Editing Paul Allen (section)

===Environment and conservation===
Allen provided more than $7&nbsp;million to fund a census of elephant populations in Africa, the largest such endeavour since the 1970s. The [[Great Elephant Census]] team flew over 20 countries to survey African savannah elephants. The survey results were published in 2015 and showed rapid rates of decline which were accelerating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatelephantcensus.com/|title=Great Elephant Census|access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=December 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202120328/http://www.greatelephantcensus.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

He began supporting the [[University of British Columbia]]'s [[Sea Around Us (organization)|Sea Around Us]] Project in 2014 to improve data on global fisheries as a way to fight [[illegal fishing]]. Part of his $2.6&nbsp;million in funding went towards the creation of [[FishBase]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fishbase.org/search.php|title=Search FishBase|access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=December 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228180119/http://www.fishbase.org/search.php|url-status=live}}</ref> an online database about adult finfish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015/7/14/paul-allens-conservation-giving-is-going-after-data-now-on-s.html|title=Paul Allen's Conservation Giving is Going After Data, Now on Sharks – Inside Philanthropy: Fundraising Intelligence – Inside Philanthropy|work=insidephilanthropy.com|date=July 14, 2015 |access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=January 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101102028/http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015/7/14/paul-allens-conservation-giving-is-going-after-data-now-on-s.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Allen funded the Global FinPrint initiative, launched in July 2015, a three-year survey of sharks and rays in coral reef areas. The survey is the largest of its kind and designed to provide data to help conservation programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2015/07/08/paul-allen-shark-research/|title=Microsoft's Paul Allen launches major conservation project during 'shark week'|author=Kimberly Truong|date=July 9, 2015|work=Mashable|access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=November 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127185715/http://mashable.com/2015/07/08/paul-allen-shark-research/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/on-the-hunt-for-sunken-ships-paul-allens-team-captures-rare-footage-of-a-sixgill-shark/ On the hunt for sunken ships, Paul Allen's team captures rare footage of a sixgill shark] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016081418/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/on-the-hunt-for-sunken-ships-paul-allens-team-captures-rare-footage-of-a-sixgill-shark/ |date=October 16, 2018 }} The Seattle Times</ref>

Allen backed [[Washington state]] initiative 1401 to prohibit the purchase, sale and distribution of products made from 10 endangered species including elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, marine turtles, pangolins, sharks and rays. The initiative gained enough signatures to be on the state's ballot on November 3, 2015, and passed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/politics-government/election/article42498507.html|title=Washington voters pass wildlife trafficking initiative|work=theolympian|access-date=November 11, 2015}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Alongside the [[United States Department of Transportation]] (USDOT), Allen and Vulcan Inc. launched the Smart City Challenge,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.transportation.gov/smartcity|website=Transportation.gov|access-date=February 16, 2016|title=Smart City Challenge|archive-date=January 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130151207/https://www.transportation.gov/smartcity|url-status=live}}</ref> a contest inviting American cities to transform their transportation systems. Created in 2015 with the USDOT's $40&nbsp;million commitment as well as $10&nbsp;million from Allen's Vulcan Inc., the challenge aims to create a first-of-its-kind modern city that will demonstrate how cities can improve quality of life while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Davies|first1=Alex|title=The $50 Million Competition to Remake the American City|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/12/the-50-million-competition-to-remake-the-american-city/|magazine=Wired|access-date=December 7, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208061535/http://www.wired.com/2015/12/the-50-million-competition-to-remake-the-american-city/|url-status=live}}</ref> The winning city was [[Columbus, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Donovan|first=Jay|date=June 23, 2016|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/23/columbus-ohio-officially-winner-of-dot-smart-city-challenge-and-140-million-in-innovation-grants|title=Columbus, Ohio officially winner of DOT Smart City Challenge and $140 million in innovation grants|work=techcrunch|access-date=May 13, 2016|archive-date=June 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624005229/https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/23/columbus-ohio-officially-winner-of-dot-smart-city-challenge-and-140-million-in-innovation-grants/|url-status=live}}</ref>

As a member of the [[International SeaKeepers Society]], Allen hosted its proprietary SeaKeeper 1000TM oceanographic and atmospheric monitoring system on all three of his megayachts.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/27/seakeepers.superyachts.data.collection/|title = Superyacht owners secret weapon in fight against global warming|work = CNN|date = January 27, 2010|access-date = October 22, 2013|archive-date = October 23, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131023064652/http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/01/27/seakeepers.superyachts.data.collection/|url-status = live}}</ref>

Allen funded the building of [[microgrid]]s, which are small-scale power grids that can operate independently, in Kenya, to help promote reusable energy and empower its businesses and residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@vulcaninc/investing-in-a-vibrant-africa-d73d22fbafe9|title=Investing in a Vibrant Africa|author=Vulcan Inc.|work=Medium|access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=January 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101102027/https://medium.com/@vulcaninc/investing-in-a-vibrant-africa-d73d22fbafe9|url-status=live}}</ref> He was an early investor in the Mawingu Networks, a wireless and solar-powered Internet provider which aims to connect rural Africa with the world, and Off Grid Electric, a company focused on providing solar energy to people in emerging nations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/03/21/off-grid-electric-gets-7m-to-light-africa-in-a-decade-exclusive/|title=Off Grid Electric gets $7M to 'light Africa in a decade' (exclusive) – VentureBeat – Deals – by Christina Farr|work=VentureBeat|date=March 21, 2014|access-date=November 11, 2015|archive-date=January 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101102027/http://venturebeat.com/2014/03/21/off-grid-electric-gets-7m-to-light-africa-in-a-decade-exclusive/|url-status=live}}</ref>