You can help Shape our future - VOTE the WINNER FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS 2019 ROLEX AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE – you can help save our ocean
The 2019, 10 finalists for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, are pioneers with inspiring projects to make our world a better place. These are pioneering men and women advancing knowledge of the world, improving human well-being and protecting our natural heritage. The Awards are a pillar of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet campaign, a legacy of the vision and values of Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf. Through this endeavour, Rolex has joined forces with key individuals and organizations to help find solutions to environmental challenges. The campaign now embraces increased support for oceanographer Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue, which is creating a worldwide network of marine-protected HOPE SPOTS, which are a network of special places that are critical to the health of the ocean — the blue heart of our planet. HOPE SPOTS are about recognizing, empowering and supporting individuals and communities around the world in their efforts to protect the ocean.
The 2019, 10 finalists are from nine different countries, selected from 957 applicants from 11 countries. The winners will join 140 previous Laureates and each will have 200,000 Swiss francs (approx. $200,000) contributed towards their individual projects. Their projects are varied and innovative, ranging from the ocean conservation to healthcare.
Australia based marine scientist Emma Camp of UTS, Sydney is providing hope for the world’s dying reefs via natural selection. She is identifying hot spots of naturally resilient corals that can withstand the warming waters. Camp wants to transplant these “super corals” to areas of the Great Barrier Reef being decimated by coral bleaching and to enlist volunteers to monitor their survival.
Between 1950 to 2015 only 9% of the plastic waste we used are recycled; to help solve a critical issue, Californian based Canadian, Miranda Wang is spearheading an innovative process of turning unrecyclable plastic waste from items such as plastic bags and packing materials into valuable chemicals for use in industrial and consumer products, including making cars and electronics. At last a solution for single use packaging materials.
An Argentinian biologist, Pablo GarcÍa Borboroglu, is proposing a worldwide campaign to address the plight of penguins, who are among the most critically endangered seabirds. He is passionately known as the “lawyer of the penguins” is addressing the threats they face with a mixture of science, management and education, by fostering a conservation culture in communities and government. His innovative approach has so far helped to secure 32 million acres of penguin habitat.
The ten pioneers working on inspiring projects to create solutions to environmental challenges were selected by an international jury of ten experts. For the first time in the 43-year history of the awards, Rolex is inviting the general public to take part in choosing the five overall winners via an online vote. https://www.rolex.org/rolex-awards/finalists : Do this now and help shape our future.
The jury, which will reconvene in Washington, will take account of the public vote and choose the final five Laureates, who will be announced on 14 June.
