White House Urges Action on Crypto Mining to Stop Climate Pollution

White House Urges Action on Crypto Mining to Stop Climate Pollution

The US administration is concerned about digital currency mining operations affecting climate change after the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy published a report that urges politicians to take urgent action against crypto mining. The report recommends the Biden administration encourage research on electricity consumption in mining and set public policy for the mining industry.

Crypto Mining Is Threatening US Climate Efforts

The U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has indicated that bitcoin mining could restrain the government’s efforts to battle climate change. The OSTP document claims crypto mining operations and particularly blockchains cause widespread air, noise, and water pollution.

The OSTP’s report declares that cryptocurrency mining could "raise environmental justice issues for underserved communities." U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the OSTP and several other agencies to report on the effects of crypto mining production last March.

The OSTP report published on Thursday is one of the first studies to be tabled after Biden initiated the executive order six months ago. The OSTP recommends that the U.S. government should create public policy to stop the pollution allegedly associated with PoW (Proof-of-Work) mining.

The Science and Technology Department of the government of the United States believes that the federal government should work with state leaders to develop public policy that reduces so-called mining pollution.

"Depending on the energy intensity of the technology used, crypto assets could hinder broader efforts to achieve net-zero carbon pollution in line with US climate commitments and goals," the OSTP report explains.

Executive Actions Are Necessary for Compliance

The latest OSTP report uses several studies and data points from previously published research papers. The Science and Technology Department claims crypto mining operations in the U.S. account for close to the amount of energy used by all U.S. citizens using personal computers today.

It further claims that mining uses roughly the same amount of energy as America’s diesel-fueled railroads. The OSTP and the Biden administration are hard-pressed to battle climate change while adhering to the Paris Agreement.

The Memorandum of Understanding of the Paris Agreement pledges a 50% reduction of global emissions by 2030. The OSTP report suggests that if the federal government cannot work with the state leaders, then the Biden administration should seek laws and executive orders that stop the so-called pollution tethered to PoW (Proof-of-Work) mining.

"Should these measures prove ineffective at reducing impacts, the administration should explore executive actions, and Congress might consider legislation," the report concludes.