The Tara Foundation team has developed hand in hand with Fred & Farid (FF) Los Angeles, a creative agency established by Fred & Farid, a system called “Ocean Miner”.
The Ocean Miner is composed by a new hydraulic turbine system, installed in the Gulf of Morbihan, in Brittany (France) where marine streams and tides are at their strongest. These marine streams move the turbine generating the power needed by a computer, which has been previously connected to the turbine, and is devoted to secure Bitcoin transactions during a process called mining. The computer is rewarded with a certain amount of Bitcoins for its work securing the transactions. These Bitoins, once exchanged into Euros are invested in ocean research on climate change.
The problem: only 3% of donations to charities goes to ocean research
The Ocean Miner is the answer to the following problem: The environmental research receives less than 3% of donations to charities, despite ocean preservation against climate change is an essential mission to save the planet.
The difficulty to find financing by The Tara Expéditions Foundation along with FF Los Ángeles creative expertise gave birth to the Ocean Minner.
The computer and its components were set up in a small house equipped with mirrors, thus downplaying the visual impact of its implementation on the Brittany coast and also protecting them from the weather. After the house was locked and connected to the turbine, the system was autonomous and self-sufficient, using the power of the ocean to create its own electric energy, which is stored inside a battery.
Ocean Miner manages to rise €200 for ocean research monthly
After a month of running the turbine and generating Bitcoin, the “Ocean Miner” system made it possible for the Tara Foundation to collect nearly 0.0015414 BTC / day, or 200 € / month over the whole implementation phase.
“This system certainly won’t cover the needs of the scientific research, it is only a drop in the ocean: a minimal symbolic contribution made to the expeditions led by Tara. It is, however, a powerful way of recalling that only the mobilization of everyone together will make it possible to fund the research to study, understand and to better protect the Ocean in the future,” explained Romain Troublé, Managing Director of the Tara Expeditions Foundation.
Pro bono project
“Over the years, FF has been actively involved with a series of creative social responsibility projects ranging from refugees to social advocacy, the environment, and beyond. Today, we’ve decided to focus our creativity on a place of huge importance that doesn’t get the attention it needs: our oceans. The 4 offices of the network are each creatively committed to this cause like FF New York and FF Shanghai with Sea Shepherd or FF Paris with Noé – and today FF Los Angeles with the Tara Foundation. We are eager to select one great cause, only one and to go deeper knowledge of the topic campaign by campaign. We’re partnering with a selection of brands and charities to find creative ways to protect the ocean and clearly communicate its vital importance to our lives. It is the place where we feel we can make the largest impact for the world.” explained Fred & Farid, Founders of FF (Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, Paris).
The Tara Expéditions Foundation travels the world’s seas with scientists on board its schooner, Tara. For 15 years, Tara has been proactively studying and understanding the ocean to better preserve it from climate change.
Image over the headline.- Tara ocean miner inside its glass shelter. © F F Los Angeles.
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