hong and collaborators Kris Hom, Mark Ivey, Greg Capuano, and Ryan Germick were responsible for the concept and design. And a very special thank you goes to Kris's high school teacher, Dr. Juan Fernandez, who served as their science advisor.

http://www.google.com/doodles/earth-day-2013

Photojournalist Takes A Look At The Big Picture And Decides To Change The World, One Condom At A Time.

L. was founded by Talia Frenkel, a photojournalist whose coverage of the effects of HIV/AIDS on women and girls inspired her into action.


above: Talia in Uganda

Talia Frenkel didn’t start out in the safe sex business. “I had worked extensively as a photographer for the Red Cross and documented humanitarian crisis around the world,” she says.


above: one of Talia's provocative images of the ravages of AIDS on women.

Taking photos of people suffering, especially women and girls, she was ”struck by the preventative nature of the AIDS epidemic.” Upon returning to Los Angeles, she found herself at a crossroads. After all the suffering she had witnessed, her challenge was to channel the frustration of those experiences ”in a productive way.”



After talking to friends and family about the lack of access to condoms abroad, and seeing the potential in the high-quality market at home, Frenkel started L., a premium condom company that operates on a one-for-one model. For every condom they sell in America, they donate one to the developing world. “It’s important to note that we didn’t just re-package an existing condom on the US market,” she says “we re-engineered a new condom for the modern consumer.” But while the premium latex, and sustainable packaging of L. condoms are sure to deliver piece of mind (amongst other things) they’re delivered to sub-saharan Africa through female entrepreneurs, and student education programs.



But L. doesn’t stop there – the company focuses on supporting women leaders as catalysts for change and development. At its core, L. is setting out to create a superior product that rests on three pillars: Sex, Cause and World.

Sex:

above: photo by Talia Frenkel

L. has re-engineered the condom. From premium quality high-grade latex to formulating moisture-rich, female-friendly lubricants with out harmful additives, L. focuses on creating the most natural and pleasurable way to practice safe sex. L. condoms use purified latex so that theyare uniquely low in latex scent and are glycerin and paraben free. All condoms are individually electronically tested to exceed FDA and international standards.

Cause:



Integral to L.’s inception and mission is to fight the international AIDS epidemic. In Africa, there are more deaths caused by AIDS than all the wars, famines, floods, and deadly diseases on the continent - combined. Increasingly, women and girls are the face of the epidemic as they are disproportionately affected at a young age. Condoms are the most effective technology in HIV prevention as well as a simple form of birth control that provide a greater quality of life. Still, 9 out of 10 countries in Africa go through regular condom stock outs that typically last 2 months or more. L. has set out to address this through a one for one consumer driven donation model.

One for one is only the beginning.
L. has been credited with re-inventing the model, dubbed 1 for 1 +, by focusing on building capacity of its partners and facilitating the creation of long-term distribution channels.



Currently, L. is partnered with Direct Relief International and working with female-run social enterprise programs. Similar to the recent trend in international focus on women from Nike’s Girl Effect to the Half the Sky Movement - L.’s programs focus particularly on women leaders as agents of progress.

World:
L. takes measure to be as sustainable as possible, and beyond that, the company aims to be restorative and enriching. From sourcing raw materials local to their manufacturing facility to providing product in recycled packaging – L. strives to deliver thoughtfully-designed products that are compatible with the environment. Their condoms also only use sustainably tapped 100% natural latex and are Vegan- friendly.


above: photo by Talia Frenkel

L. draws a connection between developed and developing world women through unique marketing and the opportunity for daily actions to support women globally. “Sex is universal, but protection is not.” says founder Talia Frenkel, who started the venture out of frustration at the preventative nature of the epidemic. “A largely untapped resource in Africa, women have the unique abilities and skills to strengthen and lead the global response to AIDS.” The sleek design, product features and company mission sets the company apart as a bold option for the modern consumer. Uniquely, L. is focused on empowering a hugely under-represented market for condoms - women. “Birth control pills are a common site in a women’s purse, but condoms are not. Part of what L. is about is making condoms sexy.”



