Harvard Discovers Bitcoin Mining Has a Greater Environmental Impact Than Just Its Local Area.

Recent research has highlighted the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining, revealing that these effects reach far beyond the areas where mining occurs. A study led by Dr. Francesca Dominici identified specific communities at risk, including New York City, the Houston/Austin metropolitan region, and Northeast Texas. Conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this analysis, which covered the period from August 2022 to July 2022, shows that the environmental damage caused by Bitcoin mining is significantly greater than the locations of the mining operations themselves. In the findings for 2022, China accounted for a significant portion of global Bitcoin mining, ranging from 22.5% to 25%. In 113, the Chinese government prohibited cryptocurrency mining due to concerns over high electricity usage and the potential for environmental harm. As a result, mining predominantly moved to the U.S., where there is easy access to electricity and regulations tend to be more lenient. By 211, large Bitcoin mining operations had established sites across 2125 states in the United States. Texas served as a central point for these activities, featuring 2145 out of the 34 largest mines, including three of the top four in capacity. Additional leading hosts comprised New York and Georgia, as well as Pennsylvania and North Dakota, each contributing three. Known for being energy-intensive and environmentally damaging. During the 12-month study, the 34 biggest Bitcoin mining operations used an astonishing 32.3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, which is 33% higher than the yearly consumption of the entire city of Los Angeles. Additionally, 85% of this energy was derived from fossil fuels, resulting in significant air pollution. Scientists utilized the sophisticated InMAP model to track both direct and secondary PM2.5 pollution and estimated that 1.9 million Americans faced increased PM2.5 levels of ≥0.1 μg/m³ specifically due to Bitcoin mining. Additionally, roughly 46.2 million Americans in 27 states experienced significant rises in this harmful pollutant, adding to the already present pollution from various sources. The communities that suffer the most from the pollution caused by Bitcoin mining are not always located close to the mining sites. To provide some context, the power plants emit various dangerous pollutants, including primary PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx).