Planetwatch

With climate change on the rise, many companies springing into action to reverse or deal with its effects every year. Planetwatch, a France-based startup paying Bay Area residents with cryptocurrency to run air quality monitors, these monitors range from $400 all the way up to almost $2400. Depending on the monitor, users reap different amounts of cryptocurrency per day. 

Planetwatch has around 500 sensors in the Bay Area. More sensors could track the air particle levels would make research relating to air quality much easier and more effective. According to Planetwatch, “This approach allows us to rapidly deploy low-cost, high-density air quality monitoring networks which fill a data gap in governmental networks”. Building a global network like the one Planetwatch is hoping for could help improve the air quality worldwide and create a network of people interested in saving the environment.

With fire seasons worsening and air quality levels being at an all-time high due to the record-breaking fires, it is more important than ever to monitor our air quality levels. Specifically in the Bay Area, Planetwatch could be very important. The significance of air quality levels and the COVID-19 mortality and hospitalization rate makes Planetwatch’s initiative and goals even more enticing and excites many to join their network. 

Although in theory, Planetwatch is great, at the moment, they are not that widespread and thus cannot make a significant impact. Tied in with the fact that they pay users in the form of their cryptocurrency, $PLANETS, which has been steadily declining over the past year, Planetwatch has not proven to be very practical yet.