Rainforest Foundation US, a New York-based non-profit NGO working in Central and South America, reached out to the crypto and blockchain community to ask for their support to fight against deforestation and forest fires in Brazil.
The post on the foundation’s website read:
“Since Bolsonaro took office in January, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is up 75% and forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon have doubled compared to the past year. As guardians of our rainforests, its animals and its people, we are working with The Giving Block to form a coalition of crypto sponsors, donors and media partners who will help stop this devastation.”
The Rainforest Foundation says that it is accepting cryptocurrency donations in Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and other cryptocurrencies.
The Rainforest Foundation is currently working on a blockchain pilot to assure continued transparency, which will allow donors to track the work done by the foundation in the Amazon rainforest.
The foundation is also researching the use of smart contracts to stop illegal logging, land trafficking and safeguard forests from gold mining.
Executive director at the Rainforest Foundation, Suzanne Pelletier, said that the situation in the Brazilian rainforest has pushed them to work. She said:
“Business as usual has gotten us to this point. Philanthropy as usual won’t get us out. We need innovative solutions, and no one is more innovative than cryptocurrency users.”