Oman-based 44.01 among five winners of Earthshot Prize 2022
The Earthshot Prize winners were selected by a panel comprising Prince William, David Attenborough, Cate Blanchett, Dani Alves, Ernest Gibson, and Shakira.
Oman-based environmental project 44.01 was announced as one of the winners of the second annual Earthshot Prize. The project was selected from among 15 finalists by a panel that included UK royal Prince William, broadcaster David Attenborough, actress Cate Blanchett, footballer Dani Alves, Fijian activist Ernest Gibson, and singer Shakira.
Founded by Talal Hasan in 2020, 44.01 promises to turn carbon dioxide into peridotite, a rock that is found in abundance both in Oman and globally, including the US, Europe and Asia, as reported by BBC. It offers a low-cost and safe alternative to traditional carbon storage methods, including burying it underground in disused oil wells.
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"We started 44.01 two years ago because we saw the very real impact of climate change here in Oman, "Talal said. "Winning the Earthshot Prize will help us scale our solution around the world, and ultimately eliminate billions of tonnes of CO2. Climate change is the greatest challenge we have ever faced but being part of this amazing group of finalists gives us hope."
44.01 shared the prize with four other projects—Mukuru Clean Stoves, Kenya; Kheyti, India; Notpla, UK; and The Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Launched by Prince William and David Attenborough in 2020, Earthshot Prize awards five winners £1 million ($1.2 million) each year from last year and will support environmental innovation projects till 2030. The prize's name refers to the "Moonshot" ambition announced by US President John F Kennedy in the 1960s, who pledged to get a man on the Moon within a decade.
Nominations for the 2023 prize open up on December 5.
Edited by Kanishk Singh