WY Student Wins Teen Tech Award for Climate Change 2024

Whitney Young student Greta Andaberg won the Teen Tech award this year for her activism in the field of climate change with an innovative business idea that seems to completely eradicate a problem that has been bothering businesses for years. 

The challenge of eliminating CO2 emissions lies in the restructuring required for companies to alter r production methods. Many industries rely heavily on fossil fuels, which emit CO2 when burned, and transitioning to cleaner alternatives often demands significant investments in new technologies, processes, and infrastructure. Reluctance stems from concerns about profitability, competitiveness, and the task of reshaping entire supply chains. 

However, Andaberg’s Ideas seem to be changing perspectives, offering a solution where both businesses and the environment can benefit. Her newest invention, the Safari Spritz is a handheld device for animals who are suffering from the heat. Essentially a misting fan, this device has been proven to reduce ambient temperatures. In fact, in a study conducted by Cool Cool Fans, 90.1% of animals report feeling cooler after using a misting fan.

Andaberg designed her contraption with accessibility in mind. The device comes in three varieties: a handheld device for animals who have free limbs to carry it, a lanyard version worn around the neck, and a fanny pack for animals that want a tighter fit that won’t easily flail. Additionally, the misting fans come in a large variety of colors depending on the animal’s personal preferences and can be customized for camouflage purposes. 

Andaberg proposed that businesses reverse their CO2 emissions by creating these misting fans and selling them to animals at a price point where they can profit, while the animals can continue to stay cool through the rising temperatures. 

Every idea receives its fair share of skepticism. The main concern that many people voiced was the fact that animals may not have the money to purchase these misting fans. In an interview conducted by Climate Channel, Andaberg addresses these comments, stating “The price shouldn’t be too bad. Each fan takes less than 2 dollars to produce, so animals shouldn’t need more than 4 dollars to make this purchase. It’s not too bad”.

Andaberg’s innovative solution has garnered attention from numerous major corporations. Recognizing the efficacy of her idea in addressing carbon emissions, Business owner Ava Avarice remarked, ‘Grata’s idea is going to eradicate an issue that businesses have faced for so many years. Now all of us can make some extra bucks on the side while keeping the animals clean. I just need to make sure that animals buy from me instead of other companies. I’m thinking of putting some billboards in animal habitats.

All in all, it’s amazing to see students in our highschool thinking of innovative ideas that are making some of the largest changes in society.

Grata’s Prototypes