18th Jun 2024 Gemini 1.5 Pro
This episode of Funding the Commons explores the intersection of reforestation, blockchain technology, and decentralized finance, examining how these elements can be leveraged to address climate change and promote ecological restoration. The discussion features Jimmo Cerodeo from Sylvie Earth, a reforestation protocol, Alan Ransel from Filecoin Green, focusing on sustainability and blockchain, and Holke Brammer from Hypercerts Foundation, which develops digital impact certificates.
The episode begins by addressing the urgent need for reforestation, with Jimmo outlining the ambitious goal of planting a trillion trees, a target endorsed by organizations like the World Economic Forum. He explains that this initiative aligns with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and aims to recover a portion of the estimated three trillion trees lost since the industrial revolution.
Jimmo emphasizes the feasibility of this goal:
"We basically had six trillion trees before the industrial revolution. We've lost half of them, and there's a clear path to recovering about a trillion."
He highlights the role of research institutions like the Crowther Lab in identifying suitable geographical locations and the need for a multifaceted approach encompassing forest expansion, agricultural transition, and indigenous restoration practices. Jimmo underscores the importance of verification in such initiatives to ensure transparency and address concerns surrounding carbon and biodiversity markets.
Jimmo introduces Sylvie Earth, a reforestation protocol that leverages blockchain technology to tokenize various tree-related actions, including planting, maintenance, and knowledge sharing. He explains that Sylvie aims to create financial and coordination systems that support reforestation efforts by establishing trees as a viable asset class for natural capital.
He emphasizes the inherent value of trees:
"Trees are not only symbolic, but I think actually would be in theory, very effective, you know, pegging to the global financial system."
This statement highlights the potential of integrating trees into the global financial system, recognizing their significance beyond their ecological role.
Alan delves into the role of blockchain technology in building trust and ensuring accountability within reforestation initiatives. He acknowledges the challenges faced by traditional carbon markets, citing examples of inaccurate accounting and misplaced trust. He argues that blockchain's inherent transparency and verification capabilities can mitigate these issues.
Alan points out the limitations of existing blockchain-based solutions:
"We have great tools in Web3 for verifying like ownership of stuff like NFTs. We have great tools for verifying things like account balances. We have deep end networks like Filecoin that let you verify stuff about the real world. But you have to build an entire protocol right in order to in order to verify that."
He suggests that while blockchain provides tools for verification, there is a need for standardized protocols and trust architectures to facilitate wider adoption and prevent repetitive development cycles.
Holke introduces Hypercerts, digital impact certificates designed to provide transparency and traceability for impactful actions, such as tree planting. He explains that Hypercerts record essential information, like who planted a tree, when, and where, creating a verifiable record of positive contributions.
He further explains the role of Hypercerts in a broader impact ecosystem:
"Hypersearch in general is just a digital impact certificate. And so what we try to do with a Hypersearch is create transparency around who did what who did what when so and that kind of layer can then be applied to kind of tree planting as an action who planted trees when and then we can combine that with In that way, like issue publics who think about how to evaluate the benefits of trees."
By combining verifiable impact data with evaluation frameworks and funding mechanisms, Hypercerts aim to create a more transparent and accountable system for driving positive change.
The discussion concludes by addressing the need to balance technological advancements with human agency and local knowledge. The speakers acknowledge concerns about potential over-reliance on technology and emphasize the importance of integrating traditional ecological knowledge and community-based approaches. They highlight the need for decentralized governance structures that empower local communities and respect biocultural diversity.
Jimmo underscores the importance of a collaborative approach:
" methodologies are just ultimately tools. And I think methodologies should be informed by indigenous knowledge. When we work in Kenya, we're actually not... you know, where there's a very conscious intention not to come in a colonial way, but to really learn and to identify community experts, leaders, many of whom have a true understanding of their biome and to empower them simply."
The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to engage with these emerging technologies and contribute to building a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Airtable