Can We Measure Bitcoin’s Impact on the Environment?

25 May 2021

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Today, Bitcoin consumes as much energy as a small country. This certainly sounds alarming — but the reality is a little more complicated, says Nic Carter, whose firm invests in public blockchain startups. 00:00 What does Bitcoin have to do with the environment? 01:15 How does Bitcoin consume energy? 01:40 What does Bitcoin mining actually look like? 03:08 What is the controversy around Bitcoin's energy consumption? 03:35 Bitcoin consumes around 0.55% of global energy production. 04:04 What's wrong with how we talk about Bitcoin's carbon footprint? 04:42 Energy consumption is not equivalent to carbon emissions. 05:45 Does Bitcoin's utility justify its energy use? 06:42 What is the utility that critics don't see? 07:45 Can or should Bitcoin's energy use be regulated? 08:42 Reconfiguring the grid should be the end goal, with our without Bitcoin. Read the HBR article here: https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actually-consume --------------------------------------------------------------------- At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. So we try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. We enlist the foremost experts in a wide range of topics, including career planning, strategy, leadership, work-life balance, negotiations, innovation, and managing teams. Harvard Business Review empowers professionals around the world to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review #Bitcoin #Environment #Cryptocurrency

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