Hi
I must admit that numbers don’t lie, Bitcoin mining burns a lot of energy, and it’s carbon footprint is large.
However, I think comparisons are useful to other things like banking, retail stores and others which have. Larger footprint. The other things which I think are important parts of the conversation are things like ;
Many sources of renewable energy, and thus it’s production are very far from the city centers, so the technological state of batteries doesn’t easily allow transport of this energy from the site of its creation to the typical city site or factory location where it’s used. But Bitcoin mining facilities can be located right next to renewable energy sources.
Additionally, to this co-location of renewable energy generation and renewable energy usage, Bitcoin Mining facilities draw power at predictable rates throughout the day, which matches renewable energy generation by renewable energy providers.
Ironically, in this way Bitcoin mining provides renewable energy providers the perfect customer, which may sustain these young industries through the slow period of adoption, and battery development. So Bitcoin may in fact contribute significantly to saving the renewable energy industry.
I would be interested in your thoughts on these ideas.