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Ian Kiernan founded a global campaign against litter
Ian Kiernan, eminent environmentalist, founder of an iconic anti-waste campaign in Australia, became a worldwide success, died at the age of 78.
The browser around the world began the Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World campaigns after being dismayed by the volume of ocean waste in the 1980s.
In 1994, he had helped to rescue Prince Charles when a protester rushed at him, firing a gun, on a stage in Sydney.
Mr. Kiernan was suffering from cancer.
"Although Ian's hints and humor will be deeply missed, it was his greatest wish that the work he inspired continues," said Clean Up Australia in a statement released on Wednesday. .
Its first clean-up event took place around Sydney Harbor in 1989, with over 40,000 volunteers clearing their trash of garbage.
Since then, this campaign has brought together more than 35 million participants in 130 countries, according to the non-profit organization.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to Kiernan on Wednesday.
"The thing that Ian did more than anything else was just beating us on the shoulder and saying," Hey, we have to deal with it, "Morrison said.
Mr. Kiernan was an experienced sailor who has represented Australia in several races, including the Admiral Cup and the Clipper Yacht Race around the world.
He has received several awards for his conservation efforts, including the 1998 Sasakawa Prize for the Environment.
"[You have] Tens of millions of people around the world have taken responsibility for the health of our one planet, and have created a new generation of environmental citizens, "said Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. Louise Fréchette, at the award ceremony.
Four years ago, Mr. Kiernan was named Australian of the Year.
It was during this ceremony that he helped protect Prince Charles by attacking a student who had fired two blank shots from a departing pistol and who was heading towards the stage.
"I did not think about it, I just knew we had to have this guy, and we got it," Kiernan told the Australian media at the time.
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Clean Up Australia has stated that Mr. Kiernan has been "valiantly fighting" since his cancer diagnosis in July.
He is survived by his wife Judy and daughters Sally and Pip, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
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