How 'conserving' water in a wet climate with more than sufficient rainfall to supply the aquifers helps somebody thousands of miles away, on another continent? Is not usable water in a system of recycling, rain to ground to use to ground to rain, etc.?
Gobal solutions to local (even if wide spread) problems does not seem like the wise solution.
Take the wondrous 'Ethanol' initiatives that required a large percent of our food to be diverted for fuel. The price of grain and thus most other foods was driven up, causing shortages. The quality of ethanol-fuel, and therfore the mileage driven with that ethanol-fuel was reduced. This results in requring more ethanol-fuel to drive the same distance as a lesser amount of non-ethanol-fuel. The result is higher food costs and less food, higher fuel costs and lower fuel economy and higher air pollution due to the increase in ethanol-fuels being burned.
The United Nations is now hosting a design competition, calling on so-called European “Artivists” to design ads that support water conservation efforts.
The competition is part of the DropbyDrop campaign for “The Future We Want” initiative for the Rio+20 conference. DropbyDrop’s aim is to get people motivated to conserve water, the earth’s “most precious resource.” Europeans are now encouraged to find a creative way to raise awareness to a global issue.
The goal of the contest is to design a print advertisement that motivates others to preserve water, for those in need now as well as future generations. Professionals and non-professionals are invited to submit ideas for a newspaper ad that will inspire the European public to change their water habits.
The winners will have their work displayed on the website. There is a possibility that the work will also be exhibited, and of course placed in European print publications. A jury of graphic designers, photographers and environmental experts will choose who wins.
And, there are prizes, including a 5000 euro cash prize from the Nordic Council of Ministers, a potential internship at Fabrica communication research for participants under 25, and a public voting prize.
The Future We Want is an interesting campaign aimed at raising awareness of the Rio+20 conference.”This global conference could change the way we think about our world in terms of economic, social and environmental matters,” says Drop by Drop.
“The UN is engaging all citizens to put forward their ideas. Initiatives and competitions like this one from all corners of the globe that will form a part of a global conversation about the Future We Want.”
The Rio+20 conference will focus heavily on the green economy and sustainable development, so the partnership between the conference and this competition make sense. Of course an ad is just a small contribution, but incentives like a competition to bring designers together for a common good shouldn’t be shrugged off.
All entries must use the provided logo, and will be accepted until the end of February. Winners will be announced this June.
Image: Drop By Drop
