Cracking the Climate Puzzle: Open Verification of Ecological Outcomes
“With recent advances in remote sensing, IoT tech, machine learning, and distributed ledger technology, we finally have a shot at bringing all actors together through an open and trusted platform to reward regenerative practices,” says Christian Shearer, co-founder of Regen Network.
For Bitcoin Wednesday’s 5-Year Anniversary, Christian will talk about what is arguably the central purpose of distributed ledgers, to provide an engine for sustainability. His team is building a domain-specific blockchain on top of the Tendermint consensus engine with a mission of protecting the planet against climate change. In particular, network members track specific changes to land, oceans and watersheds. With this information, the network aims to become a global system for verifying and incentivizing ecological outcomes using blockchain, remote sensing, and IoT tech.
“Planetary regeneration is like a Rubik’s cube,” says Christian. “All the pieces are there, and we keep spinning around trying to figure out how to get them lined up in a way that creates incentives for the right types of behavior.” The Regen Network is governed by a broad array of known organizations and companies that have a track record of engaging in regenerative practices. Its ledger, ecological state protocols, and ecological contracting mechanisms are designed specifically to invite and reward the 500 million farmers, ranchers and land managers around the world to begin shifting their practices toward environmental sustainability.
Christian’s talk will dig into how Regen Network plans to deploy of a blockchain-based system that can accurately assess a region’s ecological state, and promote change in local practices to produce the desired outcomes. At the age of 24, Christian founded what was to become one of the most respected permaculture education centers in SE Asia, the Panya Project. Through his many years there, he worked with small farmers from a dozen countries. He has since devoted his working life to the growth of ecological agriculture as a means for planetary regeneration. In 2009, Christian co-founded Terra Genesis International, which helps natural product brands to move their supply chains toward greater sustainability and regeneration. Regen Network came out of his work with Terra Genesis. As COO of Regen Network, Christian brings his passion for ecological agriculture and its significance for preventing climate change.
