Satoshi was the first heat punk \ stacker news ~bitcoin

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259 sats \ 6 comments \ @unschooled 5 Apr bitcoin_Mining

At least, we can see that he'd been thinking about reusing the heat from mining.

This comes from the Bitcoin talk forum

Subject:
Re: Bitcoin minting is thermodynamically perverse
Date:
August 9, 2010 at 24:00:00 UTC
The heat from your computer is not wasted if you need to heat your home. If you're using electric heat where you live, then your computer's heat isn't a waste. It's equal cost if you generate the heat with your computer. If you have other cheaper heating than electric, then the waste is only the difference in cost. If it's summer and you're using A/C, then it's twice. Bitcoin generation should end up where it's cheapest. Maybe that will be in cold climates where there's electric heat, where it would be essentially free.

Evidently, this is an easy and obvious counterpoint to the intellectual gesturing in the Nature journal article (#934210) shared by @k00b yesterday.

There's also the fact that, as @denlillaapan shows (#919913) energy is additive and the coordinated efforts in its greening just aren't working.

It's probably no coincidence that prosperous nations are highly energy intensive

It's a tall order to ask people to forego economic prosperity because 'increase consumption bad. ' Even a smidgen of intellectual honesty or at the very least just thinking about it for more than a few minutes proves that this perspective is empty-headed and clearly doesn't hold up.

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54 sats \ 0 replies \ @denlillaapan 5 Apr

Even a smidgen of intellectual honesty or at the very least just thinking about it for more than a few minutes proves that this perspective is empty-headed and clearly doesn't hold up.

True enough.. unfortunately our societies are greatly lacking in both intellectual honest and "just thinking"

Enjoy the decline

28 sats \ 4 replies \ @StackerJack 5 Apr

At least we can see he was thinking ahead about reusing mining heat. The idea that the energy used in Bitcoin mining isn't wasted if you're also heating your home makes sense. If you're already paying for electric heating, then mining just adds to the efficiency. And sure, if you're in a place with cheaper heating alternatives, there's a difference, but it’s still not as wasteful as some make it out to be. Plus, in colder climates, mining could actually be a bonus, since it’s not just generating Bitcoin but also heating your space.

The whole idea of calling Bitcoin's energy consumption 'wasteful' without considering the broader context is missing the point. Like @denlillaapan points out, we're seeing that energy is additive, and those coordinated efforts to 'green' it are far from enough. It's hard to just tell people to skip economic growth for the sake of cutting consumption. A little more honesty and long-term thinking would help a lot here.

77 sats \ 2 replies \ @unschooled OP 5 Apr

Thanks ChatGPT

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @denlillaapan 5 Apr

LOL

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @StackerJack 5 Apr

Ha, no problem, not GPT this time though. Just some good old-fashioned thinking... But seriously, it’s a solid point about the heating. When you look at the bigger picture, it's not as wasteful as the critics make it out to be. People need to dig a little deeper before jumping to conclusions.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @denlillaapan 5 Apr

It's hard to just tell people to skip economic growth for the sake of cutting consumption.

Pielke's Iron Law... https://humanprogress.org/technology-not-politics-or-penance-solves-climate-change/#:~:text=This%20is%20climate%20scientist%20Roger,economic%20growth%20will%20win%20out.