Prince William Launches Multimillion Dollar Earthshot Prize for Climate Action
31 December 2019
Climate
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visit the Chiatibo glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range on Oct. 16, 2019 in the Chitral District of Khyber-Pakhunkwa Province, Pakistan. They spoke with a an expert about how climate change is impacting glacial landscapes. Pool / Samir Hussein / WireImage
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and second in line to the throne, announced today a multimillion-dollar prize to encourage the world's greatest problem solvers to tackle the climate crisis, as Reuters reported.
The newly announced Earthshot Prize, which bills itself as "a decade of action to repair the Earth," has been planned for the last year, according to a statement from Kensington Palace. The prize will be given to five winners a year for the next 10 years starting in 2021 with the goal of funding 50 creative and achievable solutions to the world's greatest threat by 2030, as CNN reported.
<p>The name Earthshot is a play on the term moonshot, which is shorthand for labelling ambitious and groundbreaking goals. </p><p>"A set of unique challenges, rooted in <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a>, will aim to generate new ways of thinking, as well as new technologies, systems, policies and solutions," says the <a href="https://earthshotprize.org/" target="_blank">Earthshot Prize</a> website. "Just as the moonshot that John F. Kennedy proposed in the 1960s catalyzed new technology such as the MRI scanner and satellite dishes, we want our Earthshot challenges to create a new wave of ambition and innovation around finding ways to help save the planet."</p>
<p>The royal family is no stranger to the climate crisis. For years, William's father Prince Charles has spoken out about <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> and the devastation that the climate crisis brings. William's younger brother, Harry, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/prince-harry-african-parks-2520495833.html" target="_self">became president of the conservation group African Parks</a> in 2017. Earlier this year, Harry and his wife dedicated their official Instagram account to organizations and people tackling the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis" target="_blank">climate crisis</a>, as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-environment-july-2639073995.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1">EcoWatch</a> reported.</p><p>Now, 37-year-old Prince William is dedicating millions to the largest crisis the world faces. </p><p>"We face a stark choice: Either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve," Prince William said in a statement, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/31/uk/prince-william-earthshot-prize-environment-gbr-scli-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. "The next ten years presents us with one of our greatest tests — a decade of change to repair the Earth." </p>
<p>The prize aims to usher in a spirit of optimism and possibility to replace the current pessimism associated with the climate crisis, according to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/12/31/prince-william-launches-earthshot-prize-prestigious-environmental/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a>. It aims to generate new technologies, policies and solutions for issues of climate and energy, nature and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a>, oceans, air pollution and fresh water, according to <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-royals-earthshot/uks-prince-william-launches-prize-to-solve-earths-top-environmental-challenges-idUKKBN1YZ0V8" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</p><p>The prize will lay out a set of five unique challenges rooted in science. The challenges will be announced in coming months with an annual award ceremony in different cities around the world from 2021 to 2030, as <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/12/31/prince-william-launches-earthshot-prize-prestigious-environmental/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> reported. </p><p>There are no details yet about just how much the prizes will be or who is funding it, just a statement saying that the project is supported by a global coalition of philanthropists and organizations, as <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-royals-earthshot/uks-prince-william-launches-prize-to-solve-earths-top-environmental-challenges-idUKKBN1YZ0V8" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p>
<p>To help with the reveal of the Earthshot Prize, Prince William enlisted the help of acclaimed conservationist Sir David Attenborough to voice a short movie accompanying the announcement. </p><p>As <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/12/31/prince-william-launches-earthshot-prize-prestigious-environmental/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> reported, in the short film, Attenborough says, "The spirit of the moonshot can guide us today as we confront the serious challenges we face on Earth. This year Prince William and a global alliance launch the most prestigious Environment Prize in history. The Earthshot Prize. A global prize designed to motivate and inspire a new generation of thinkers, leaders and dreamers to think differently. Visionaries rewarded over the next decade for responding to the great challenges of our time."</p>
<p>In addition to a significant financial reward, winners will receive public recognition for their work that will hopefully inspire leaders in business and government to collaborate and scale the projects up, according to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/12/31/prince-william-launches-earthshot-prize-prestigious-environmental/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a>.</p><p>"In just ten years we can go from fear to hope, from disaster to discovery and from inertia to inspiration. The Earthshot Prize challenges us all to make this the decade that we build a future to be proud of," said Colin Butfield, executive director of the World Wide Fund for Nature, as <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2019/12/31/prince-william-launches-earthshot-prize-prestigious-environmental/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a> reported.</p>
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Prince William and British naturalist David Attenborough attend converse during the World Economic Forum annual meeting, on January 22 in Davos, Switzerland. Fabrice Cofferini /AFP / Getty Images
Britain's Prince William interviewed famed broadcaster David Attenborough on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Switzerland.
