2797: Sustainable Blockchain Revolution: Solana's Journey to Carbon Neutrality | The Tech Talks Network

In this episode, we venture into blockchain technology and sustainability, where the Solana Foundation has made significant strides. Amira Valliani, Strategy & Policy at the Solana Foundation, joins me to discuss their remarkable journey towards achieving carbon neutrality.

Solana, known for its energy-efficient proof of stake blockchain, has emerged as a beacon of sustainability in the blockchain space. Amira reveals that Solana's carbon footprint is a mere 2-3% of services like Spotify. We explore how Solana consistently tracks its emissions and how the latest Energy Use Report showcases a remarkable 17% decrease in total emissions and a 25% decrease per transaction.

One of the standout achievements is the Solana Foundation's innovative approach to carbon offsetting. Amira explains how they purchase verifiable carbon credits entirely on-chain, enhancing transparency and eliminating intermediaries. This approach reduces emissions and sets a precedent for the broader blockchain industry.

Discover how the passionate Solana community has responded enthusiastically to these sustainability efforts, with many building climate-focused decentralized applications (DApps) on the Solana network. We dive into the technological aspects of Solana's energy efficiency, findings from the latest energy use report, and the challenges faced in data collection and normalization in the agricultural sector.

Amira also sheds light on the partnerships and collaborations that have been pivotal in Solana's journey towards sustainability. With a focus on startups, academia, and enterprises, Solana aims to deliver innovative solutions and positively impact the entire blockchain ecosystem.

Join us for an inspiring conversation highlighting the intersection of technology and environmental responsibility. Discover how blockchain can catalyze sustainability as Solana reduces carbon emissions and builds a greener future.

Check out the Sponsor of Tech Talks Daily.

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[00:00.000 --> 00:09.000] Is it possible for a blockchain network to not only be efficient and fast, but also environmentally [00:09.000 --> 00:14.560] friendly? Well, today we're going to be diving into the groundbreaking initiative that might [00:14.560 --> 00:19.720] just redefine the standards for sustainability in the blockchain world. Because today here [00:19.720 --> 00:24.600] on the Tech Talks Daily Podcast, we're going to be exploring the existing development from [00:24.600 --> 00:30.520] the Solana Foundation. And they've recently made a significant stride in sustainability [00:30.520 --> 00:37.360] by making the Solana network carbon neutral, but how did they achieve this? Yes, by purchasing [00:37.360 --> 00:42.760] carbon offsets entirely on-chain, which is a first of its kind initiative as far as I'm [00:42.760 --> 00:47.400] aware, but there's also so much more to this story. Because the Foundation's new energy [00:47.400 --> 00:55.760] report unveils some compelling data, such as a 25% reduction in energy use per transaction [00:55.760 --> 01:03.880] and a 17.5% decrease in total emissions from the network. But to help me unravel the details [01:03.880 --> 01:09.880] and implications of this report, I'm going to be joined by Amira Vaniani, head of policy [01:09.880 --> 01:13.840] at the Solana Foundation, who's going to be talking about all this and bringing some of [01:13.840 --> 01:18.680] these figures, data and measurement to life. Now, before we get today's guest on, it's [01:18.680 --> 01:24.280] time to give the sponsors of Tech Talks Daily a big shout out. Because as you know, on this [01:24.280 --> 01:30.400] podcast, every single day, I aim to demystify technology and share stories of how businesses [01:30.400 --> 01:35.600] are solving real world problems in business, our life and even world. Now, one of the things [01:35.600 --> 01:42.320] I see time and time again is that legacy managed file transfer tools or MFTs are looking [01:42.320 --> 01:47.840] increasingly data than they lack the security that today's remote workforce now demands, [01:47.840 --> 01:52.080] especially in a world of hybrid working. So obviously companies that continue relying [01:52.080 --> 01:56.800] on outdated technology, put their sensitive data at risk. This is one of the many reasons [01:56.800 --> 02:02.960] why I have partnered with Kiteworks, which is the most secure MFT on the market today. [02:02.960 --> 02:07.440] Now, if you're saying the other's a pretty big claim, how can you say that? Well, Kiteworks [02:07.440 --> 02:14.000] MFT Suite