The youngest finalist in The Duke of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize, Vinisha Umashankar, is at the center of global media attention due to her powerful and stunning speech on Tuesday. The Indian schoolgirl was asked by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, to speak her mind on clean energy at the meeting that discussed clean technology and innovation as part of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, the UK. Among her audience were the heads of state and government delegations.
The 15-year-old student of class 8 had invented a solar-powered ironing cart, which would replace the conventional charcoal ironing box. This innovative idea was recognized all over the world and she was awarded the prestigious Children’s Climate Prize in November 2021. The prize given by the Sweden-based Children’s Climate Foundation is one of the most significant climate-related awards for young talents.
The mobile ironing cart owned by Umashankar has solar panels with a roof connected to a 100 Ah battery. A 12 volt 100 Ah battery needs about 1200 Watts of power to be fully charged. The solar panels produce 250 Watts of power per hour. It takes five hours of bright sunshine to fully charge the battery and the power can last up to six hours.
She received a standing ovation from the global audience, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the meet, Umashankar said, “Young people have every reason to be angry and frustrated at leaders who have made empty promises and failed to deliver. None of what we discuss today is practical for me. We need actions rather than promises to live in a habitable world.”
Umashankar introduced herself to the audience as a girl from the earth, ‘I’m not just a girl from India. I’m a girl from the earth and I’m proud to be so.’ She added, ‘I’m also a student, innovator, environmentalist and entrepreneur but most importantly, I’m an optimist.’ She called on the world leaders, international organisations, civil society, and business leaders to back the innovations, solutions and projects aimed at protecting the planet from irreparable damages and join the next generation in taking action.
Umashankar hails from Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. Her parents, S Umashankar and U Sangeetha happen to be business consultant and school teacher respectively. As per The Hindu report, “She (Vinisha) is a class topper and her time management between studies and extracurricular activities is excellent.’ They watched their only child’s speech on the world stage at close quarters as they travelled with her to Glasgow.
Appreciating Umashankar’s spirited speech, Prince Williams said, “Feeling optimistic as I head home from #COP26 having met our @EarthshotPrize Winners & Finalists and discussed their solutions to repair our planet. Especially, proud to see Vinisha speaking in front of the world, demanding change so that her generation can have a better future.”
Umashankar is one of the few Indians to get a chance to address climate change on a global platform.
