Can the campaign preserve and protect this fragile planet of ours? It might, but it will require everybody's efforts too
You might have noticed that Thailand Tatler has embarked on a digital campaign with Swiss watchmaker Rolex for the last couple of weeks. Every Thursday, we publish a story reporting on a different facet of the brand's global Perpetual Planet campaign, an initiative focusing on the marque's efforts to use science and technology to solve the existing sustainability and environmental conservation problems Earth faces. A story a week doesn't sound much but each piece represents something even more significant—in a way, it's Thailand Tatler's means of contributing to this noble cause of saving our planet. And this little project has been months in the making, starting from the moment I made the trip to Washington D.C. to witness and report on the unveiling of the five Laureates of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in June this year.
Three months on, I have learnt a lot about the campaign and its objectives. I salute Rolex for taking the initiative and spending the effort and resources on this campaign to raise awareness of what we as individuals can and should do to protect this fragile planet we call home. These are the six key takeaways—some more personal than the others—I have gathered from the campaign.
1. Rolex Laureates do their bit to protect the planet
Since it was established in 1976 as a way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Rolex Oyster, the world’s first waterproof watch, the biennial Rolex Awards for Enterprise has been supporting enterprising individuals who are initiating exceptional projects to conserve our cultural heritage and protect the environment—all in a bid to make planet Earth a better place to live in.
This year, Brazilian fisheries biologist João Campos-Silva, Ugandan IT specialist Brian Gitta, Canadian entrepreneur and molecular biologist Miranda Wang, Indian scientist and conservationist Krithi Karanth, as well as French medical scientist Grégoire Courtine are the final five Laureates and have secured funding of approximately CHF200,000 for their projects. Importantly, they have earned the opportunity to meet and interact with the brilliant minds of the Rolex Awards community, which comprises past awardees, mentors and members of the science, research and environmental conservation circles.
When I met and spoke to the five of them in Washington, their passion and commitment towards their projects—and consequently, protecting the environment—cannot be faulted. They are driven and committed to their causes, and I'm truly impressed.