"If we do not act in this decade, the damage that we have done will be irreversible. And the effects felt not just by future generations but by all of us alive today," said Prince William.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on July 23, 2021. It has since been updated.
For many people around the world, Prince William is a source of inspiration, but for the monarch, his inspiration comes from none other than former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Long before Prince William was born, President Kennedy was part of a historically bold Moonshot mission in 1961, to send a man to space in record time. In fact, Kennedy is the driving force behind William's eagerness to fix the Earth, according to PEOPLE.
The revelation was made during William's Ted Talk on July 19, 2021, as part of a countdown to his Earthshot Prize ceremony in October. "Humans have an extraordinary capacity to set goals and strive to achieve them," William said. "I've long been inspired by President John F. Kennedy's 1961 mission to put a man on the moon within a decade. He named it the Moonshot. It seemed crazy. We'd only just launched the first satellite. Putting a man on the moon that quickly seemed impossible," the 39-year-old Prince added.
Despite that, Kennedy inspired people "to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills. In taking that giant leap for mankind, the team behind the Moonshot united millions of people around the world — that this crazy ambition wasn't so crazy after all."
Now, the Duke of Cambridge believes this kind of ambition is exactly what we need, as we "start this new decade knowing that it is the most consequential period in history."
He continued, "If we do not act in this decade, the damage that we have done will be irreversible. And the effects felt not just by future generations but by all of us alive today. And what's more, this damage will not be felt equally by everyone. It is the most vulnerable, those with the fewest resources and those who've done the least to cause climate change who will be impacted the most."
"We must harness the spirit of human ingenuity and purpose on the most pressing challenge we have ever faced: Repairing our planet." — @KensingtonRoyal
— TEDCountdown (@TEDCountdown) July 19, 2021
Watch Prince William's full talk here: https://t.co/l2Wiqg3do5 pic.twitter.com/brSQWHfemq
The Prince now wants to do his part by leading Earthshot, hoping to find issues that are prevalent on the planet. Basically, he wants to establish "a set of ambitious objectives for the planet," as "the Earthshot goals seek to protect and restore nature, clean the air, revive oceans, build a waste-free world and fix the climate — all in the next decade."
William, who has long been outspoken about environmental issues, just like his father, said, "We must harness the spirit of human ingenuity and purpose on and turn it with laser-sharp focus and urgency on the most pressing challenge we have ever faced: Repairing our planet."
On October 17, 2021, recipients of the first-ever Earthshot prize will receive about $1.4 million (£1 million) each, at a ceremony which will be by William at London's Alexandra Palace.
References:
https://people.com/royals/prince-william-john-f-kennedy-moonshot-earthshot-inspiration/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photos By Tim Rooke - WPA -Pool
