https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58287-3
"Bitcoin mines—massive computing clusters generating cryptocurrency
tokens—consume vast amounts of electricity. The amount of fine particle (PM2.5)
air pollution created because of their electricity consumption and its effect
on environmental health is pending. In this study, we located the 34 largest
mines in the United States in 2022, identified the electricity-generating
plants that responded to them, and pinpointed communities most harmed by
Bitcoin mine-attributable air pollution. From mid-2022 to mid-2023, the 34
mines consumed 32.3 terawatt-hours of electricity—33% more than Los Angeles—85%
of which came from fossil fuels. We estimated that 1.9 million Americans were
exposed to ≥0.1 μg/m³ of additional PM2.5 pollution from Bitcoin mines, often
hundreds of miles away from the communities they affected. Americans living in
four regions—including New York City and near Houston—were exposed to the
highest Bitcoin mine-attributable PM2.5 concentrations (≥0.5 μg/m³) with the
greatest health risks."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
