Skip to main content

Sir David Attenborough and Prince William Announce ‘Nobel Prize for Environmentalism’

Sir David Attenborough and Prince William Discussing Earthshot Prize
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Earth is dying. It’s a sad truth that seems even harder to face in a year where it seems everything that could go wrong did. The good news is that the consensus among climate scientists and environmental researchers is that we haven’t yet reached the point of no return. We can still turn things around. Sir David Attenborough and Prince William recently teamed up to help do just that.

Recommended Videos

This month, the duo announced the debut of the Earthshot Prize. Although the initiative is not officially connected to the Nobel Prize, it’s being touted as the “Nobel Prize for Environmentalism.” Attenborough and Prince William, along with 11 council members from six continents, are putting their considerable weight behind solving our most dire environmental problems by 2030. It’s a tall order, but the group is vetting more than 50 solutions and throwing nearly $65 million into the mix to incentivize the world’s most ingenious problem solvers. The solutions all relate to cleaner air, waste-free production, ocean clean-up, protecting nature, and restoring damage already done to the world’s most critical ecosystems.

As the short video below details, the project’s name was inspired by President Kennedy. In 1961, he announced the “Moonshot” idea, which promised to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. At the time, it seemed impossibly ambitious, bordering on crazy. Likewise, the problems Earthshot seeks to solve are challenging. But, with the right ingenuity, solving them is not impossible.

Despite the grim outlook on our environment, there is considerable optimism among the scientific community and ordinary citizens. In an interview, Attenborough told the BBC, “The Earthshot prize is really about harnessing that optimism and that urgency to find some of the world’s solutions to some of the greatest environmental problems.”

The project is open to anyone: Scientists, governments, banks, researchers, billionaires, and garage innovators. Attenborough went on to say that anyone can win the prize. All it takes is a few “amazing people to create brilliant innovative projects.” It’s no longer enough to throw up our hands and declare it a lost cause. The future of our planet and our lives depends on it.

The first Earthshot Prize nominations will open this November 1. An annual ceremony will be held in a different city every year for the next decade, with the first in London in late 2021.

Making a difference in the face of mounting climate change can feel a bit hopeless. But, it starts with small changes in your everyday routine. Check out our top easy tips for going green(er) this year.

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
This DeWalt drill and impact driver bundle is on sale — 48% off
The contents of the DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit.

If you're planning to get some home projects done over the spring season, you're going to want to check out the power tool deals that Amazon launched as part of its Big Spring Sale. Here's one to consider -- the DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit, which is available with a 48% discount that slashes the bundle's price from $239 to only $124. That's $115 in savings that's scheduled to run until the event ends on March 31, but we don't recommend waiting until the last minute before you make your purchase as stock might have dried up by then.

Why you should buy the DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit
Cordless drills and impact drivers are among the essential tools that every man should have at home, and you can get both of them with the DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit. The DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill is our overall top choice in our list of the best cordless drills because of its max speed of 1,500 RPM, 16-setting clutch, an LED guide light to help you line up your drilling, and lengthy battery life. Meanwhile, the DeWalt 20V Max Impact Driver enables easy one-handed bit loading with a 1/4-inch hex chuck accepting 1-inch bits, and it has a compact and lightweight design that will allow you to work in tight spaces.

Read more
Streaming subscribers are paying $69/mo. for streaming, and many think that’s too much
The cost is still less than what it costs to pay for cable
Man and woman watching Netflix

The streaming revolution was supposed to usher us into an era when things were cheaper and you could buy more things a la carte. According to Deloitte's 19th annual Digital Media Trends report, though, people are still paying plenty, and they aren't necessarily happy about it.

According to the report, people are paying $69/mo. on average for four streaming services, which is a 13% increase from a year ago. Cable or satellite customers are still paying more, though, with their average cost coming out to $125/mo. 47% of those surveyed said that they are paying too much for those services, and 41% said that they don't believe the price they pay is worth it for the content available on these platforms, whic his up 5% from the last report.

Read more
Jessica Chastain and Adam Driver are set to headline the latest prestige series from Apple
No release date has been announced for the project yet
Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story

Few things are likely to get a series greenlit faster than the presence of Adam Driver and Jessica Chastain. Two of our best working actors are set to team up in The Dealer, a series from Apple TV+.

According to reporting in Variety, the show is described as “a biting exploration of power, class, seduction and culture set inside the glittering world of the high-end art market, told through the eyes of an aspiring super gallerist, played by Chastain, and the tangled relationship with her most gifted and unnerving artist, played by Driver.”

Read more