Haaziq Kazi is a young innovator, public speaker, and non-profit leader. As a 11-year-old, he designed an intelligent ship, ERVIS, to clean the oceans of plastic and became one of the youngest TED speakers presenting his idea at TED-ED New York in 2018. He has won numerous awards at international and national levels for his work towards protecting the environment.

Haaziq has had an important role in increasing environmental awareness in India and around the world, and learning about his work was an important part of my environmental journey as well. I recently had the chance to interview Haaziq, and have shared excerpts from the interview below. 

Can you describe your innovation and the background to it?

ERVIS is a large boat with various compartments surrounding it. It uses a multi-stage cleaner which separates different size of waste, a compactor, and the concept of centripetal force to draw waste towards it. I was inspired to create this after watching documentaries on how plastic is affecting the ocean. I was contemplating how I could solve this problem when I was washing my hands one day, and I noticed how the water was draining in a whirlpool motion. This was an example of centripetal force and it prompted me to think about how it could be replicated to clean the oceans.

Can you share a significant hurdle you faced during your innovation journey and how you overcame it?

People’s attachment to convenience and profit over ethics is a hurdle. As consumers, we’re fine with using single-use plastic products over more sustainable reusable products. As people in industry, we gravitate towards more polluting options because they are cheaper than sustainable alternatives. To tackle these problems, I have been speaking at various forums and promoting my ideas on how we can mitigate damage to the environment. By taking small steps, we can all bring about a larger change in society.

Who are some people you look up to, who've served as your inspiration?

My friends, family, and school have been an immense help in this journey. My parents fostered the values of belief and self-sacrifice in me. My school hosted the TED-ED club where I was encouraged to innovate and present my invention. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by such creative, supportive people who have shaped me and my innovation positively.   

How do you think kids can be better problem-solvers?

By not procrastinating on solving problems they observe around them. Too often we see something that disturbs us and let it stay that way. Doing something to change that situation is the right way to go about the issue. For instance, the light switch in my room is really far from my work area, and before I would forget to turn the light on when I was really busy, because I couldn’t easily turn it on. So I decided to invent a connecting switch that was closer and so allowed me to easily light up my workspace. Solving small things like this contribute to your ability to solve bigger problems.

Your work is oriented towards solving the problem of ocean plastic pollution. Are there any other problems you're interested in tackling?

Absolutely! With marine conservation, there’s never really one problem you can work on without having to look at solving the others. There are many problems I want to address, some of which are the Sargassum seaweed explosion issue and ocean acidification.

What are some tools for designing, prototyping, and testing innovations that you would recommend?

In my experience, I’ve often sought the best possible tools to do everything, when sometimes less professional ones would serve the same purpose. Don’t get too caught up in using a high level of equipment, if it compromises on the execution of your idea. For example, if modelling or animating, a free tool like Blender would work fine. 

Any advice for kids who're getting ready to present their innovations?

Practice, practice, practice! Practice to the extent that you can pitch your idea in your sleep! And don’t cram - my piano teacher has repeated that it’s much more effective to practice 15 minutes a day for a few weeks than 4 hours on the day before a performance. Give your idea the time it needs to blossom into a good pitch that people can appreciate. Also, get feedback from trusted friends and mentors.

This conversation was a good opportunity to reflect on my journey as an environmental changemaker as well, and I am thankful to have been able to host it. Let's all rise to the challenges of our times and continue to fight for our beautiful living planet!