My £1m bright idea!
Vinisha, 14, aims to win William’s ‘Earthshot’ prize with solar cart
A 14-YEAR-OLD Indian schoolgirl who developed a solar-powered ironing cart is in the running to win a £1million prize from Prince William’s Earthshot initiative.
Vinisha Umashankar, who says she developed an interest in science after being given an encyclopaedia when she was five, decided to make the 10 million-plus mobile laundry carts that run on charcoal in her country more environmentally friendly.
After researching the impact of charcoal, which causes not only pollution but lung disease among the vendors and results in massive deforestation, Vinisha developed her green cart which uses clean energy from the sun.
Five hours of sunshine powers an iron for six hours and vendors can build in phone top-up and charging points to bring in extra income.
Vinisha, from Tamil Nadu, joins 14 other finalists in line for five £1 million prizes and help with developing and marketing her idea.
She said: ‘As the youngest finalist, I want to inspire students around the world to take a keen interest in science to innovate products and solutions for protecting our air, water and land for people, animals and plants.’ William’s initiative, which is being billed as the most prestigious global environment prize in history, attracted 750 entries. They have been whittled down to the 15 finalists from 14 countries.
Other ideas include a tiny water treatment plant that turns 98 per cent of wastewater into clean water and China’s first public environmental database enabling citizens to hold polluters to account.
Five winners will be selected by the Earthshot Prize Council each year for the next ten years. The first winners will be announced on October 17. A video of William typing the introduction to a new book, Earthshot: How to Save Our Planet, was posted online yesterday.