Some locals say a Bitcoin mining operation is ruining one of the Finger Lakes
(Ported from the duped thread [1])<p>I think it's kind of good that these absurd scenarios involving Bitcoin are driving people (in the larger sense of companies and governments) towards more environmental awareness.<p>If you think about it, the entire system is just as absurd as Bitcoin. Business pollute the environment we live in, and then get to brag to shareholders about "delivering value", "increased revenue margins", and "efficiency" that they later get rewarded by the stock market for.<p>The green company that makes a slightly lower profit, but takes care of the environment falls out of the index to be replaced by the polluter that either does the bare minimum, or actively breaks laws and treats fines as the cost of doing business. The market rewards rapacity over environmentalism.<p>Well, Bitcoin is even more efficient, it's directly burning coal and converting it into money that the market will <i>also</i> pay for!<p>The (hopefully) good outcome of this is that it will drive corporations and governments to take a breath, and formulate policies that prioritize the long-term health of the environment over short term priorities like jobs and the economy.<p>-------------------------------<p>[1] <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27749932" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27749932</a>