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Prince William To Announce Earthshot Prize Finalists in New York City
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Prince William waded into the waters of New York Harbor on Monday, during his first stop on a two-day visit to the city to host his Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit.
“It’s so good to be back in United States. No one does optimism and ingenuity like the American people, so it’s only right we unveil this year’s Earthshot finalists in New York City,” the Prince of Wales said in a statement issued by Kensington Palace on Monday.
“Eighty years ago, the world came together in this great city to find a new way, through the UN, to solve our shared challenges. I know our generation can take the bold action we need to make changes towards a healthy and sustainable world. The challenge may feel huge, but as John F. Kennedy taught us, we rise to the challenge not because it is easy, but because it is hard. And vital,” he said.
Also attending Tuesday’s summit will be Michael Bloomberg, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Global Advisor to the Winners of The Earthshot Prize.
Speakers at the summit include Bill Gates; José Andrés, Chef and Founder of World Central Kitchen; and former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern.
Fifteen Earthshot Prize finalists will be announced, chosen to represent five categories of climate solutions: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate. Winners of the $1.2 million prize in each category will be announced at an awards ceremony in Singapore on Nov. 7.
On Monday, Prince William visited the New York Harbor with the Billion Oyster Project, which aims to restore oyster reefs to the harbor, which is home to the East River tidal estuary. Oysters filter water, keeping it cleaner, improving the habitat for other marine life.
He also visited an oyster hatchery and met students from Harbor Middle School.
Since 2014, the Billion Oyster Project has introduced 122 million oysters across 19 acres of harbor habitat. The organization enlists the help of thousands of volunteers, and thousands of students have assisted through educational programs.
TMX contributed to this article.