is FedRAMP, moderate authorized, which means they're audited yearly and continuously [02:14.000 --> 02:19.200] monitored by a certified third party assessor. So if you want to find out more and step into [02:19.200 --> 02:24.640] the future of secure managed file transfer with Kiteworks, simply visit kiteworks.com [02:24.640 --> 02:30.640] to get started. That's kiteworks.com to get started today. But now, it's time to get [02:30.640 --> 02:36.240] today's guest on. So buckle up and hold on tight as I beam your ears all the way to Boston, [02:36.240 --> 02:43.040] where Amira is waiting to share her story. So a massive welcome to the show. Can you tell [02:43.040 --> 02:48.160] everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do? Sure. Well, Neil, first off, [02:48.160 --> 02:52.960] thank you so much for having me. My name is Amira and I'm on the strategy team at the Solana [02:52.960 --> 02:58.560] Foundation and specifically the head of policy. And so my responsibilities range from tracking [02:58.560 --> 03:03.280] what's going on in the global policy environment as related to crypto and better understanding how [03:03.280 --> 03:08.640] that impacts the Solana blockchain organizations building on the Solana blockchain and figuring [03:08.640 --> 03:15.200] out how we can be a constructive voice in that conversation when it matters. But I also contribute [03:15.200 --> 03:21.520] to a bunch of other sort of projects across the foundation, including all of our climate work. [03:21.520 --> 03:25.760] So I lead all of our work related to climate and sustainability. That includes making sure [03:25.760 --> 03:30.560] that some of that remains a carbon neutral blockchain and helping run a really incredible [03:30.560 --> 03:34.960] community of folks who are building in what's called a brief fire regenerative finance on Solana, [03:35.760 --> 03:41.200] which is really, really fun and probably the most inspiring group of people I've met in the space. [03:41.920 --> 03:46.000] And then, you know, take on other projects here in the air, so I'll do things that help support [03:46.000 --> 03:51.040] founders, building a Lislana ecosystem. I'll work with folks who are interested in understanding [03:51.040 --> 03:55.920] how to interact with their governments. So it's a lot of hats. Love you. For people that are [03:56.000 --> 04:00.720] listening and hearing about you for the first time, the Solana Foundation is a non-profit [04:00.720 --> 04:08.240] organization that's dedicated to the decentralization growth and security of that Solana network. [04:08.240 --> 04:13.280] And of course, the world of blockchain has often had a bad reputation for the amount of energy [04:13.280 --> 04:18.240] that it consumes. And that is kind of our odds with the era that we're living in now and a big [04:18.240 --> 04:24.960] focus on sustainability and green attack. So can you expand on how the Solana Foundation has managed [04:24.960 --> 04:30.160] to balance the energy-intensive nature of blockchain technology? Would this commitment to [04:30.160 --> 04:35.360] achieving carbon neutrality? Because straight away, it just bats one of those criticisms out of the [04:35.360 --> 04:40.320] part. Doesn't it, if we can solve this problem? I so appreciate the chance to answer this question, [04:40.320 --> 04:44.400] because if I wasn't working in blockchain, I'd be working in climate. And I explored a lot of [04:44.400 --> 04:48.880] different sort of ideas in climate and ultimately just go really passionate about what we're [04:48.880 --> 04:52.880] doing at the Solana Foundation. But climate is something that's near and dear to my heart, [04:52.880 --> 04:58.880] and I would not be part of an organization or ecosystem that is contributing significantly [04:58.880 --> 05:03.680] to our climate problems. We've got to be scaling the energy intensity back. And so I think the first [05:03.680 --> 05:10.880] thing to keep in mind is not all blockchain is very energy-intensive. So there's different methods [05:10.880 --> 05:17.360] of blockchain out there, and similar to how computers have evolved in a way where early computers [05:17.440 --> 05:21.760] were really energy-intensive. You could physically hear them with their fans wearing [05:22.560 --> 05:26.880] and the kind of compute that came out of them was relatively small at the time compared to [05:26.880 --> 05:31.520] the energy output of them. Blockchain's the same way. So you've seen several evolutions of blockchain. [05:31.520 --> 05:38.560] Most notably, the proof of state consensus protocol is really, really energy-efficient. [05:38.560 --> 05:45.440] And then Solana in particular is very, very