As TEDxOilSpill organizer Nate Mook tells the TED Blog: “This is the perfect example of Ideas Worth Spreading turning into tangible action that can change the world. With oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, it started as an idea to incentivize the development of new, innovative technologies to combat oil spills. Within weeks, the Oil Cleanup X Challenge was announced at TEDxOilSpill. We are excited to see the year-long competition come to a close with the winner taking home $1 million and runner-up $300,000. The new innovations far exceed the current standard of oil cleanup technology and will surely change the industry, and environment, for the better.”