Are Bitcoin Miners The Most Violent People on Earth? Climate Journalist Eric Holthaus Seems to Think So
Godfrey Benjamin Mar 25, 2021 16:10
Eric Holthaus has criticized Bitcoin miners, describing them as violent people.
Eric Holthaus, a climate journalist has taken his environmental activism to a new level, describing Bitcoin miners as a “violent” set of human beings.
In direct response to the confirmation of Nic Carter as the speaker at the Bitcoin 2021 Summit in Miami, Holthaus noted that the actions of Bitcoiners are putting vulnerable and marginalized people at risk.
Per Holthaus’ own words:
“These are the libertarian nerds who are currently torching our planet's clean-energy future for fun and profit. By any definition, they are some of the most violent people on Earth – putting vulnerable and marginalized people's lives at risk for their own wealth.”
The entire narrative that Bitcoin and its associated mining activities consume a lot of energy is becoming more polarizing in our world today. Governments and climate scientists worry about both the cost implications and the corresponding impact on the environment, an argument many believe the burgeoning price of Bitcoin does not complement.
Bitcoin in itself is a revolutionary invention but the process of acquiring the cryptocurrency has not proven to be. Activists like Holthaus believe the impacts of mining activities benefit just a few, while the negative implications are collectively shared by all, hence the analogy of the supposed violence.
Actions Against Excessive Mining
The apparent energy consumption of Bitcoin mining has stirred some of the world’s major mining hubs to clamp down on these operations. With China topping the charts as the country with the largest Bitcoin mining operation, regional authorities including the Sichuan have appealed to miners on numerous occasions to scale down their operations in a bid to conserve energy.
Blockchain.news also reported earlier that Inner Mongolia is ramping up plans to ban all forms of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining operations by April this year. This is to help comply with Beijing’s energy efficiency targets.
Image source: Shutterstock