energy-efficient of a lot of proof of state protocols. [05:45.440 --> 05:51.920] So a single transaction on Solana is the energy-equivalent of a single search on Google. [05:52.880 --> 06:00.320] The entire Solana network uses a fraction. We're talking like 2% to 3% of the carbon footprint [06:00.320 --> 06:08.000] of streaming services like Spotify. And so I think the first thing to make clear is that [06:08.560 --> 06:12.640] just because it's a blockchain does not mean it's energy-intensive, and Solana in particular [06:12.640 --> 06:20.080] is a very relatively clean blockchain. And if we take a look at Solana Foundation's recent [06:20.080 --> 06:25.840] energy use report, I'm curious, what did that actually reveal about the network's environmental [06:25.840 --> 06:29.360] impact? Is there anything you can share around that? Because I know it was recently released. [06:30.640 --> 06:35.120] Well, we've been releasing these reports for a couple of years now, and this is part of this [06:35.760 --> 06:40.240] broader impetus at the foundation to make sure that as part of the [06:41.040 --> 06:47.120] mission of what we do, we're also making sure that we're good stewards of the Earth and doing [06:47.120 --> 06:52.560] everything we can to support the community in doing so as well. And so the energy use report [06:52.560 --> 06:58.640] has done, it's historically taken a really close look at the carbon footprint of the Solana network. [06:58.640 --> 07:03.200] And that's not an easy thing to do, right? Because if you, one, thinking about the energy [07:03.200 --> 07:10.000] intensity of any organization or any network system is difficult, it's really multifaceted [07:10.080 --> 07:14.720] that's why carbon measurement has become such a booming industry. But of a blockchain, [07:14.720 --> 07:17.920] we're talking about like a pretty new thing to do, right? You're not measuring one [07:17.920 --> 07:22.560] civil organization's carbon footprint. You're actually going out and looking at the intensity [07:22.560 --> 07:26.880] of all these different value networks all over the world that are all drawn from different power [07:26.880 --> 07:33.680] grids. And so what we initially did a couple of years ago when the energy use report first came [07:33.680 --> 07:38.400] out is we actually had a consultant who had deep expertise in carbon measurement and deep [07:38.400 --> 07:44.880] expertise in blockchain. And you can imagine how aware that kind of person is. And he would go [07:44.880 --> 07:49.920] validated by validators. They're going through like thousands of lines of validators and map back [07:49.920 --> 07:55.440] where that validator was located, look at sort of the grid information of where that data center was [07:55.440 --> 08:00.960] and put together an estimate of what the energy use is. Last year, almost a year ago now, [08:00.960 --> 08:05.760] we started working with a startup called Tri Carbonara. They said, we can use software to do this so [08:05.760 --> 08:11.120] much more efficiently. And so what they started testing with us as their design partner [08:11.120 --> 08:15.280] is a way to use software to crawl all these different validators, cross-apply it with sort [08:15.280 --> 08:22.880] of existing data sets that tell us the energy intensity of different data centers around the [08:22.880 --> 08:27.440] world and come up with a real-time estimate. So an estimate that's updated all the time of the carbon [08:27.440 --> 08:33.200] footprint of the blockchain. So that's the backstory that gets us to where we're at today. And the energy [08:33.280 --> 08:39.360] use report that the foundation released recently basically takes a look at what the carbon footprint [08:39.360 --> 08:46.960] of the network is. And so what we found is that the network emits about just over 10,000 tons of CO2 [08:46.960 --> 08:53.920] a year. And the carbon footprint of the network actually had decreased from the previous energy [08:53.920 --> 09:00.320] use reports. We saw a total decrease of about 17% of the network's carbon footprint and about [09:00.400 --> 09:07.280] 25% reduction in a per transaction basis of carbon footprint, which is pretty exciting to see. And so [09:07.280 --> 09:13.280] we're seeing some great progress from one in terms of measurement and being really accurate [09:13.280 --> 09:16.720] about figuring out the carbon footprint of the network. But also we're seeing the network [09:16.720 --> 09:22.880] become more environmentally efficient over time. And just to expand on that, can you explain the [09:22.880 --> 09:29.040] process and significance of purchasing carbon offsets entirely on the chain for the salon and network [09:29.040 --> 09:34.320] time? Yeah, so step one is measuring the carbon footprint of the network, right, to [09:34.320 --> 09:37.920] leave the estimate there. Then the question is, what do you do about it to make the [09:38.960 --> 09:45.440] to make the network carbon neutral? Well, you do what you can, a priori, to make sure the energy [09:45.440 --> 09:50.560] intensity or the carbon footprint of the network is as limited as possible, right? So that's what we [09:50.560 --> 09:54.880] do when we think about, you know, talking different validators who are thinking about [09:54.880 --> 09:59.280] greeting strategies and so forth. It's decreasing the carbon footprint of the network as much as [09:59.280 --> 10:03.520] possible. And then secondly, when we actually have the estimate of what the carbon footprint is, [10:03.520 --> 10:08.560] because you know, it's near impossible to get to zero, there's always going to be some energy [10:08.560 --> 10:15.040] used carbon emitted, is we purchase offsets to help offset the carbon footprint that we have [10:15.040 --> 10:22.880] measured. What's exciting about doing it on chain is that, you know, if you look at how [10:22.960 --> 10:29.200] carbon markets work today, they're a really, really messy market. So if you step back, I think [10:29.200 --> 10:34.240] you probably hear about a lot of companies out there saying we're looking to achieve net zero emissions. [10:34.880 --> 10:39.120] How are they doing that? Well, they're measuring their carbon footprint. And then whatever the [10:39.120 --> 10:42.560] carbon footprint is, they're going out into the market and they're saying, hey, we need [10:43.280 --> 10:48.800] X thousand or X hundred thousand equivalent of tons of CO2. And so what they're buying is [10:48.800 --> 10:57.200] they're buying basically, you know, either credits that allow them to ensure that more carbon [10:57.200 --> 11:00.800] isn't going to be sucked out of the atmosphere, or credits that will actually help, or sorry, [11:00.800 --> 11:05.200] more carbon isn't going to be emitted to the atmosphere, or they're buying credits or things [11:05.200 --> 11:08.880] that will actually suck carbon out of the atmosphere. So this is everything from you out of your [11:08.880 --> 11:14.560] about like tree planting or forest preservation to more high tech methods of like direct air capture [11:14.640 --> 11:19.840] where they're actually sucking, you know, like technology that sucks carbon out of the atmosphere. [11:20.560 --> 11:25.840] You can't imagine that this stuff is really hard to track, right? If I'm going out there and buying [11:25.840 --> 11:32.560] a carbon credit that's linked to a forestation in Ecuador, how am I supposed to know whether or not [11:32.560 --> 11:38.400] that forest, you know, isn't getting eliminated? And so what you'll see is global carbon markets [11:39.200 --> 11:44.640] are full of fraud and lack of transparency. And that's that's not always, you know, lack [11:44.640 --> 11:49.920] about intent. It's just these things are really difficult to track. And so when I was first pitched, [11:49.920 --> 11:54.560] the idea of putting carbon credits on chain, I was like, guys, blockchain can't solve everything, [11:54.560 --> 12:00.320] like don't fool yourselves. But as I dove one more into it, I realized this is actually a really [12:00.320 --> 12:03.920] elegant solution to a really difficult problem. And it's one of the best uses of blockchain you've [12:03.920 --> 12:08.240] ever seen, because you have a shared global database instead of these databases being [12:08.240 --> 12:12.720] siloed by different nonprofits, you have a shared global database of information on where [12:12.720 --> 12:19.120] these carbon credits are. You can link this database to real time tracking with things like cameras [12:19.120 --> 12:24.080] and drones and satellite imagery that help you ensure that whatever credits you're buying [12:24.080 --> 12:31.120] are linked to whatever type of biodiversity promise was made when you bought them. And as the user, [12:31.120 --> 12:36.560] as the purchaser, I can actually have a direct link between my purchase and being able to monitor [12:36.560 --> 12:41.360] what is happening on the ground. So the intermediaries get eliminated. And I have a lot of transparency [12:41.360 --> 12:46.480] into what's been purchased here. So it's a long one way of saying it's really, really exciting [12:46.480 --> 12:52.240] what is happening with these carbon credits, these carbon markets being put on chain. And we're [12:52.240 --> 12:59.200] really thrilled to be stewards of helping uncover the benefits of these markets and, you know, [12:59.200 --> 13:06.000] bring some bring some life to them because it's a very exciting next turn for what we'll see in [13:06.000 --> 13:09.280] carbon markets, which have to play a role in fighting climate change. [13:09.840 --> 13:14.320] And that transparency is so desperately needed. I've got a friend in South America who was telling [13:14.320 --> 13:19.840] me that a lot of the companies that are paying for carbon offsetting, they're planting those trees [13:19.840 --> 13:24.160] and they get all the code off. But then what they don't tell you is 12 months down the line, [13:24.160 --> 13:29.760] those same trees are cut down again. And I think that transparency is so important. And as you said, [13:29.760 --> 13:35.680] keeping everything on the chain and making that transparency there for all to see. So you know that [13:35.680 --> 13:38.560] you're making that difference. It's crucial, isn't it? [13:38.560 --> 13:42.560] Absolutely. And it's it's so heartbreaking to see, right? I don't I think most people were [13:42.560 --> 13:47.840] purchasing these credits. It's not that they want to see these trees chop down. It's that they have [13:47.840 --> 13:53.440] a really hard it's really difficult to check this, right? And so by by combining what what we had [13:53.440 --> 13:58.160] in terms of technology when it comes to should have atmospheric monitoring, with the opportunity [13:58.160 --> 14:04.320] to be able to put all that information on basically its hair-proof database that is globally available [14:04.400 --> 14:09.680] is a really magical combination. And so so I'm excited about the potential of this particular [14:09.680 --> 14:14.240] application of blockchain. And the other thing that's exciting as you mentioned is this reported [14:14.240 --> 14:20.560] reduction in energy use per transaction and total emissions. So what technological advancements or [14:20.560 --> 14:27.440] operational changes were key to achieving these results? Yeah, so I won't I won't I won't talk [14:27.440 --> 14:32.240] past myself. I'll say, you know, I think we were really excited to see that reduction in [14:32.800 --> 14:39.040] in per energy carbon footprint and then also the overall carbon footprint. It's difficult to [14:39.040 --> 14:45.360] trace exactly what that can be attributed to. My suspicion is that Solana network generally [14:45.360 --> 14:50.640] released a ton of different upgrades over the past year or so that led to the network working [14:50.640 --> 14:55.280] more efficiently and more quickly in general. That's a line not just with making a network [14:55.280 --> 15:00.560] more climate friendly. It's also aligned with the overall goals of making Solana a really fast, [15:00.560 --> 15:05.120] really cheap network because, you know, that the faster it is and more affordable it is, [15:05.120 --> 15:09.920] it will also end up using less electricity. And so what we saw over the course of 2023 was [15:09.920 --> 15:15.760] several really critical upgrades. The network that helped improve that efficiency and my suspicion [15:15.760 --> 15:20.960] is that's trickling down in a number of ways, including the reduction of carbon footprint of [15:20.960 --> 15:26.080] the network, especially in a per transaction basis. And I'm not sure if you're able to share anything [15:26.160 --> 15:31.280] here, but is there any you can share about any future initiatives that the Solana Foundation [15:31.280 --> 15:36.000] have planned to further your commitment to environmental sustainability? Is anything you [15:36.000 --> 15:42.160] able to share on them? I can't. I can't share a future announcements yet. But what I can say is [15:42.160 --> 15:48.480] that there there's always something in the hopper. And I think the thing that I'm most excited about [15:48.480 --> 15:53.840] is not just seeing what the foundation does, but what's seeing what comes out of this incredibly rich [15:53.840 --> 15:58.400] community of what's called Solana REFI, the regenerative finance community, because I think [15:58.400 --> 16:05.440] we're seeing lots of innovation there. And the pace of build is getting quicker and quicker and [16:05.440 --> 16:09.120] quicker. And it's been a real pleasure to see that move over the last couple of years. So [16:09.120 --> 16:12.160] we'll see some fun things come out of that community over the coming months. [16:13.200 --> 16:18.080] And I'm curious. Do you think Solana's approach to sustainability influence will set a precedent [16:18.080 --> 16:23.120] for other blockchain networks and the broader technology sector? Is that something you're passionate about [16:23.120 --> 16:28.800] too? I sure hope so. And I think it's starting