By Sarah Lamont – The Southland Times – 16/10/2010
Southland man Lindsay Lewis will represent New Zealand in San Francisco next month as the winner of the National Clean Teach Challenge.
Lewis was chosen from 10 regional finalists in Wellington yesterday after he presented his idea of a low application effluent system which reduced dairy farm water use by up to 60 per cent.
Clean Green Effluent Company owner Mr Lewis said it would take a while to sink in that he had won.
“I’m a bit stumped really … I was trying to keep it quiet.”
It was exciting but nerve-wrecking to think about presenting his idea to an audience of 2500 people, he said.
“It’s a pretty humongous audience … people from all over the world.”
He was trying not to think about it so he did not “freak” himself out, he said.
It was great to be representing Southland and it proved all the good ideas came from Southland, he said.
Mr Lewis had won the Southland Clean Tech Challenge hosted by Venture Southland earlier this month as part of a global search for the most promising clean technology ideas.
Venture Southland enterprise and strategic projects manager Steve Canny said Mr Lewis had done well and won quite a prestigious award.
His design was a combination of good engineering to achieve a positive environmental response to some local challenges.
Representing Southland to the world identified the work that had been done by entrepreneurs in this area with good practical solutions, he said.
Mr Lewis will represent New Zealand in the Chevron-sponsored Global Clean Tech Open Ideas Competition on November 17 in San Francisco.
A grant from Chevron would provide Lewis with flights and accommodation and help towards his presentation.
