Vinisha Umashankar from Tamil Nadu was invited by Prince William of Cambridge to speak at a meeting discussing clean technology and innovation at the climate conference.
A popular quote in use as a comment about children who often show a rare insight and sparkle of wisdom, far, far beyond their years: “Out of the mouth of babes, oft come gems of wisdom” – taken from The Bible’s New Testament.
What could be more apt than these lines as words of high praise and appreciation for a 15-year-old schoolgirl Vinisha Umashankar. She was addressing an august gathering of world leaders at the COP 26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, England, on Tuesday, November 2.
With plain-speaking forthrightness Vinisha told the world her generation is “angry and frustrated at world leaders who’ve made empty promises” and made a direct call to action to save the planet.
She went on to add with an emphatic passion: “Today I ask, with all due respect, that we stop talking and start doing. We, The Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists, need you to back our innovations, projects and solutions, not an economy built on fossil fuels, smoke and pollution. We need to stop thinking about old debates because we need a new vision for a new future. So you need to invest your time, money and effort in us to shape our future!”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his UK counterpart Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden attended the event and watched on as the young Indian gave a rousing speech.
Dubbed as the ‘Eco Oscars’ The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and David Attenborough. The winners are selected by the Earthshot Prize Council, which includes Prince William and Attenborough. It is awarded each year by the Royal Foundation, UK, to five winners. Each winner receives a grant of One million Pounds to continue with their environmental work
As one of the finalists and winners of the Earthshot Prize, Vinisha was invited by Prince William of Cambridge to speak at a meeting discussing clean technology and innovation at the climate conference.
Dubbed as the ‘Eco Oscars’ The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and David Attenborough. The winners are selected by the Earthshot Prize Council, which includes Prince William and Attenborough.
It is awarded each year by the Royal Foundation, UK, to five winners. Each winner will receive a grant of One million Pounds to continue with their environmental work. First awarded in 2021, the Royal Foundation plans to run it until 2030.
Vinisha concluded her 5-minute speech by saying: “We have every reason to be angry. But I’ve no time for anger. I want to act. I’m not just a girl from India. I’m a girl from Earth and I’m proud to be so. I’m also a student, innovator, environmentalist and entrepreneur but most importantly, I’m an optimist”.
Her parents, S. Umashankar, a business consultant, and U. Sangeetha, a school teacher, were present in Glasgow to watch with pride, their only child’s speech on the world stage.
Earlier in school, Vinisha had designed a solar-powered steam ironing cart to replace the conventional charcoal ironing box. The innovation won her the prestigious Children’s Climate Prize in November 2021, given by the Sweden-based Children’s Climate Foundation.
Her mobile ironing cart has solar panels with a roof connected to a 100 Ah battery. It takes five hours of bright sunshine to fully charge the battery, which in turn powers the steam ironing box for six hours.
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