It is indeed a matter of pride for India as two persons have made it to the finalists’ list for the Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.
Also known as “Eco Oscars” for their carbon neutral setting, this year’s awards will feature a school girl Vinisha Umashankar from Tamil Nadu who has invented a solar-powered ironing cart and an agricultural waste recycling project by a Delhi entrepreneur, Vidyut Mohan.
Fourteen-year-old Umashankar while returning from school one day observed the vendor who irons clothes discarding the charcoal waste in the garbage, making her go into the details of pollution caused by charcoal. On realising how many trees are cut down to make charcoal she decided to make a solar-powered cart. This replaces charcoal with energy which is clean and from the sun. The Earthshot Prize described her invention as a win for the environment, and a win for vendors.
According to an Indian Express report the cart’s “built in phone top up and charging points bring extra income too. Overall, the ironing cart helps 13 of the 15 UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history. Each Earthshot matters! Our Earth needs the best "shots" to become cleaner and greener. I am the youngest finalist of The Earthshot Prize 2021. See you at The Earthshot Prize ceremony on October 17! pic.twitter.com/Xuc1vDzuOA
— VINISHA UMASHANKAR (Solar Ironing Cart) (@Vinisha27738476) October 9, 2021
Umashankar wants to go for commercial manufacture of the cart and make it affordable besides exporting it to Asian, African countries and those regions which get sunshine in plenty.
Mohan’s Takachar, which is dedicated to fight climate change, has led an initiative to fight the serious health issues emanating from air pollution created by the burning of agricultural waste in the Capital and its adjoining areas.
The IE report states that Takachar has developed a small-scale, portable and affordable technology that can be attached to tractors. This will help convert crop residue into bio-products like fuel and fertiliser which can be sold.
New Delhi-based @biomasstakachar has developed a pioneering technology creating fuel and fertilizer from agricultural waste and puts a stop to the burning of crops.🚜https://t.co/90THV7gm1Z#EarthshotPrize #EarthshotLondon2021 #CleanOurAir pic.twitter.com/lotjkHxejS
— The Earthshot Prize (@EarthshotPrize) October 7, 2021
According to the prize analyst’s note: “Takachar’s technology reduces smoke emissions by up to 98 per cent which will help improve the air quality that currently reduces the affected population’s life expectancy by up to five years. If scaled, it could cut a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year: a win for India’s farmers will be a win in the fight against climate change.”
Umashankar and Mohan will vie with 13 other finalists from Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Switzerland, and other countries to win one million pounds in five categories. These are Protect and Restore Nature; Clean our Air; Revive our Oceans; Build a Waste-free World; and Fix our Climate. Indian finalists are in the "Clean Our Air" category.
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