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   Richard Stallman (rms@mastodon.xyz)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Sep-2023 19:38:56 JST Richard Stallman

   [01/02] A bitcoin miner in Pennsylvania is controversially burning waste coal and discarded tires to generate electricity: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/31/bitcoin-mining-plan-pennsylvania-tire-burning This pollutes the air but cleans land. Is that practice wise or not?

   It should be noted that only some kinds of cryptocurrency (notably Bitcoin) use the "proof of work" method that entails using lots of electric power. There are other methods.

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     Richard Stallman (rms@mastodon.xyz)'s status on Tuesday, 05-Sep-2023 19:39:04 JST Richard Stallman

     in reply to

     [02/02] If burning waste coal to generate electric power is acceptable, it doesn't have to be used for cryptocurrency. It could replace other forms of generation. Thus, the crucial question is whether that method makes more/worse pollution or less/milder pollution. I don't know enough to judge the answer to that.

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     wafflepixel (waffle@social.076.moe)'s status on Wednesday, 06-Sep-2023 00:04:29 JST wafflepixel

     in reply to
     Its more or less an excuse from the government to outlaw alternative forms of payment from what I've heard but with their willingness to start the fednow program I don't really know for sure. Perhaps they want one central crypto they can control. In regards to pollution, people are finding a second use for the heat gpus cause such as heating pools, heating their houses, etc.