From biodegradable plastic made of seaweed to a “Greenhouse-in-a-Box”, the annual Earthshot Prize Awards was star-studded as ever with groundbreaking contributions to solving the world’s most critical environmental challenges.
The awards, which were hosted in Boston, Massachusetts this year, were presented by Prince Williams and Princess Catherine of Wales, who attended the ceremony to cap off their brief trip to America.
The prestigious Earthshot Awards were founded in 2020 by Prince Williams and the Royal Foundation as a response to the rapidly deteriorating state of the planet and to incentivize progress in environmental technologies.
The name “Earthshot” drew inspiration from US President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot speech, which united people in the hope of putting a man on the moon. Similarly, the Earthshot Prize hopes to unite people to save the planet and operates under five main goals: “to protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world, and fix our climate”.
Let’s take a look at the five prizes that earned the prestigious Earthshot Awards as finalists…
Protect & Restore Nature
Nestled in the farmlands of India, the startup Kheyti designed a straightforward solution to help farmers protect their crops. Their "Greenhouse-in-a-box" solution shields crops from the “unpredictable” elements of nature including pests. This is especially important as India faces the impacts of climate change. Kheyti's solution uses dramatically less water and pesticides to help farmers produce a higher crop yield.
Clean Our Air
The Kenyan business Mukuru Clean Stoves offers a greener alternative to burning charcoal for stoves, which is a known cause of respiratory illnesses. Their stoves use biomass made of a mix of charcoal, wood, and sugarcane as a cheaper biofuel. The startup is also female-founded and almost entirely staffed by women, empowering girls to get involved and fuel change.
Revive Our Oceans
The Great Barrier Reef is under the constant threat of destruction from the warming climate. The local Indigenous People of the Great Barrier Reef have come to the defense by collecting data about the reefs to help rebuild the ecosystem. Through their conservation efforts, the group trained over 60 women, who have been historically underrepresented, as indigenous rangers -- to become the next generation of conservationists.
Build a Waste-Free World
Finding a completely sustainable alternative to plastic is what drives Notpla, The startup, which was founded in London, developed a seaweed-based “plastic”. This innovative material, which is completely biodegradable, is the future of replacing single-use plastics in items such as food and cosmetic containers.
Fix Our Climate
Oman-based startup 44.01 (named after the molecular weight of carbon dioxide) eliminates its namesake element from the atmosphere by “mineralizing” it in the rock peridot, which is abundant throughout certain regions. The process is not only cost-effective and eco-friendly, but it also helps accelerate the transition away from the fossil fuel industry by providing employment to former workers.
Sources: Earth Shot Prize, BBC
