French company Planetwatch has announced they’ll be working with the City of Miami Florida to launch a decentralized indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring network on Algorand, a carbon-negative blockchain. Residents that agree to host an air quality sensor will be paid in Planet tokens (Planets) which can be exchanged for Earth Credits to purchase products and services from Planetwatch and partners.
Data collected by the sensors will be used to detect pollution hotspots and provide a database of environmental analytics. Meanwhile, a through recent partnership with ClimateTrade, Planetwatch said that staking Planets will soon enable people to plant trees in sustainable forests and corporations to buy carbon credits.
Miami will be the first major US city to adopt Planetwatch’s decentralized network while following several major European cities.
“Miami is striving to become a green city through policies like the ‘Miami Forever Climate Ready’ initiative, and it is hugely exciting that innovators like Planetwatch and Algorand are coming here to implement major sustainable technology in the US,” commented Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Talks Underway to Determine Logistics for Deployment
Planetwatch licenses start from $39 to $283 depending upon the duration and type of sensor. Recommended sensors cost from around $359 to $1,525 dollars, which may be unaffordable for some residents.
In an article with Cities Today, Claudio Parinello, CEO of Planetwatch states that there are multiple funding options being explored for this project. Those who wish to maximize their token rewards will need to purchase sensors and connection licenses, however, those who are seeking to get involved and contribute to better air quality may be able to receive free equipment funded by corporate stakeholders or the local government.
Discussions are currently in progress regarding how these provisions will play out, with a working group planned to soon be underway to plan logistics. This will include determining the area that will be covered by the project, placement sites, the optimal number of devices and installation support.