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I'm not sure about all this "Bitcoin is killing the planet" stuff. Obviously it takes a LOT of energy, but isn't it the energy companies' fault for not using re

I'm not sure about all this "Bitcoin is killing the planet" stuff. Obviously it takes a LOT of energy, but isn't it the energy companies' fault for not using renewable forms of energy? You could also say me boiling the kettle is killing the earth, but thankfully I've never heard anyone say that.

asplake 5y ago
Right at the top: Study highlights vast churn in computer hardware that the cryptocurrency incentivises
- tentacleuno 5y ago
  My apologies. I assumed it was in relation to energy use as always.
pjc50 5y ago
It's literally a proof-of-waste system, that automatically adapts to increase waste as the network grows.
Ma8ee 5y ago
No, by buying and using energy that isn't produced in a sustainable way you too are responsible for the damage it does. But as others already have pointed out, this is not what the article is about.
- tentacleuno 5y ago
  > No, by buying and using energy that isn't produced in a sustainable way you too are responsible for the damage it does. We'll have to disagree on that one. If the energy companies won't invest in the greener solution, I don't see how people consuming that energy can be blamed. As much as I hate miners, blaming them for the disaster that is the energy industry is wrong.
  - frereubu 5y ago
    It doesn't have to be either / or, it can be both.
  - Ma8ee 5y ago
    Of course you are partially responsible for everything you are spending money on, whether it is energy or blood diamonds. That is hardly controversial. If you wouldn't spend the money, it wouldn't be produced. And no one is demanding that you should stop using energy completely because you only can buy dirty energy, but you can choose to use less of it, by not using it for something that so far only have proved to be a huge Ponzi scheme. In many parts of the world you can choose to pay more for cleaner energy. But that would of course reduce the profit from mining.
  - Devasta 5y ago
    Bitcoin is designed to waste as much energy as possible. Even if the energy companies waved a magic wand and had a huge amount of renewable energy onboard tomorrow, the end result would be the miners would continue to consume the energy from fossil fuels, but they would also consume all the renewable energy too.

asplake 5y ago

Right at the top: Study highlights vast churn in computer hardware that the cryptocurrency incentivises

tentacleuno 5y ago
My apologies. I assumed it was in relation to energy use as always.

pjc50 5y ago

It's literally a proof-of-waste system, that automatically adapts to increase waste as the network grows.

Ma8ee 5y ago

No, by buying and using energy that isn't produced in a sustainable way you too are responsible for the damage it does. But as others already have pointed out, this is not what the article is about.

tentacleuno 5y ago
> No, by buying and using energy that isn't produced in a sustainable way you too are responsible for the damage it does. We'll have to disagree on that one. If the energy companies won't invest in the greener solution, I don't see how people consuming that energy can be blamed. As much as I hate miners, blaming them for the disaster that is the energy industry is wrong.
- frereubu 5y ago
  It doesn't have to be either / or, it can be both.
- Ma8ee 5y ago
  Of course you are partially responsible for everything you are spending money on, whether it is energy or blood diamonds. That is hardly controversial. If you wouldn't spend the money, it wouldn't be produced. And no one is demanding that you should stop using energy completely because you only can buy dirty energy, but you can choose to use less of it, by not using it for something that so far only have proved to be a huge Ponzi scheme. In many parts of the world you can choose to pay more for cleaner energy. But that would of course reduce the profit from mining.
- Devasta 5y ago
  Bitcoin is designed to waste as much energy as possible. Even if the energy companies waved a magic wand and had a huge amount of renewable energy onboard tomorrow, the end result would be the miners would continue to consume the energy from fossil fuels, but they would also consume all the renewable energy too.