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It's weird how many people only want to talk about the environment when it's Bitcoin. Anyway - https://medium.com/coinshares/beware-of-lazy-research-c828c900b7

by yarrel 8y ago

It's weird how many people only want to talk about the environment when it's Bitcoin. Anyway - https://medium.com/coinshares/beware-of-lazy-research-c828c900b7d5 https://medium.com/coinshares/beware-of-lazy-research-c828c9...

good-idea 8y ago
I feel that people aren't talking about the environment enough when it comes to bitcoin (and many other topics). More in-depth research and knowledge on the matter (like this article, thank you for sharing) might be better known among those who spend more time reading about crypto, but most of the time environmental concerns are left out of the conversation. Problematic topics are usually omitted from discussions when they are complex or not obvious and in the forefront. The conversation goes elsewhere, and we turn our heads to follow it. From this article: > As with many dubious claims, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that much of it is underpinned by a single, leisurely researched source: Digiconomist. > In fact you’d be hard pressed to find many articles in the press pushing the environmentalist, anti-PoW narrative that do not link back to that one source. But hey, can you really blame them in today’s sound bite media environment? Research is hard and time consuming. The author's POV is a little different in that he is addressing anti-bitcoin alarmists - but, underlying this is the argument that research and shared knowledge on the topic is scarce. This is the kind of content I want to see more of. I'm happy this comment sparked some discussion here.
mr_spothawk 8y ago
it'd be great if more people would read this link... but, since that's not where we're at on this forum here's the synopsis: """ The Takeaways * Contrary to what you’ve heard in the media, bitcoin mining is not an environmental disaster. In fact, it is one of the cleanest billion-dollar industries on the planet. * The combined total bitcoin mining network draws less power than global gaming consoles running 4 hours per day. * Bitcoin mining is mainly powered on renewable energy, at levels more than four times higher than the global average (>77.6% vs ~18.2%). * Every year, enough hydro power is wasted in Yunnan and Sichuan alone to power the Bitcoin mining network many times over. * Bitcoin miners are highly mobile and can therefore serve as cornerstone demand for low-cost stranded renewables. * By increasing profitability and lowering reliance on subsidies, bitcoin mining can positively contribute to the development and scaling of renewable energy projects wherever conditions are the most favourable. """

by yarrel 8y ago

good-idea 8y ago

I feel that people aren't talking about the environment enough when it comes to bitcoin (and many other topics). More in-depth research and knowledge on the matter (like this article, thank you for sharing) might be better known among those who spend more time reading about crypto, but most of the time environmental concerns are left out of the conversation. Problematic topics are usually omitted from discussions when they are complex or not obvious and in the forefront. The conversation goes elsewhere, and we turn our heads to follow it. From this article: > As with many dubious claims, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that much of it is underpinned by a single, leisurely researched source: Digiconomist. > In fact you’d be hard pressed to find many articles in the press pushing the environmentalist, anti-PoW narrative that do not link back to that one source. But hey, can you really blame them in today’s sound bite media environment? Research is hard and time consuming. The author's POV is a little different in that he is addressing anti-bitcoin alarmists - but, underlying this is the argument that research and shared knowledge on the topic is scarce. This is the kind of content I want to see more of. I'm happy this comment sparked some discussion here.

mr_spothawk 8y ago

it'd be great if more people would read this link... but, since that's not where we're at on this forum here's the synopsis: """ The Takeaways * Contrary to what you’ve heard in the media, bitcoin mining is not an environmental disaster. In fact, it is one of the cleanest billion-dollar industries on the planet. * The combined total bitcoin mining network draws less power than global gaming consoles running 4 hours per day. * Bitcoin mining is mainly powered on renewable energy, at levels more than four times higher than the global average (>77.6% vs ~18.2%). * Every year, enough hydro power is wasted in Yunnan and Sichuan alone to power the Bitcoin mining network many times over. * Bitcoin miners are highly mobile and can therefore serve as cornerstone demand for low-cost stranded renewables. * By increasing profitability and lowering reliance on subsidies, bitcoin mining can positively contribute to the development and scaling of renewable energy projects wherever conditions are the most favourable. """