Rainforest Charity Launches Crypto Appeal to Help Protect Amazon

A veteran non-profit is embracing the crypto community to fight Brazil’s forest fires.

The Rain Forest Foundation, founded in 1987, announced today a campaign to fight the Brazilian forest fires with the help of the crypto community. Although the Foundation has accepted crypto for years—and even developed their own, BitSeed, in 2014–the Brazilian fires has given the Foundation a new impetus for embracing the crypto community.

Deforestation is up 278% from a year ago last July with the number of forest fires doubling between January and August 2018 to 2019, according to the Rain Forest Foundation. The Foundation is seeking up to $100 million to combat the fires. The Foundation did not set a goal-specific funding goal, however.

Speaking with CoinDesk, executive director Suzanne Pelletier said old school philanthropy isn’t making the cut, necessitating new donation and community activity methods. The crypto community’s ability to think outside the box spurred the new campaign.

“[Crypto is] filled with people that are thinking differently and trying to change the rules of the game. It’s so slow and so bureaucratic to raise support from foundations. It’s going to be too late. We don’t have enough time,” Pelletier said.

As of now, the Foundation accepts donations in bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, and bitcoin cash. The foundation is also working with bitcoin donation firm The Giving Block on the project. The Foundation is looking for crypto communities to sponsor Foundation projects and raise awareness, in addition to donating crypto.

Working with the crypto community isn’t all about the funds but the tech, Pelletier said. Smart contract systems, currently being developed with the Regen Network, are one such way the Foundation is tracking the Foundation’s physical work in the jungle. Pelletier said peer-to-peer payments are another innovation the Foundation is looking into to hurdle traditional banking hiccups.

Amazon fire via Shutterstock