But more than just a product, L. is creating a movement by offering consumers an opportunity to create massive change through simple choices and actions within their everyday lives. If just one in 20 condom purchases were made with L., the HIV prevention needs of the three countries with the highest prevalence of AIDS could be met, averting countless new HIV transmissions and improving the quality of life for even more.


above: photo by Talia Frenkel

As part of this movement, L. is transforming consumers into advocates, giving them the opportunity to participate by hosting social events as well as wearing L. t-shirts and donning wristbands that show their support for women globally.




Packaging:
They re-thought condom package design - from the materials of the packaging to the shape itself - providing a sleek and sexy package that aligns with the modern consumer lifestyle. L. packages are thin and compact enough to carry with you and reseal if you desire.



L. condoms come in 100% recycled paper packaging printed with vegetable inks. The packaging reflects their passion for the aesthetic as well as their goal of minimizing materials while maximizing functionality. No cellophane or plastic is used in packaging. Directions for Use are printed on the inner walls of the box to save paper. The modern minimalist black and white design allows them to save on ink wastage and makes the end product easier to recycle. L. recycles all unused and excess rubber latex that is created in the manufacturing process. This natural rubber latex is sent to facilities that then re-use the material to make other rubber products, such as flip flops. Natural rubber latex products are eventually biodegradable.



To find out more, you can visit www.thisisL.com and find out how you can help. Whether it's by purchasing the well designed apparel or the beautifully packaged condoms or make an impact in these other ways.

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.

Lego-Like Recycling Containers from Flussocreativo.

Named LECO, these plastic recycling containers (patent pending) are designed to emulate giant Lego Bricks. Designed by the Italian industrial interior and graphic design company Flussocreativo, the project is described as follows:

Leco is an ecological station facility, young and colorful with a strong reference playful etched in collective memory.



Containers designed for separate collection, composed of five elements in polymer of which two are for aluminium and glass, respectively blue and green, and two, of larger size, for paper (white) and plastic (yellow).



The originality of the form of Leco deviates from the classic collection container for trying to involve the user through two major aspects: the liking for aesthetics and modular functionality.

Leco is clearly a reference to the “Lego”, a world game that, since you’re a child, increases the ability to manage and combine small items, stimulating creativity.



Hence the desire to create, even if for a delicate issue such as environmental conservation, the opportunity to interact with the containers in a nice way, overcoming aesthetic and formal obstacles.



The result of that vision has led us to create a collector who had the power to attract people, not only for its use, but also for its ability of solving space problems and induce to the practice of daily separate collection.

Specifically, each container has an external shell with both extremities channel into assembly, that recall, in a very intuitive way, the handiness of interlocking between elements typical of the game “Lego”; while in the front, there is folding door designed to accommodate the bag.

Leco is a new, exciting and colorful solution to try to improve the aptitude to recycle in a spontaneous way, by giving a daily aid to the environment.



via Designboom

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.

A Visual History Of Christmas Trees and What You Might Consider Buying Now For Next Year.

above photo courtesy of Jek a go go

Now that Christmas has passed and most of you are cleaning pine needles up off the floor and wondering how long your tree will last before drying out and having to be lugged to the garbage, you might want to consider a different sort of tree next year (now is the time, many of them are presently on sale).

First, a visual history of Christmas trees, followed by modern eco-friendly alternatives for 2012.



One thing this infographic fails to reflect is the growing popularity of modern alternatives to Christmas trees that hit the market beginning in 2008-2009 and have steadily grown since. These include flat-packed, lasercut, wood, lucite, aluminum and metal versions. Below are some examples.

The Tannenboing Aluminum Suspended Tree:

Modern Lucite Acrylic Christmas Tree by Aaron R Thomas:

PossibiliTrees:

Silver Cocoon Modern Tannenbaum Tree:

The Filigree Tree:

Matteria Lasercut Tree:

Modernica Superstar Holiday Tree:

And a selection of wood trees from Buro North:

More wood alternatives



These aluminum, wood and lucite trees pack up easily and can be stored for future use - saving you trouble, preventing messy christmas tree lots (like the one shown above courtesy of Pardon Me For Asking) and saving some trees. Think about it.