In a flat field
Where nothing grows
But cables,
The buzzing of the effort
It sinks on the ground.
Miles away,
A child coughs
next to a cracked window.
Without knowing
The wind has taken
The fortune of another person
Through your lungs.
Nods in coal ashes
as snow
In a place
He never asked
To shine.
This poem is inspired by Recent researchwhich has found that US Bitcoin mining use more electricity than angels, mainly fossil fuels.
In recent years, Bitcoin has become a family name, a digital currency created when solving complex puzzles with huge computer networks. These ‘mines’ can be virtual name, but have very real consequences. To continue working, they use amazing amounts of electricity, much of it generated by the burning of fossil fuels. This use of electricity contributes to air pollution, particularly the type composed of small particles that can be harmful to breathe. The complete environmental impact of this digital gold fever is still focusing, and does not feel evenly.
This research analyzes the 34 largest Bitcoin mines that operate in the United States for 2022-2023. It tracks where its electricity came and which communities were most affected by the contamination of the resulting air. Together, these mines used more power than the entire city of Los Angeles, with the vast majority extracted from polluting sources. The study estimates that 1.9 million people were exposed to higher levels of particle pollution as a result, often in places far from the mines themselves. Places such as New York City and parts of Texas saw the greatest exposure and the most serious health risks. This work helps us understand the hidden human costs of digital currencies and raises great questions about who pays the price for its continuous growth.
The publication of the cost of cryptography appeared first in the poetry of science.
#cost #crypto