to happen. I think one of the things that we were [16:28.800 --> 16:34.640] hoping to do by working as a design partner on this idea of real-time carbon emissions, [16:35.360 --> 16:41.040] ushering in an opportunity to be able to buy on chain carbon credits, these are things that [16:41.040 --> 16:45.760] we wanted to take the risk and get out front there to do. And it should not be Solana specific. [16:45.760 --> 16:50.880] It should be any blockchain that's willing to put in the resources to figure out how to make [16:50.880 --> 16:55.760] these things happen. It should be doing that themselves too. And we're seeing other foundations [16:56.560 --> 17:01.520] that sort of help support other blockchains taking similar steps as well. And so I'm proud that we [17:01.520 --> 17:07.360] could set that precedent. And we'll see, I think, more and more foundations start to use these [17:07.360 --> 17:13.120] tools in the future. And what's been the response from your passionate Solana community? And by [17:13.120 --> 17:20.000] that, I mean, both users and developers. What's been their response to the network sustainability [17:20.000 --> 17:24.240] efforts? And also, how does this feedback help shape your future policies, too? Because [17:25.280 --> 17:31.280] this community vibe that you've got through the whole Solana community, it's so important to [17:31.280 --> 17:37.760] you guys, right? It's such an awesome community. And people are so excited about figuring out ways [17:37.760 --> 17:42.560] that they can help advancements that they care about. I think, to me, so to answer your question [17:42.560 --> 17:47.760] up front, their response has been awesome. People are so excited about this. I talked about this [17:48.640 --> 17:54.320] breakaway, which is sort of our flagship conference at the end of last year. And you just got tons [17:54.320 --> 17:58.800] of applause for across the audience. People excited about it. I get paying, it's probably a few times [17:58.800 --> 18:03.200] a week from people who are excited about our climate efforts at the foundation and want to [18:03.200 --> 18:07.680] figure out how they can help, how they can keep building on it. And I think the most telling thing [18:07.680 --> 18:12.240] is, I think I mentioned, there's this regenerative finance community that's sort of thriving and [18:12.240 --> 18:17.440] really independent on Solana. And they get together a couple of times a month and have [18:17.440 --> 18:21.680] their own phone calls where they talk about what they're doing, figure out how they can [18:21.680 --> 18:25.840] head, they can work with each other and collaborate, host Twitter spaces. And so what we're seeing is [18:25.840 --> 18:31.200] not just more and more people say, hey, I can be climate forward and work on blockchain, [18:31.200 --> 18:35.920] but they're figuring out how to work together and really take advantage of some of the advantages [18:35.920 --> 18:40.720] of blockchain interoperability, composability, the existing infrastructure really to climate [18:40.720 --> 18:44.800] and figure out what else they can do, which is so fun. [18:44.800 --> 18:49.440] But your passion for your work really shines through in our conversation today. And clearly, [18:49.440 --> 18:55.040] we can tell that it's not just lip service. So from your perspective, how do you think blockchain [18:55.040 --> 19:01.120] technology can contribute to global sustainability goals, especially in the light of Solana's recent [19:01.120 --> 19:04.160] achievements? Because it feels like there's a real opportunity here. [19:04.160 --> 19:11.440] I agree. So we talked about carbon markets as one potential opportunity to contribute to the [19:12.320 --> 19:17.120] helping mitigate the climate crisis, which I think is really exciting is probably the example [19:17.120 --> 19:21.920] that people talk to the most. But what you're seeing is a lot of really interesting ways that [19:21.920 --> 19:25.920] people are taking the idea of distributed networks and applying them to this problem of climate, [19:25.920 --> 19:31.840] which is a distributed problem. And that has to do a lot with, I think, measurements. So you see, [19:31.840 --> 19:38.480] for example, there's a company called YHY, and they're creating these sensors that live on the [19:38.480 --> 19:44.000] Solana blockchain around the world that contribute or allow people to benefit from having weather [19:44.000 --> 19:48.720] tracking sensors in places that governments aren't able to build them or it's too expensive to deploy [19:48.720 --> 19:55.520] there, allow for contributing really important weather tracking information into global databases. [19:55.520 --> 20:02.080] Similarly, you have people using IoT sensors built on Helium Network to create more opportunities [20:02.080 --> 20:06.880] for distributed flood tracking, so that the places where government has a hard time [20:06.880 --> 20:14.320] getting data on where water levels are rising, they're able to get that more comprehensively, [20:14.320 --> 20:18.160] more quickly, and more cheaply. I even talked to a team a couple months ago that's using [20:18.160 --> 20:22.640] distributed IoT sensors, again, built on Helium, to track lines in the beside mirror, [20:22.640 --> 20:28.320] because they said, hey, this is way more cost-effective and actually the technology is better [20:28.320 --> 20:32.800] than what we could do with traditional radio tracking. And so there's a ton of creativity here, [20:32.880 --> 20:40.480] and mostly my job here is to make available what exists, to let people know the infrastructure [20:40.480 --> 20:44.960] that's already out there, so that new entrepreneurs have different ideas that are working on the space, [20:44.960 --> 20:50.720] can get creative about how they can apply the existing tooling to some of these big global problems. [20:50.720 --> 20:55.440] Well, a huge thank you for taking the time to share how the Solana Foundation has fulfilled [20:55.440 --> 21:00.560] its commitment to make the Solana network carbon neutral. But before I let you go, [21:00.560 --> 21:03.840] it's time to have a little bit of fun with you now. Every day we record this podcast. [21:04.640 --> 21:09.600] As my guest, to leave everyone listening with a final gift, and that can either be a book that [21:09.600 --> 21:16.720] they recommend for their Amazon wishlist or a song, guilty pleasures are allowed for us, but if I play [21:16.720 --> 21:20.480] with something that means something to you or just helps you get your head in the zone, but all I'll [21:20.480 --> 21:25.920] ask is, what would you like to leave everyone listening with and why? All right, so I'll give you [21:25.920 --> 21:31.920] both. I'll leave it two gifts. The song is Lil Wayne Right Above It, which is just my favorite [21:31.920 --> 21:36.640] pop-up song. So if you're ever looking for something to get up in the morning and get you excited for [21:36.640 --> 21:42.320] the day, like definitely blast some right above it. And then the book is one of my favorite books [21:42.320 --> 21:47.840] from last year, or that I read last year, called The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Colbert, [21:47.840 --> 21:54.080] who's this fantastic climate journalist. And she did a really outstanding job of thinking about [21:54.160 --> 21:58.880] the current climate crisis in the context, not just in the last few thousand years, but in the [21:58.880 --> 22:04.240] history of the world and of global evolution. And I think what's great about this book is it [22:04.240 --> 22:09.440] helps you contextualize the fact that the Earth has been here for a really long time. [22:09.440 --> 22:14.720] It's gone through massive extinction events. But what is different about the event that we're [22:14.720 --> 22:19.200] sort of going through right now that has even caused versus other events that we've had previously? [22:19.200 --> 22:25.280] And how do we think about this more from a sort of long-term geological and scientific [22:25.280 --> 22:34.560] perspective? And so it helps appreciate the scale of what's happening right now in a way that I think [22:34.560 --> 22:41.200] isn't just a doom and gloom, but actually helps us understand why humans are so unique in the scale [22:41.200 --> 22:47.360] of what's happening in the world. So great climate read. And she's just a fantastic writer, so it's [22:47.360 --> 22:53.600] really fun. Awesome. Fantastic choices. I'll get the book added straight to our Amazon list and [22:53.600 --> 22:58.000] that curler track added to the Spotify player. He said, finally, I'll just say this is something [22:58.000 --> 23:02.560] we can do for you now, because some of the biggest names in business, PC, funding, and tech have either [23:02.560 --> 23:07.440] been guests or may even just listen to this podcast. So if there's one person you'd love to have a [23:07.440 --> 23:13.520] private breakfast or lunch with, and maybe he or she may just hear this, who would he be and why? And [23:13.600 --> 23:17.920] we'll see what we can manifest together today. So I think one of the most interesting people, [23:17.920 --> 23:23.200] yeah, I'm a policy nerd at heart, one of the most interesting people thinking about tech [23:23.200 --> 23:30.320] policy in the last, I'd say 10 years is Tim Liu, who's this academic out of