In response to the environmental crises we are facing today, our art-centric allies at The Canary Project recently asked artists to design powerful imagery that could rekindle our collaborative, innovative spirits -- much like what the artists of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) did during World War II.

Their Green Patriot Poster competition, which launched a few months ago, asks artists to create designs that illustrate strength, optimism and unity in the fight against climate change and drive for energy independence.

We stopped by the site to check out the entries that have been posted so far, and picked out a few that we thought did an excellent job of combining positive solutions with quality design:

Self propelled by Dave Banks

"We don't need to love our cars as much as we do living in large cities. If we drove our cars 20 fewer miles each week & practiced wheelies on the way to work, we could reduce cars co2 emissions by 107 million tons each year, a 9% decrease."

Too Far by Erika Tarte

"Produce sticker on apple reads 'you are buying your apples too far from the tree'"

Translating Election Energy by Houston Menzie
Small print says: Harvard Square, Nov. 4, 2008.

Altas Helped by Rosanna Ho
"We have the tools that we need to achieve a sustainable planet"

Root Yourself by Brendan Vail
I wanted to show people with my poster that there are greener fuels that we could be using, and help people make a more educated decision.

ONE HEART by Alexandre Rola

"ONE HEART, ONE PLANET! WE STILL CAN SAVE IT!"

You have until June to submit your design entry. We'll check back in with the project then to see the winning design. You can vote online for your favorite, or let us know what you think of the contest in general in our comment space below.