Energy Use in Bitcoin Mining: The Environmental Impact of Cryptocurrencies (1) (Routledge Explorations in Energy Studies)

By: and and

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis
This book provides a unique introduction to Bitcoin mining’s energy use and environmental impacts. Bitcoin, the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency, has ignited the world of decentralized finance and digital currencies. However, Bitcoin has a major problem: it uses massive amounts of energy to produce or ‘mine’ the coins, and this energy use has tremendous environmental consequences. By recent estimates, Bitcoin mining’s global electricity use is larger than entire countries such as the Netherlands and Argentina. In this book, the authors explain the process by which Bitcoin is mined, why it requires significant energy, and what we know about where that energy comes from. It also explores the environmental impacts and associated monetary damages of this energy use. Further, the book presents the current state of scientific knowledge around these questions and provides original economic damage estimates from the authors and compares them to those of other goods and services. The book discusses links between Bitcoin and climate change, public health, air pollution, ‘e-waste’, water, and land use. It concludes by discussing alternative ways in which Bitcoin mining can be made green by using less energy, as well as the policy and regulatory challenges that may hinder progress toward this goal. Innovative and insightful, this book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and industry professionals who are researching and working in the areas of cryptocurrencies, economics, business and finance, engineering, energy, and environmental studies more broadly.
Copyright:
2025

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
168 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781040343869
Related ISBNs:
9781032569192, 9781040343814, 9781003437642
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Benjamin A. Jones, Andrew L. Goodkind and Robert P. Berrens, The right of Benjamin A. Jones, Andrew L. Goodkind and Robert P. Berrens to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Business and Finance, Earth Sciences
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

No Rating Yet