Amazon Bank of Codes
In 2018, Columbia’s Supreme Court recognized the Amazon as having an “entity of rights”, meaning that each species that makes up the Amazon has some level of legal sanctity and protection. This decision is part of a larger global movement to recognize distinct natural environments as holders of legal rights, which in turn grants them additional protection and shifts the relationship from one of exploitation to mutual care (though the latter happens slowly). The Amazon Bank of Codes is a collaboration between the World Economic Forum, the Earth Bank of Codes, and the Earth Biogenome Project to code the genetic sequence of every living organism in the Amazon and store this information on a blockchain. This would mean safe storage for information as sensitive as the genetic makeup of the species and create the possibility of tracing illegal goods originating from the Amazon. However, in order for the Amazon Bank of Codes to become a reality, researchers would have the herculean task of physically collecting genetic material in one of the densest locations for biodiversity in the world, which is incredibly time-consuming, if not impossible. It is questionable whether or not this project could realistically be materialized, let alone be done fast enough to stop the deluge of deforestation and extinctions taking place due to climate change, habitat loss, resource exploitation, and natural disasters.
“The Technology That Might Save the Amazon.” Coinify, April 20, 2018.
Categories
Blockchain, Ecological Monitoring, Industry/Natural Commodities
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