During the sit-down, the 92-year-old naturalist advised the world leaders and business elite gathered in Davos this week that we must respect and protect the natural world, adding that the future of its survival—as well as humanity's survival—is in our hands.
<p>
"We can wreck it with ease," Attenborough said. "We can wreck it without even knowing we are doing it. And if we wreck the natural world, in the end, we wreck ourselves."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="5da89" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="HYDKCZ1576662575"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1087761706128994304" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">“If we wreck the natural world, in the end, we wreck ourselves.”
Sir David Attenborough talks to Prince William ab… https://t.co/DXoJGKUH0X</div> — Channel 4 News (@Channel 4 News)<a href="https://twitter.com/Channel4News/statuses/1087761706128994304">1548177575.0</a></blockquote></div>
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The <em>Our Planet</em> narrator stressed that a healthy planet is essential for life itself, and yet people have never been more "out of touch" with the natural world.
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"We have to recognize that every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food that we take comes from the natural world. And that if we damage the natural world we damage ourselves," Attenborough said to the Duke of Cambridge when asked about how young people can make a positive impact on the environment. </p><p>"We are one coherent ecosystem. It's not just a question of beauty or interest or wonder. It's the essential ingredient, the central part of human life is a healthy planet," Attenborough said.</p><p>
Prince William asked the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> advocate why some global leaders are "faltering" on tackling environmental challenges.
</p><p>
"Because the connection between the natural world and the urban world, the human society, since the Industrial Revolution, has been remote and widening," Attenborough said. "We didn't realize the effects of what we were doing 'out there.' But now we are seeing that almost everything we do has its echoes, its duplications and implications across the natural world."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="7ebc7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Z70SA01576662575"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1087764502823792640" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"Every breath of air that we take, every mouthful of food that we take comes from that the natural world. If we dam… https://t.co/pGt5iTKuzL</div> — Kensington Palace (@Kensington Palace)<a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/statuses/1087764502823792640">1548178241.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>He added that it was "difficult to overstate" the urgency of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> crisis.<br></p><p>
"We are now so numerous, so powerful, so all pervasive, the mechanisms we have for destruction are so wholesale and so frightening that we can exterminate whole ecosystems without even noticing it," Attenborough said.
</p><p>
In the documentary series <em>Blue Planet II</em>, Attenborough gave viewers an unflinching look at the harmful impact of human activity on our <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans">oceans</a>.
</p><p>
"We have now to be really aware of the dangers of what we are doing. And we already know the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics">plastic</a> problems in the seas is wreaking appalling damage upon <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life">marine life</a>. The extent of which we don't yet fully know," said in his chat with the prince.
</p><p>
Also in the interview, the legendary television icon spoke about how the world has changed since he started broadcasting in the 1950s
</p><p>
"I went to West Africa for the first time and it was a wonderland," Attenborough said. "You'd just step off from the beaten track... and it seemed to me as a newcomer, unexplored and exciting and everywhere you turned you saw something new."
</p><p>
"The human population was only a third of the size of what it is today...you really did get the feeling of what it might have been like to be in the Garden of Eden," he continued.
</p><p>
Attenborough, who was honored at the World Economic Forum's Crystal Awards on Monday for his leadership in the fight against climate change, remains hopeful about the planet's future.
</p><p>
"There's a source of great optimism there, we have the knowledge, we have the power, to live in harmony with that natural world," he said, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46957085" target="_blank">BBC</a>.
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Watch the full interview here:
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<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56c63886e6f1f22834efa8c886cac732"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EBbQ79uA9FY?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Prince William interviews David Attenborough – watch live</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBbQ79uA9FY" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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For many people, the holidays are rich with time-honored traditions like decorating the Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, caroling, cookie baking, and sipping from the unity cup. But there's another unofficial, official holiday tradition that spans all ages and beliefs and gives people across the world hope for a better tomorrow: the New Year's resolution.
<p>It's believed that ancient Babylonians were the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions-and-celebrations/#:~:text=4%2C000%20years%20ago%20in%20Babylon%20(around%202000%20B.C.)&text=Most%20historians%20believe%20Babylonians%20were,accordance%20with%20an%20agricultural%20year." target="_blank">first people to make New Year's resolutions</a> some 4,000 years ago. Over time, the popular practice shifted in scope from making promises to the gods about repaying debt to making promises to ourselves about self-improvement. Anyone who has ever made a New Year's resolution probably included something like get more sleep or be less stressed. And though it might not immediately come to mind when you brainstorm strategies for reaching your New Year's goals, it turns out that chamomile tea could be the answer for many of them. </p><p>If you've ever asked yourself why everyone is drinking chamomile tea, we've got the answer here. Read on to learn some of the reasons why this herbal beverage is all the rage.</p>
<p><em>Josh Hall has been a professional writer and storyteller for more than 15 years. His work on natural health and cannabis has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
Benefits of Chamomile Tea
<p><strong>Sleep More Soundly</strong></p><p>Pick your grandmother's brain about the best way to fall asleep, and she might tell you to down a nice glass of warm milk. But if you consult with science, research shows that chamomile might be a better option. That's because it contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia and other sleep problems</a>.</p><p>Two research studies even confirmed the power of chamomile throughout the day and before bed. In one of those studies, postpartum women who drank chamomile for two weeks <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26483209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced better sleep quality than the control group who didn't</a>. Another research effort measured how fast people could fall asleep. Those results illustrated that participants who consumed 270 milligrams of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198755/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fell asleep 15 minutes faster than the control</a>. The chamomile group also had considerably fewer sleep disruptions. </p><p><strong>May Be Able to Keep Your Gut Healthy</strong></p><p>Though the following studies used rats as the subjects, research shows that chamomile can potentially play a beneficial role in digestive health. According to that research, the anti-inflammatory properties in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chamomile extract may be able to protect against diarrhea</a>. Additionally, chamomile may be an effective way to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4177631/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stop the growth of bacteria in our stomachs that contribute to ulcers</a>.</p><p><strong>Reduces Stress and Anxiety</strong></p><p>Few things are more relaxing than curling up with a good cup of tea, so it's logical that chamomile tea can serve a stress reducer. While it lacks the potency of a pharmaceutical drug, long-term use of chamomile has been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27912875" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"significantly" reduce general anxiety disorders</a>. In general, chamomile can act almost like a sedative, and many people enjoy the tea because it puts them in a calm and relaxed state almost immediately. </p><p><strong>Boosts Immune Health</strong></p><p>Vitamin C and zinc are common over-the-counter supplements that people often turn to when they're hoping to avoid becoming sick. While scientists admit that more research must take place to prove chamomile's impact on preventing ailments like the common cold, the existing studies do show promise in this area. </p><p>One study had 14 participants drink five cups of the tea every day for two consecutive weeks. Throughout the study, researchers collected daily urine samples and tested the contents before and after the consumption of the tea. Drinking chamomile resulted in a significant increase in the levels of hippurate and glycine, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">both of which are known to increase antibacterial activity</a>. Inhaling steam from a pot of freshly brewed chamomile tea may also ease the symptoms of nasal congestion.</p><p><strong>Minimizes Menstrual Cramps</strong></p><p>This one may come as a surprise, particularly to readers who have tried every possible over-the-counter treatment to reduce period pain. Several research studies have proven that chamomile tea may be able to minimize the pain and cramps that occur during menstruation. Women in that same study also dealt with lower levels of anxiety that they typically felt because of menstrual cramps.</p><p><strong>Help Diabetes and Lower Blood Sugar</strong></p><p>For people with diabetes, regulating blood sugar levels can be a matter of life or death. And while chamomile will never replace prescription-strength drugs, it's believed that it can prevent an increase in blood sugar. A 2008 study on rats showed that chamomile could have a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf8014365" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">moderate impact on the long-term risk of diabetes</a>.</p><p><strong>Might Improve Your Skin</strong></p><p>Ever wondered why there's been an influx of chamomile-infused cosmetic products? The reason why so many manufacturers now include chamomile in their lotions, soaps, and creams is because it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5074766/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acts as an anti-inflammatory on our skin</a>. That means it may be able to soothe the puffiness that plagues us as we age. Those same anti-inflammatory properties can be vital in restoring skin health after we've received a sunburn. </p><p>Before discarding your used chamomile tea bags, try chilling them and placing them over your eyes. Not only will this help with the puffiness, but it can drastically light the skin color around the eye.</p><p><strong>Help With Heart Health</strong></p><p>Some of the most beneficial antioxidants we put into our bodies are what are known as flavones, and chamomile tea is chock full of them. Flavones have the potential to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which, when elevated, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814348/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can lead to heart disease</a>.</p>Why Everyone Is Drinking Chamomile Tea
<p>Now that you know so much about the wonders of chamomile, it shouldn't come as a surprise why the tea is so popular with people of all ages. In addition to tasting great, chamomile offers up benefits that boost the health of body parts both inside and out. As you ponder your own New Year's resolutions, think about how healthy and natural vitamins, supplements, plants, and oils can help guide you on your own personal path to improvement. Happy New Year!</p>An Organic, Eco-Conscious Brand to Try
<div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="0da9d8545ec44ebf1a31d6044181ed9e" contenteditable="false"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2F8718?tag=ecowatch-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1" target="_blank"> <img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41B2ANHhsdL.jpg" class="amazon-assets-widget__image widget__image"> </a> </div> <p>FGO tea bags are made of hemp fiber paper, free of dyes, adhesive, glue, and chlorine bleach. The tea is also certified USDA Organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).</p>From Your Site Articles
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