Columbia, spent a [23:30.320 --> 23:35.120] bunch of time in startups, has been at the White House shaping tech policy. And I think he's just [23:35.120 --> 23:42.560] got a really interesting set of thoughts around how we should think about this new era of internet [23:42.560 --> 23:47.440] policy. And so I would love to just sit down and hear all about how he's thinking about moving [23:47.440 --> 23:52.720] forward and not being so that is my wish for private breakfast or lunch. Fantastic. I'm going to throw [23:52.720 --> 23:59.120] it into the universe into the ether. Let's see what happens. Just let me know if he does get in [23:59.120 --> 24:04.720] contact. We love to see if we can make that happen for you before there you go. We've talked about [24:04.720 --> 24:09.600] a lot today and there'll be people wanting to check out maybe the report we referenced or just [24:09.600 --> 24:13.840] some of the other commitments or plans for the future. What's the best starting point for [24:13.840 --> 24:19.280] everything Solana Foundation? Equally, if people want to contact you or join your community, [24:19.280 --> 24:22.960] where would you send everyone? So if you want to hear specifically about [24:22.960 --> 24:30.080] private initiatives on Solana, I recommend going to solana.com slash environment. That's [24:30.080 --> 24:33.760] where you can see the report. That's where you can learn about a lot of companies building in the [24:33.760 --> 24:39.200] space and get more of those stats. If you want to get engaged and have ideas on how to get involved, [24:39.200 --> 24:46.880] just email climate at solana.org and be happy to respond. I'll get links added to that so people [24:46.880 --> 24:53.280] can find you nice and easily. I also added a link for the Solana Foundation new energy use [24:53.280 --> 24:58.800] report which highlights sustainability metrics that attract in real time. Things like energy use [24:58.800 --> 25:04.160] per transaction across the Solana network, how they've declined by I think it's something like 25% [25:04.880 --> 25:12.160] and total emissions from the network decreasing by 17.5%. As the old saying goes in IT, you can only [25:12.160 --> 25:17.440] improve what you measure and it's so great to see this transparency and the work that you're doing [25:17.440 --> 25:22.080] here. But just a big thank you for bringing the topic to life today and the difference that you're [25:22.080 --> 25:26.560] making. Thanks for joining me. Thanks for having me now. Thanks for the opportunity to talk about [25:26.560 --> 25:32.080] this important work and take care. Now as we close today's episode, I think it's clear that the [25:32.080 --> 25:38.720] Solana Foundation is not just talking about sustainability. They're actively embedding it [25:38.720 --> 25:44.640] into their blockchain's DNA and this journey towards a carbon neutral network as detailed in [25:44.640 --> 25:51.440] their energy use report, it showcases a blend of technological innovation along with an environmental [25:51.440 --> 25:55.920] responsibility. So a big thank you to Amira for taking the time to sit down with me today, [25:55.920 --> 26:00.720] sharing her insights and helping us all understand some of the complexities [26:00.800 --> 26:06.640] and the significance of this achievement. But this leads us to ponder, can this model set a new [26:06.640 --> 26:12.160] standard for other blockchain networks will sustainability become a core aspect of blockchain [26:12.160 --> 26:17.920] technology moving forward? Now I know there's a passionate community attached to this project [26:17.920 --> 26:23.040] and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this pivotal development. I want you to share your views and [26:23.040 --> 26:27.360] join the conversation. Whether you're for whether you're against whether you're suspicious or anything [26:27.360 --> 26:31.520] I'd love to get all sides of the argument on here and you can do that by emailing me [26:31.520 --> 26:36.880] techblogwriteroutlook.com, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, just at me, I'll see you's and if you'd [26:36.880 --> 26:41.360] like to come and join me on the show and offer a different vantage point on everything we talked [26:41.360 --> 26:48.640] about again, I welcome that too. But that's it for today so remember stay curious, stay informed [26:48.640 --> 26:53.760] and keep exploring the endless possibilities of technology. But more than anything, just [26:53.760 --> 27:00.560] thanks for listening and until next time, that'll be a stranger. Transcription results written to '/home/forge/transcribe2.sonicengage.com/releases/20240207164437' directory