It is fitting that Adarsha Shivakumar is being recognized for his work in the field of energy. Fitting, because he's sure got plenty of it himself.
The Pleasant Hill sixteen year old and Oakland College Prep junior, is a winner of the 2009 Brower Youth Award. He is being honored for Project Jatropha, an effort he and his sister started in 2007 to get farmers in southern India to grow jatropha curcas, a hearty plant whose seeds are a promising source of biofuel.
It was quite a task convincing people half a world away, and more than twice his age, to get on board, but Adarsha, who says he's been an environmentalist for years, said it was something he just had to do.
You might not be surprised to learn that someone as bright and driven as Adarsha has been recognized before. At the age of 13, he won a statewide spelling bee. He took the $600 in prize money and used it to help start Project Jatropha.
He plans to take the $3000 from the Brower Award and plow it right back into the program. And, as you would guess, Adarsha is likely not done there. He acknowledges he's off to a pretty good start changing the world, there's no reason to stop now!
