From Lunar Legacies to Earth Innovations: These are the 2024 Earthshot Prize Finalists

The earth as seen from the moon

In a kid’s world, everything is connected, worthy of attention. A snake molting, suddenly finding wild edible berries on a walk in the woods, racing through fields of ripe sunflowers dwarfing you… The stuff that takes you back now, is then taken for granted. Yet the one thing that overwhelmed my generation was space travel and then a man on the moon. We had no idea it was a contest between two superpowers; to us it was simply adventure straight out of the movies. And it was – from Georges Méliès 1902 A Trip to the Moon launching flights of fancy and imagination, to the cartoon the Jetsons, this was the ultimate adventure story that would finally take you to a galaxy far far away…

But it was seeing photos of earth from outer space for the very first time, that something strange happened. Something strange and inarticulate. How could we live on that place?

So while JFK’s call to get a man on the moon drove the best and the brightest, the most innovative to dare to do the fantastic, a weird thing happened to the astronauts looking down, The Earth looked vulnerable; a singular fragile orb suspended in the dark heavens with white star fields. Dubbed the Overview Effect, it caused a state of awe, something self-transcendent, with a deep realization that we all share the same ecosystem, atmosphere, resources. There aren’t divisions, boundaries. Those are human constructs. And these constructs haven’t served humans or the Earth well in the ensuing years since a man first stepped onto the moon.

You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the Moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch’ –astronaut Edgar Mitchell

Since then, so much “progress and innovation” by humans on this planet is essentially trashing it towards potential extinction. So what do we do? Some look to the Masters of Silicon Valley. Yet, instead of putting their time and energy towards mitigating the environmental devastation caused by them and their earlier industrial exploiters, the tech bros shill space colonization and utopias. Well… that’s one answer.

Others all across the globe look for other solutions. Honoring the family tradition (Royal bashers beware), Prince William of the UK thought about what we humans could do here, on our home planet. His grandfather, Prince Albert, was one of the founders of the World Wildlife Fund, “to protect places and species threatened by human development. Then his father, in 1970 and at the age of 21, wrote a galvanizing speech on the dangerous effects of plastic pollution on the environment that would not be out of place today.

For over 50 years, Prince (now King) Charles, was at first ridiculed and then lauded for his unceasing efforts to work on sustainability. A lovely sidenote, at the King’s suggestion, nettle waste was used in collaboration with our friends Vin + Omi to make textiles that were woven into garments gracing the London Fashion Week runway.   

Now Prince William, riffing off JFK’s Moonshot for inspiration, called for an Earthshot prize– one set to “galvanize the best minds, bring them together, and find innovative solutions to tackle the world’s greatest environmental challenges.”

Prince William(R) with Sir David Attenborough, an inspiration to him whom he’s known since he was a child.

With a belief that though we’re not at scale nor speed of change, there are pathways to a regenerative, abundant era. We have what we need to repair our planet. The Prince hopes this Prize will gain the stature of the Nobel and create a continuous source of inspiration and optimism about regeneration.

Each year, the Earthshot Prize selects five winners from a list of 15 finalists, each of whom receives £1 million to help scale their solutions. The initiative both rewards past achievements and supports the continued development of these solutions.

The prize is structured around five “Earthshots” which target critical areas for improvement by 2030: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean our Air, Revive our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix our Climate.

These goals are designed to inspire a decade of action to repair our planet, with the prize offering significant financial incentives to spur change and innovation​

The program includes mentorship, resources, and access to a wide network of businesses, investors, and experts, enhancing the capacity of the winners to achieve broader and more sustainable impacts.

The ultimate goal is to trigger systemic change across the globe, transforming innovative ideas into practical solutions that can significantly benefit the environment​.

Below are the 15 Finalists by category.

Protect & Restore Nature

Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (Kazakhstan): Implements scientific and community-based approaches to restore Kazakhstan’s steppes and significantly boost the population of the Saiga Antelope.

Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance (Ecuador, Peru): Unites indigenous nations to protect 86 million acres of the Amazon, fostering a regenerative bioeconomy and conserving biodiversity.

NatureMetrics (Global): Utilizes environmental DNA technology to monitor biodiversity widely and efficiently, supporting conservation efforts globally.


Clean Our Air

d.light (India, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia): Provides affordable solar energy solutions to replace kerosene lamps, reducing air pollution.

GAYO, Green Africa Youth Organization (Ghana, Uganda): Empowers communities with zero waste management practices to reduce air pollution and create sustainable jobs.

MYCL (Indonesia): Utilizes mushroom technology to transform agricultural waste into sustainable bio-leather, decreasing air pollution from crop burning.


Revive Our Oceans

Coast 4C (Philippines): Develops regenerative seaweed farms to restore ocean health and support local economies.

MiAlgae (UK): Produces omega-3 oils from algae, reducing the need for fish-derived oils and supporting sustainable aquaculture.

High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (Global): Aims to protect 30% of the planet’s oceans by 2030, promoting biodiversity and sustainable use of marine resources.


Build a Waste-Free World

Keep IT Cool (Kenya, Uganda): Offers innovative cooling solutions to reduce food waste and improve food security in Africa.

Ferment’Up (France): Uses fermentation to upcycle food waste into valuable nutrients, reducing waste and promoting sustainable food practices.

Natural Fiber Welding (Global): Creates plant-based alternatives to plastics and textiles, aiming for a waste-free production cycle.


Fix Our Climate

Equatic (Canada, Singapore, USA): Uses seawater electrolysis for carbon capture, reducing atmospheric CO2 and generating clean hydrogen.

Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (USA): Converts industrial heat waste into renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions.

Build up Nepal (Nepal): Promotes eco-friendly construction materials to rebuild resilient communities while reducing carbon footprint.

For more detailed information about each finalist and their impactful projects, you can visit the Earthshot Prize website.

–KL Dunn


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