You are the generation of hope for our future.  Many teenagers have an environmental awareness that is superior to many adults.  We want to learn from you how to effect change.

Background

For generations the behavior and choices of people have been significant contributors to global warming.  We have reached a tipping point, and must make choices that will change our way of life.

Many people want to drive their cars of choice and drive for pleasure without thinking about the energy used or waste created.  Virtually all of us make numerous choices every day that increase our carbon footprint and contribute to global warming.  Even though it is a change in our lifestyle, we must each begin to make choices that are more carbon friendly and better for the environment.

To address global warming, we will all need to look at our personal choices and objectively evaluate them.  The seventies environmental mantra of “Think Globally, Act Locally” can, if practiced, begin to turn the tide on global warming.

Poster Subject

Every day, all of us make choices that contribute to global warming.  It can be anything, such as the car you drive, the twenty minute hot showers you might take, the energy you may waste, the waste you generate for our landfills, the foods you eat that have to be transported long distances, etc.

Your poster should be a call to action to teenagers to change their behavior to make a change in behavior that is more environmentally friendly.  It should incorporate some element of biodiesel to reflect that biodiesel contributes to this more environmentally friendly change.  Keep in mind that biodiesel is not only used as a fuel source in autos and trucks, but also boats and ships, for home heating, in buses, and to generate electricity.  It is made from crops grown here in Washington and the Northwest, and made from recycled waste vegetable oil and animal fats.

Poster Rules

Prepare an original poster.  Posters should be graphically attractive and use a dynamic message.  Only original artwork will be considered.  The poster may be computer generated or drawn.  With your entry, submit a high-resolution .jpg of the poster.  If the winning poster is computer-generated, you will be asked to submit a disk or CD of all poster files.  Specifications of this file will be given at that time.

The poster must contain the words “NW Biodiesel Network.”

Poster size must be between 8.5" x 11" and 22" x 28".  Posters should be packaged so they remain flat when sent for judging.  Posters may be created by an individual or a team of up to four students.  Only one prize will be awarded to the team, and the team will need to determine among themselves how to share the prize.

The poster may be designed on any kind of paper, including card stock.  Students may be as creative as they wish.  The poster may be in any medium including collage, free-hand drawing, paint, charcoal or pencil.  Chalk, charcoal, and pastel must be sealed with a fixative spray to prevent smearing and smudging.  Computer generated posters may contain photographs.  Three-dimensional entries will not be accepted.  Only the original poster can be submitted into the competition, no photocopies.  Each poster should reflect the student’s own idea, reflecting the theme.

Some dos and don'ts:

• Do not submit collages or posters that mimic ad campaigns (e.g. MasterCard "priceless" commercial, bellybutton/hand heart) or use images of celebrities, models, etc.
• Don't mount, frame or laminate your entry.
• Do include requested information on the back of the poster.

Posters must be submitted by Monday, March 10, 2008.  Each student may submit only one Poster.  This poster contest is open only to sixth – twelfth grade students who are residents of the city of Seattle.

Updates on the contest can be found at http://nwbiodiesel.org/neighborhood.htm.

Submit your poster to:

NW Biodiesel Network
C/O Aaron Kahn
127 N 78th St
Seattle, WA 98103

Attached to the back of each poster must be an index card with the following information:

• Poster title
• Student’s name
• School name
• Student’s grade level
• Student’s e-mail address
• Home address
• Home telephone number (include area code)
• Supervising teacher’s name
• Teacher’s e-mail address

Participants must agree to the following submission agreement:

“Content” is any material, including but not limited to writings, artwork, photographs, designs, plans, information, suggestions, ideas, data, questions or comments, submitted by you to the Northwest Biodiesel Network.

You may only submit Content that you created.  You may not submit Content that plagiarizes the work of others, violates, or infringes the rights of others including, without limitation, patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, publicity or other proprietary rights.  You may not submit Content that violates any laws or that would place the Northwest Biodiesel Network in breach of any applicable laws.

Any Content you submit becomes the property of the Northwest Biodiesel Network and will be considered to be non-proprietary and non-confidential.

The Northwest Biodiesel Network will have no obligations of any kind with respect to any Content you submit and will be free to edit, reproduce, use, disclose, publish and/or distribute any Content for any purpose whatsoever, without limitation.

You also agree that The Northwest Biodiesel Network will be free to use any ideas, concepts, artwork, inventions, developments, suggestions or techniques embodied in the Content for any purpose whatsoever, with or without attribution, and without compensation to you.

Judging Criteria

Posters that meet the criteria above will be accepted and judged equally by the Northwest Biodiesel Network judges in their sole discretion, on the basis of originality, visual effectiveness, creativity, and ability to motivate a change in behavior.  The decision of The Northwest Biodiesel Network is final.  If appropriate, a reference page should be included as a separate page.  All sources must be properly acknowledged and correctly noted in the essay. Wikipedia is not a legitimate source.

Prizes

First prize:

• A Sansa e260R Rhapsody MP3 Player, Good Wood Skateboard Deck, Skull Candy Headphones, and Boarding DVD pack & Sticker Collection.
• Winning poster announced and displayed at the Northwest Biodiesel Network’s “Biodiesel in Your Neighborhood” Forum.  This Forum will be held on March 15, 2008 at the Rainier Community Center
• Winning poster displayed at the NW Biodiesel Network’s Annual Forum on May 4, 2008.
• Winner recognized at the Annual Forum.

Second Prize:

• A 3-month subscription to Rhapsody To Go