The Prince of Wales has told young environmentalists “we must think big and dream bigger” if we are to protect the planet, in a foreword to a children’s Earthshot Prize book.
In his introduction, Prince William writes that when he was a child some people “refused” to believe climate change was happening.
“But while denying it was happening then was scary”, giving up hope that environmental problems can be fixed now, was “an even scarier thought”, he said.
The future king launched his Earthshot Prize in 2021 to discover and scale-up ground-breaking solutions to repair the planet, with the winners in five categories – also known as Earthshots – receiving £1 million each to help develop their ideas.
The new children’s book, The Earthshot Prize: A Handbook For Dreamers And Thinkers: Solutions To Repair Our Planet, is co-authored by Jonnie Hughes and Colin Butfield, and aims to inspire young people to develop their own ideas to help the Earth.
Published on October 12, the book contains practical things young readers can do or make to help save the planet, as well as big ideas and contributions from around the world, including from broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Speaking about the Earth, William says in his foreword: “She is the only home we have and we must think big and dream bigger if we are to protect her.”
He also writes: “We now live in a world where seaweed can replace plastic and whole countries team together to protect rainforests, and our goal with The Earthshot Prize Handbook For Dreamers And Thinkers is simple: to encourage you to think about how you can become one of these amazing people contributing to the mission to repair our planet.
Prince William speaks during the second Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York City in September— (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“From pulling carbon dioxide from the air and locking it away in rocks, to making leather from flowers instead of animals, and from sustainable concrete to bubble barriers that remove plastic from our rivers, the Earthshots you’ll read about in these pages are the stories of possibility and potential, and it is my hope that they will leave you feeling inspired and optimistic.
“Because if we put our minds to it, the urgency we need, with the optimism we must hold on to, will equal the action we need to repair our planet.”
Singapore will host the third Earthshot Prize awards in November, after ceremonies were staged in Boston last year and London’s Alexandra Palace in 2021.
