I was reading a great article today on coindesk by Ian Allison that talked about Bitcoin's sustainability in this new era of climate change activism. It proposed an interesting question that because Bitcoin uses so much computing power to mine blocks, and therefore consumes vast amounts of energy, will it be sustainable in the long term? I would add a follow question to this of: Will or how greatly will this affect mainstream adoption going forward? I think this is a good time to reignite this discussion as climate change and activism has never been more prevalent.
My thoughts are that although Bitcoin uses a considerable amount of energy, when related to climate change and its impact on the environment it pales in comparison to other industries burning of fossil fuels, as well as deforestation and farming. Furthermore, because Bitcoin is reshaping global finance, I feel that it will be around for the long term.
That's not to say Greta Thunberg will ever approve of Bitcoin's mining rigs, but most people, business, and governments will understand Bitcoin offers a valuable technology, even in the face of tightening climate change practices and policies.
But what do you think?
There are many reasons for climate change such as gas emissions from cars, burning of plastics or non biodegradable wastes, wrong segregation of wastes, oil disposal in oceans, and many many more. Considering that Bitcoin is a digital mode for transaction in the crypto world, it uses energy - it uses electricity. And this energy is a renewable one. So, even though we see Bitcoin's role in this. The margin or percentage for the uses of energy by large countries is far more than the use of Bitcoin. What the Bitcoin industry could do as countermeasure or payment in the world is maybe to help in the rehabilitation of natural resources by means of investments on projects that would help in this.