If you’re jumping on the bandwagon of crypto investing and AI there are impacts that are not readily visible you should want to seriously consider. Take your time and do an in-depth analysis before engaging Use multiple independent reputable research sources. Go beyond online. Engage in active listening, in person conversations, lectures and healthy debates.
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By doing so you’ll uncover the complexity of crypto and AI’s negative climate and environment impacts. These are too many and too great to be covered here. The following barely scratches the surface.
Water consumption. Cryptocurrency “mining” is a computing process using massive computer processing, electric energy consumption and massive amounts of water for cooling systems. And the same for computer processing mega data centers needed for AI.
These two technologies are literally competing with the needs of humans, native animals and agriculture.
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Not surprisingly, in the U.S. and globally, the mega centers sprout up in areas with underprivileged, poorer disadvantaged populations without political influence. Take El Salvador, Mexico and Uruguay. These countries are suffering from long term droughts and severe life sustaining water shortages. Imagine the huge outcry that resulted when it was uncovered that the few remaining water sources were being decimated (or planning to be) to meet the needs of a newly planned or built crypto computing or AI mega facilities. These data centers use millions of gallons of water a day. And they are impacting people’s literal quality of life close to home, right here in the U.S. in places like Mansfield, Georgia.
Electric energy use. Electric grids are already strained by population growth, climate change increasing human cooling and heating demand and increasing demand for electric vehicles, AI and Crypto “mining” operations require enormous amounts of electricity to power specialized equipment needed to “mine”/solve complex computations, to generate blockchains (the foundation of crypto). To produce the electricity means increasing rather than lower use of fossil fuels like natural gas and coal, which means increasing not lower carbon emissions. And, this means greater challenges and roadblocks to achieving climate targets.
Waste and pollution. Both AI operations and crypto “mining” require specialized equipment used in computation that has a very limited lifespan, roughly 1 ½ years before becoming obsolete electric waste. We already have great challenges getting rid of e-waste like laptops, game console and cellphones. Now we add to that mega e-equipment waste. This is also compounded by increased waste from fossil fuel use to create electricity for the facilities.
Noise pollution. These mega AI and crypto computing facilities are very loud operations. The high-velocity fans used to cool “mining” equipment can generate substantial noise pollution, negatively impacting local communities and wildlife. In places like Grafton, Texas residents are reporting “constant noise comparable to the relentless roar of jet engines.” Studies and accounts of residents living near facilities have found links this prolonged noise exposure to potential health issues, including increased stress, anxiety, migraines, hypertension, sleep deprivation, and even hearing impairment.