After the development of a “green” chain, the Australian Zoo (which was founded by Steve and Terri Irwin) has decided to utilize Algorand to mint Wildlife Warriors, symbolizing their first step into the NFT space.
Meadow Labs, an Australian tech startup, is working with the Australian Zoo by helping them release a series of Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors animals. All proceeds will go to helping Australian Zoos and the collective effort of the Wildlife Warriors. Robert Irwin, Steve Irwin’s son, stated “this green chain and new technology allows us a new avenue to continue to fight for the protection of our wildlife and wild places”.
Many individuals are excited to finally have an NFT which positively affects the environment. “This is just the beginning of a long-term partnership to create an ‘NFT for good’ movement that builds on ensuring we all have a sustainable future,” said Martin Kelly, the CEO and Co-Founder of Meadow Labs.
One of Web3’s earliest criticisms was the effect which NFTs and blockchain technology have on the environment, with most of the harm stemming from the carbon emissions caused by proof of work blockchains such as the Ethereum Network. Algorand, an energy efficient blockchain which is partnered with ClimateTrade, addresses the environmental concerns by using proof of stake technology which is much more energy efficient.
The World Wildlife Foundation is similarly using NFTs to bring awareness to 10 species on the verge of extinction in order to show the world how impactful our actions can be. The introduction of NFTs into the conservation space is an exciting development for web3, showing how blockchain technology can be used as an effective fundraising tool for important causes and protecting the environment.