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Sustainability July 31, 2019
Is the world ending? Not if XPRIZE can help it.
At some point in our lives, we’ve all been told that the world is ending. Whether by aliens – thank you, Independence Day – or by a hurtling comet – *ahem* Deep Impact – or – and this is the scariest – by our own carelessness.
Yet, the moral is not that Hollywood has been inciting panic in the American public since the mid-1990s. In reality, the past few years of climate change have been more than enough to keep us reaching for the nightlight.
But, fear and hopelessness are not the answers. Radical solutions are, which is why XPRIZE is the greatest company you’ve probably never heard of. For fifteen years, XPRIZE has been attempting to save the world. And, despite all odds, it’s succeeding.
Recently, I journeyed with fellow ENTITY Academy students to XPRIZE headquarters. In addition to being blown away by their futuristic offices, here’s what I learned about this incredibly environmental company.
XPRIZE is a global incentive company that uses an awards-based system to inspire revolutionary advancements in nine areas ranging from space exploration to environmental solutions.
Instead of wallowing in global dilemmas, designers at this company imagine a future where those dilemmas no longer exist. Project creators envision a solution to a global crisis and then XPRIZE offers a monetary award to any scientist, engineer or innovator who can create the technology to accomplish it.
As an example, one of their existing competitions aims to stamp out carbon emissions by converting them into usable products. If scientists succeed, you could be brushing your teeth, feeding your fish or fueling your car with converted CO2.
If it wasn’t obvious already, XPRIZE has inspired some of the world’s greatest environmental innovations. But, it doesn’t stop there. They are also pioneers in cosmic and ocean exploration while simultaneously attempting to improve the quality and length of human life.
Their mission statement really says it all. This amazing nonprofit wants “to inspire and guide innovators to create breakthroughs enabling a world of abundance — a world where every man, woman and child can access all the energy, clean drinking water, shelter, education and healthcare they require.”
Now that you know what it does, here’s why XPRIZE’s founding story will dismantle any lingering feelings of doomsday helplessness left in you.
As a child, XPRIZE’s Founder and Executive Chairman, Peter Diamandis, dreamed of being an astronaut. Apollo 11 had just landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong had just made a giant leap for mankind, and Peter Diamandis had every intention of throwing his hat in the galactic ring. His parents, however, had a much different plan for him.
Pushed into the “safer” direction, Diamandis studied medicine, but his passion for space never dissipated. In fact, it later led him to create the leading innovative and environmental company, XPRIZE. Through XPRIZE, Diamandis has been able to combine his love for exploration with his desire to extend human life and preserve the environment.
So, if it’s not Hollywood panic or apocalyptic hopelessness, then what really is the moral of this story? Maybe it’s that obstacles are inevitable. Peter Diamandis faced them. We face them. And, the earth is certainly facing them right now.
But equally, the moral is that hope is a choice, and it’s one that’s being chosen at XPRIZE.
So, the next time someone tells you not to dream because your dreams are too risky – or because the world will end before you see them come true – remember this company. Remind yourself that hope, a little bit of adventure and a lot of creativity are working right now to save the world.
