When creating and using power comes to mind, we mainly think of electricity, fuel, and coal. But there is a nasty twin brother that distinguish the good ones from the bad ones.
Power usually produces vast amounts of CO2 gas. The worst is when electricity is generated from coal-fired power plants. It is calculated that one KWh of electricity produced from coal causes up to 1 kg of CO2. For comparison, let´s use this number for “a highly technological activity” – mining cryptocurrencies.
Large Bitcoin mining plants consume up to 40 MW per hour. So, the CO2 emissions would be around 40 tons per hour. Is this high or low? A Boing 737-400 jet produces a quarter ton of CO2 per hour. Bitcoin mining plant pollutes the planet as much as 160 Boings in the sky!