When it comes to combating climate change, an Indian teenager who invented a solar-powered ironing cart has urged Cop26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference) to “stop talking and start acting.” Vinisha Umashankar is the youngest finalist in The Duke of Cambridge’s Earth shot Prize for her ironing cart, which intends to replace the pollution-producing charcoal-heated irons used by street merchants in India. The device can run an iron for six hours on five hours of sunlight, and it reduces vendors’ daily consumption of 11 pounds (5kg) of charcoal.
In India, around 10 million such carts are now in use. Just a few weeks after the winners each won 1 million to explore their eco-friendly ideas, Prince William presented the finalists and winners on stage at the climate summit in Glasgow. He said that the 15-year-old girl’s innovation “puts us all to shame.” “I’m not just a girl from India, I’m a girl from Earth,” Vinisha, who hails from Tamil Nadu in southern India, mentioned during her speech.
She earned a standing ovation following her speech in front of a crowd of international leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, and US President Joe Biden. “The point is that my generation and I will live to see the repercussions of your conduct today,” she remarked. However, none of the topics we’re discussing today is applicable applying Prize and scaling up the winners’ and finalists’ ideas.
As he journeyed home by train, Prince William closed his day by tweeting his admiration for the adolescent, signing the message with his initials. “I’m feeling optimistic as you fly home from # COP26 after meeting our Earth shot Prize Winners and Finalists and discussing their proposals to restore our world,” he added. Vinisha standing in front of the world, demanding change so that her generation might have a brighter future, makes me very pleased.
Age never counts, Vinisha told ITV News when asked why people should listen to a teenager. Even a younger person might be quite intelligent and wise, but an older one is not.
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