Ocean Cleanup pioneer youngest-ever winner of UN award

Boyan Slat, founder of the Ocean Cleanup initiative, has been announced as one of the winners of the Champion of the Earht award - the United Nation's top environmental accolade. The 20 year old Delft student is the youngest person yet to win this award. He was in secondary school when he had the idea to utilize the ocean currents and wind to concentrate and transport floating plastic along solid barriers towards a collection platform. The Ocean Cleanup's latest feasibility research estimates that almost half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can be removed within ten years using this technology. Slat has managed to raise over 2 million dollar through crowdfunding for the next phase of The Ocean Clean Up Initiative. "I'm incredibly excited and honored to receive this award on behalf of everyone at The Ocean Cleanup, a team of more than 100 people world wide. Although we are still several years away from implementing the technology, I'm truly grateful that our hard work is already being recognized. We'll continue to do our utmost to fulfill the expectations and initiate the largest ocean clean up in history." said Boyan Slat. The other 2014 Lauereates include Tommy Remengesau (Jr. President of Palau), Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (former president of Indonesia), US Green Building Council, Sir Robert Watson, Fatima Jibrell (Founder of Adeso), Sylvia Earle and Mario Molina.