Earthjustice to Testify On Cryptomining in Pennsylvania During State Public Hearing

HARRISBURG, PA (04/30/2023) (readMedia)-- On Monday, Charles McPhedran of Earthjustice will testify during the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Committee on Environmental Resources and Energy public hearing on cryptomining and climate change. McPhedran, senior attorney for Earthjustice's Clean Energy Program, will join various environmental groups to raise concerns of the cryptomining industry's reliance on fossil-fuels and its environmental impact on air quality, and share potential legislative solutions. In just a few years, the cryptomining industry has exploded across the United States - often turning to fossil-fuel combustion for its energy source. Pennsylvania is home to fossil-fueled mining facilities powering cryptomining operations, threatening the Commonwealth's air quality and public health.

Information on Monday's public hearing can be found below.

Background:

In its recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that global warming will reach dangerous levels if we don't drastically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels much faster than we are. But after China banned proof-of-work cryptomining (the process Bitcoin uses), citing, among other things, the environmental threats that mining poses to meeting emissions reduction goals, the U.S. is now hosting many energy-intensive proof-of-work cryptomining operations, including Pennsylvania. While these facilities of automated machines create few new jobs, they threaten the climate, in addition to small businesses, local economies, and natural resources. See, for example, Earthjustice and Sierra Club's guidebook on this topic here.

Proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining is an energy-intensive process that requires thousands of machines whirring 24/7 to solve complex equations. The more machines that are running, the faster a coin is mined. Each one of these machines requires energy to run, plus more energy for cooling. Globally, Bitcoin mining consumes more energy each year than entire countries. In the U.S. alone, Bitcoin mining produces an estimated 40 billion pounds of carbon emissions each year. Fossil-fueled mining facilities can also be major emitters of local air and water pollution, as well as significant noise pollution for local communities.

About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.