Earthshot Prize: Asia takes the lead in efforts to fix the globe

 Earthshot Prize: Asia takes the lead in efforts to fix the globe

Women in a Western Indian hamlet gather onions that have been kept in the orange metal dryers that are revolutionizing their way of life.

It's basic technology, almost elementary. However, they assist the farmers in turning surplus or inferior crop—which would otherwise be wasted—into valuable items that might boost their earnings.

The dryers, which are produced by S4S Technologies in India—one of the five organizations that were awarded the Earthshot Prize this week—have been placed in around 400 communities. Prince William of Britain established the £1 million ($1.2 million) prize in 2014 with the goal of identifying and expanding creative solutions to the biggest environmental problems facing the planet.

Co-founder of S4S Technologies Nidhi Pant stated in a statement shortly after the award ceremony in Singapore, "S4S, in addition to women farmers, are developing a new food ecosystem that reduces wastage therefore mitigates the increase in greenhouse gas emissions whereas meeting the world's food needs."

Indian farmers are not the only ones battling the effects of climate change on a daily basis. The Asia-Pacific area has been deemed the most sensitive to climate change by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with 13 of the 30 nations on the continent expected to have major consequences.

In addition to experiencing sharp rises in heat and humidity, the region is home to many low-lying coastal communities that are vulnerable to typhoons and floods. In some parts, severe rainfall is predicted, while in others, drought is predicted.

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However, actress Cate Blanchett noted on the "green" carpet before to the Earthshot Prize event that Asia is also home to a tremendous quantity of innovation. "There was are so many people out there of all age groups as well as demographics, representing all cultures, actually doing things within their very own organizations, in their own regions to tackle issues caused by the very rapidly altering climate,"

accelerating methods

Thanks to their environmentally friendly lithium ion battery technology, the creators of Hong Kong-based GRST, who took first place in the "Clean Our Air" category, are prepared for the global shift to electric cars. GRST makes its batteries in China, where it also sells them, but it also intends to expand to Canada, Europe, and Singapore. With the reward, they want to develop their business.

"The traditional method of producing batteries produces a lot of pollutants and hazardous chemicals throughout the process. Water and components soluble in water have taken their place, making the process considerably more energy-efficient and very clean. At the prize ceremony, they said, "But the key is that our batteries can be recycled [more] easily than water at the end of their useful lives, allowing us to reduce the need for future mining."

Before joining WildAid, which took first place in the "Revive our Oceans" category, Meaghan Brosnan served for twenty years in the US Coast Guard.

In an effort to stop illicit fishing and preserve ecosystems in marine protected areas, WildAid collaborates with local people and governments throughout the globe, including those in China, the Philippines, as well as Palau. "We're also working with certain local neighborhoods to modify their fishing nets, ensuring they will not capture along with drown sea turtles," said Ms Brosnan.

Another winner of the Earthshot Prize, Boomitra, was founded by Indian state of Karnataka's Aadith Moorthy. Mr. Moorthy works with farmers to enhance their farming methods by maximizing crop diversification and assessing the health of the soil.

In 2017, while strolling through an Indian hamlet, he came across the funeral cortege of a farmer who had committed himself due to crop failure. "Friend of the Earth" Boomitra was finally inspired by this awful occasion.

Adding that Boomitra now operates on over five million acres of land worldwide and with roughly 150,000 farmers, he emphasized that "two more zeros" must be added to these data in order to have a significant impact on climate change.

Hub for solutions

Among attendees and trustees on the green carpet, there was a tangible enthusiasm for creativity and finding solutions to the world's issues.

"Action and hope are what we all need in the fight against climate change. Prior to the event, former prime minister of New Zealand if Earthshot trustee Jacinda Ardern said, "As well as the finalists that we see, they provide both."

Asia "leads the world into the future," thus Christina Figueres, who oversaw UN climate discussions for six years and was instrumental in the negotiations that resulted in the Paris Climate Agreement, expressed her desire to bring Earthshot to the continent in an interview with the BBC.

In light of the area's rapid expansion and the energy demands resulting from increased industrial productivity and population, Ms. Figueres commended the "brilliant, disruptive efforts" of individuals and groups in the Asia-Pacific region to tackle environmental issues on time.

In order to make combating climate change simpler, Prince William also voiced the hope that the Earthshot Prize will grow into a worldwide movement with more government involvement in environmentally friendly industries.

"Our winners and all our candidates remind us that, no matter in which you are on our planet, the spirit of ingenuity, especially the ability to inspire change, encompasses us all," he said.