Can you love Bitcoin and the environment at the same time? The digital currency depends on so-called miners whose high-powered computers run day and night, soaking up electricity to perform the calculations used to verify transactions. Since almost two-thirds of mining takes place in China, where coal is the biggest source of electricity, that means more emissions. Supporters argue that Bitcoin's carbon output is a drop in the global bucket, and that a switch to pollution-free power sources is already underway and likely to accelerate.
展开▼
