Calling all artists! Can you show us what climate change looks like?

Nothing shapes our understanding of the world quite like art. Whether it's a poster, a painting, a song, a novel, a movie, a sculpture, a poem, or another form of creative expression, a piece of art has the power to transform both our thoughts and feelings about its subject, its creator — even us, its audience.

Today, we need that power as much as we ever have. Humanity's relentless pursuit of fossil fuels is wreaking havoc on our planet, with the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico just the latest example. We teeter ever closer to permanent, irreversible damage, yet many remain unconvinced or unconcerned.

This is the time for artists to bring the truth home.

Cue the CoolClimate Art Contest, and online art contest exploring climate change in its many forms. Courtesy of our friends at the Creative Visions Foundation, visual artists worldwide can compete with one another to show how climate change is impacting our lives and what can be done to ensure a sustainable future for the entire planet. If you're interested, check out the CoolClimate website on DeviantART and learn how to submit an image and the rules of the contest. Contestants will be eligible to win cash prizes and have their work displayed online and at select events nationwide.

We're excited about the CoolClimate Art Contest , and can't wait to see the creativity this contest unleashes. Plus, check out these judges!

• Mel Chin (artist)
• Philippe Cousteau (ecologist)
• Agnes Gund (collector & philanthropist)
• Van Jones (environmental activist)
• David Ross (curator)
• Carrie Mae Weems (artist)
• Jackson Browne (musician) and Dianna Cohen (artist)
• Chevy Chase (Comedian) and Jayni Chase (philanthropist)

If you want a chance at making a difference with your art, get on it. The submission period ends on August 23, 2010. Let's see what you can do!

NOTE: Green For All is a promotional partner of this contest because we think it sounds cool.