Artist Carves 17 Foot Hummer Out Of Recycled Styrofoam To Highlight Our Excessive Consumer Culture

Can anyone tell me why we are still producing styrofoam (or plastic, for that matter) when the material is very harmful to environmental ecosystems and it also leaches chemicals into the human body?

I realize that it has served us well as a cushioning packaging material before we knew any better, but now that we have eco-friendly alternatives such as Gavin McIntyre and Eben Bayer's EcoCradle, what are we waiting for -- let's kick it in high gear and banish the white stuff for good!

In the meantime, it's definitely still out there everytime we purchase new microwaves or other large electronic appliances (medium sized and small ones, too) but very few people take the effort of recycling it because they either don't realize that it is recyclable or no service exists in their area.

Artists are that special breed that do Mother Nature a temporary favor by recycling materials into their work (either with good intentions or some with questionable intentions at best) as in the case of New Zealand artist Peter Robinson's massive crumbling Polymer Monolith cubes of styrofoam or American artist Andrew Junge's 17 foot recycled styrofoam Hummer.

What the hummer, you say? How is carving a flipping ginormous vehicle (that is the very emblem of American excess) OUT OF STYROFOAM a well-intentioned statement?

At least Junge scavenged his white styrofoam Hummer components from the dump...I'm not sure if the same can be said of Robinson considering that his work was carved out of a solid cube.

In an effort to shine light on our excessive cultural consumption, Junge strategically chose his medium and subject matter, claiming:

"I wish to examine and re-contextualize found objects and materials, to invest them with new life, and to sanctify - or at least acknowledge their presence in the world.  My aim is to turn the lowest form of human productivity, trash, into the highest, art - a kind of modern alchemy."

Well, he certainly has mad carving skills -- I'll give him that. What are your thoughts? Does this sculpture evoke any emotions inside of you regarding our culture for bigger, better, faster, newer? Would it make you reconsider what you are inclined to purchase?