A dApp (decentralized application) based on the Ethereum network will begin rewarding residents of Manila, in the Philippines, with ETH for cleaning up a heavily polluted beach in the capital city of the nation.
Ethereum co-creator (Joseph Lubin) and the CEO of ConsenSys, the largest blockchain software development firm in the world, stated:
"In Manila, people will be paid in ETH for spending a few hours cleaning up one of the most heavily polluted beaches in the world. Bounties Network is providing a new model where people fund causes directly without intermediaries."
What's Bounties Network?
As stated in the official website (bounties.network)
The Bounties Network empowers humans to incentivize and self-organize, from freelancing to grassroots social action, and anything in between. Whether it's for research, content translation, or video production, The Bounties Network lets you create projects, collaborate, and get paid for doing great work in any domain.
In short, Bounties Network, is a dApp based on Ethereum, it enables anyone on the platform to create bounties and reward participants with ETH, supporting various causes and initiatives.
The Pollution Problem
Recently, ConsenSys Impact, a subsidiary of the New York-based ConsenSys, introduced a non-profit initiative called “Bounties for the Oceans: Philippines Pilot – Sustained, Verifiable Plastic Cleanups” to promote the usage of the blockchain in the country.
As we know plastic pollution is a big problem, it costs the lives of 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals per year. Fish eat plastic, and we eat the fish! Plastic causes $8 billion in damage to marine ecosystems each year. With Bounties for the Ocean, people from everywhere can submit verifiable proof of their direct plastic cleanup contribution as a way of fostering widespread and long-term behavioral shift. Do not depend on centralized organizations, go out there and do it yourselves!
Why the Philippines?
The initiative comes in a time during which the Philippines recently re-opened Boracay, a popular tourist destination in the country known for its crystal-clear seawater, distinctive white sugary and powdery sand after the island suffered from heavy pollution.
The Philippines is considered an ideal region to kickstart non-profit blockchain-based initiatives because the country has adopted cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Bitcoin as a legitimate form of payment since the central bank officially recognized Bitcoin as a remittance method.