Today, human society is so organized that it is chasing modern developments, novelties of technology that make life easier and make it comfortable. Many people surround themselves with hundreds of unnecessary things that are not so harmless to the environment. Environmental degradation affects not only the quality of life, but also the health and life expectancy of people.

Man considers himself the king of nature. He naively thinks that everything is allowed to him. Probably for this reason, we do not appreciate all that we have. To understand what we are talking about now, just look around you. You will see mountains of abandoned garbage, lying packages, cigarette butts, plastic bottles. And all this on the shore of a beautiful pond, where it would be so nice to relax. But it was not there. Resting among the garbage is not very pleasant. It seems that the people who have been here are completely devoid of common sense and do not think about tomorrow at all. They live by the principle – after me, though the grass does not grow. There are no rules for them. They don't know what a trash can is. But no one has canceled the boomerang law. As you treat nature, so it will treat you.

It is clear that technological progress makes our life comfortable. But it should not harm nature. After all, a person cannot exist without it. By surrounding ourselves with a lot of unnecessary things and moving away from nature, we worsen the quality of our life. Ultimately, all this negatively affects our health.

When talking about the use of blockchain technology, people usually mention finance and economics. However, there are many more scenarios for using a distributed registry, and they include the healthcare, real estate, education, and even the environment.

The great opportunities of the blockchain token economy in building new incentive structures can fundamentally change the existing dynamics of the use of natural capital. The same opportunities can be used to create and increase the natural capital of a community to build its ecosystem. By creating token-based systems, we can actually stimulate and reward people for any action aimed at increasing environmental resources. Tokens can be acquired by choosing more lean options for using resources that save and replenish them.

Any community could keep a record of its natural capital stock and allocate a finite amount of tokens to its members; if someone does something environmentally beneficial to build up the aforementioned stock, they can earn more tokens. Similarly, if someone wants to cut down a large number of trees, they will have to buy tokens from the rest, which would encourage people to plant trees or perform other actions by investing in their ecosystem to earn tokens. Thus, environmental services would not need centralized management and execution, since everyone could clean up the lake or switch to renewable energy sources to earn tokens for carbon emissions, thereby providing environmental services.

Among the most suitable mechanisms for the application of this technology to ensure environmental stability are:

-Resource rights management

-Tracking the origin of raw materials or products

-Material stimulation of environmental activities

According to a study conducted in 2018 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with PwC, there are more than 65 ways to use blockchain to solve environmental problems. The areas that blockchain technology can have a positive impact on include: climate change, oceans, water security, clean air, conservation of endangered species, as well as weather resistance and disaster management.

Let's look at which blockchain platforms are already helping to preserve the environment:

The ETH-based RecycleToCoin application

The tokenized platform allows the society to exchange malicious plastic in its vending machines and central charity shops for tokens. This cryptographic reward can later be exchanged for other currencies through cooperating crypto exchanges.

The blockchain development of Provenance* was used to verify proof of payment to 55 farmers when tracking coconuts going from Southeast Asia to Europe. The initiative demonstrated the possibility of using blockchain technology to track ethical requirements and digitally prove fair trade practices. Working with the NGO Fairfood, Provenance tracked ethical claims for 1,000 coconuts. Using a grassroots certification approach, they tracked the moment of payment on the one hand and the product on the other hand, registering the collection via SMS and checking the safety chain along the supply chain.*

Power Ledger is an Australian technology startup that has developed the world's first energy trading platform. Using blockchain technology, the company helps people exchange energy, trade environmentally friendly goods and invest in renewable energy sources.

Power Ledger develops software for buying and selling electricity in real time. For example, users can sell excess energy from their solar panels to their neighbors or sell solar energy stored in batteries.

Users can set their own prices to trade energy at a cost that suits them. All transactions are recorded on the blockchain, which ensures the security and transparency of transactions.

Now the company has 22 active projects in 8 countries. One of them is a project with Alperia SpA in Italy. Alperia is a producer of renewable energy and one of the largest clean energy providers in Italy, with 280,000 consumers.

Based in Canada, Plastic Bank is a social enterprise dedicated to using recycling to reduce plastic in the ocean and fight global poverty. Plastic Bank pays people to collect plastic, thus preventing it from entering the ocean.

Plastic Bank has developed the Plastic Positive program, which allows anyone to invest in Social Plastic Collection Credits (SPCC), assets that fund the payment of premiums directly to plastic collectors. They are also funding the infrastructure needed to reintegrate this material into the supply chain. The program helps reduce pollution and poverty, making recycling profitable for the world's most needy communities.

The distribution of SPCC is carried out through a blockchain platform to guarantee the openness of information. This is an audit guarantee confirming that the company fulfills all obligations to investors.

Plastic Bank is partnering with IBM to deliver on its global expansion plans. The company is working with a blockchain project from IBM -IBM Blockchain, delivered in a private cloud from Cognition Foundry, based on the IBM LinuxON infrastructure. Blockchain technology in the project is used for the entire turnover cycle of recycled plastic from collection to delivery to companies for reuse.

The platform has partnered with SC Johnson, a well-known manufacturer of household chemicals and the owner of brands such as Mr. Muscle, Glade and Ziploc. Companies are opening plastic recycling centers across Indonesia. In this country, blockchain technology can help local waste collectors as some 28 million Indonesians live below the poverty line. This program helps those who depend on waste collection for income. Local residents can bring the collected plastic to a special center and receive digital tokens in return. Each center will be able to accept about 100 tons of plastic per year. The received tokens can be used to purchase goods and services.

Plastic Bank also operates in Haiti, the Philippines and Brazil.

In conclusion, I would like to quote one of the PwC partners, Celine Herweijer:

“There is an opportunity to use this emerging technology in a new way to help make great strides in environmental protection. From reliable and ethical supply chains to stimulating lean consumption and production, or supporting the much-needed transition to low-carbon decentralized energy, green water systems and mobility.”

Let's help the environment together, join us in this difficult task.

The study was conducted by the author: geo#4332*.*

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