Environmental groups call on US authorities to impose restrictions on bitcoin mining

What’s new? Environmental groups have sent a call to the US government asking for restrictions on new cryptocurrency mining operations. In this way, environmentalists want to prevent global climate change, Reuters reports. They published a report based on publicly available regulations and financial information. It also used press reports and testimony from activists across the US as sources.

Information on the Reuters website

What does the report say? Jeremy Fisher, an energy analyst with the non-profit Sierra Club and co-author of the report, noted that the environmental community is trying to reduce its carbon footprint, and cryptocurrency mining could negatively impact their progress. The environmental groups report said the carbon footprint of bitcoin mining is comparable to the emissions of 6 million cars a year. The carbon footprint from crypto mining was 27,4 million tons from mid-2021 to 2022. This is 3 times more than the largest US coal-fired power plant.

Earlier, US authorities allowed the possibility of banning mining because of its impact on the environment. The White House suggested that miners reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the participation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and other federal agencies, which should also develop environmental standards for the industry. Cardano blockchain head Charles Hoskinson later warned that these recommendations could lead to a total ban on bitcoin.

In September, the non-governmental Environmental Working Group launched an advertising campaign to move bitcoin to the Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm.