Earth Day; Look at the Sky, Recycle your Gear

I read about David Horvitz‘s sky project over at Shape and Colour, and thought it would be an appropriate post for Earth Day. David is an MFA student at Bard, and is so earnest and photographically idealistic, it feels impossible not to be charmed. The Project is called I Will Send You a Photo of the Sky for Everyday in 2008. Here’s his description:

THIS IS AN OPEN EDITION OF 366 4X6 PRINTS (2008 IS A LEAP YEAR). I will
mail you the prints intermittently depending on how I feel. I may mail
you one at a time as a post-card. I may mail you a whole weeks worth in
one envelope. By the beginning of 2009 you will have 366 skies. Each
print will be stamped with the date on the back. A list of locations
with their correlating dates will be printed at the end of the year. I
want you to keep them in a pile so that they become a slowly growing
sculpture, which I think would look nice. If you are interested in
purchasing this, send an email at hikarusaru (at) gmail (dot) com. This
will be available for the entirety of 2008. If you purchase this after
the first of the year, all the back photographs will be sent in one
package.

Skies cost ten dollars. If that’s out of your range, you can have them emailed to you for free by sending a request to the above address. Click here to see who has received a Horvitz sky. It’s pretty fascinating.

photo by Eric Ostling

Here’s a picture of people enjoying the environment and photography! Once you have your skies, you can continue to contribute to
earth/photography awareness by recycling, donating and charging.  Here are some ways, excerpted from the Photojojo list: Ten Tips for Being a Greener photographer:

Reuse Your Film Containers
Still shooting film? Don’t throw out your plastic film containers. Ritz Cameras accepts them for recycling at their stores. Better yet, make stuff out of them! We don’t leave home without the flash diffuser we made.

Switch Batteries
Try using rechargeable batteries in your camera instead of ordinary
ones. If you have a choice, pick lithium over nickel since it’s a bit
less toxic. When your regular batteries die, don’t throw them out.
There are lots of places that recycle them. Earth911 has loads of
battery usage tips and a recycling location finder.

Carry a Charge
If you missed the solar charger camera bag,
take another look. It’s a regular camera bag, except for the solar
panel on the top that charges your camera for you. It’s just so cool.
Amazon has them for about $150.

Donate
Upgrading to a new camera? Donate your old one. The New Orleans Kid Camera Project and Picture Tomorrow both accept used cameras. Your local schools or after-school programs might also be able to use them.

Recycle
If you’ve completely busted your old camera, recycle that puppy.
Staples stores accept used electronics for recycling, including
cameras, cell phones and computers. They also take empty inkjet
cartridges, so you don’t have to add those to the landfill either.

Make Some Money
If you have a lot of stuff to donate or recycle, use it to make some money! Ecophones sponsors recycling fundraisers. They take cameras, cell phones, video
games; you name it. Send in your boxes of junk electronics and they’ll
send you a check.

Switch Paper
GreenPix makes 100% post-consumer recycled inkjet paper. It’s available
in matte finish, and comes in sizes from 4×6 all the way up to 24×36.
Check out a review at Leafygreen.info, or buy it at Red River.