Now, picture waking up every morning, with a nagging cough, chest heavy and full, gasping for air. Now picture realizing that struggle isn’t mere misfortune, but a direct outcome of someone, somewhere, pursuing digital gold. This isn’t dystopian dystopia, it’s the bitter reality that almost two million Americans live every day. Your Bitcoin money is a big part of what’s making this possible.

I’m not trying to get into a discussion right now about the pros and cons of cryptocurrency. I am deeply, deeply concerned about all the people currently being sacrificed at the baby steps of progress blockchain is claiming to take. Right now, we’re being bombarded by the financial benefits of Bitcoin, the game-changing technology, the new frontier of finance. But what about the human cost? Families in nearby Metropolis, Illinois, are suffering from high levels of PM2.5 pollution that blows in from a toxic Kentucky coal plant. This pollution is pretty much just for a Bitcoin mine in North Carolina. What about their forgotten voices?

Are Your Investments Killing People?

Let's be blunt: a Harvard study recently revealed a direct link between Bitcoin mining in the US and increased levels of dangerous PM2.5 air pollution. These tiny particles penetrate into the deepest crevices of your lungs, making you more likely to develop cancer, cardiovascular disease and even dementia. Meanwhile, investors are getting rich off the backs of these mines. The communities nearby—many of them lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color—are paying the price with worsening health outcomes. This is more than an environmental issue, this is a clear example of environmental racism.

Consider the last time you looked at your investment portfolio. Did you account for the human cost of those gains? Did you account for the additional healthcare burden placed on communities that are already burdened? We, as investors, as consumers, as humans, must therefore hold ourselves accountable and demand that same transparency and accountability. We must end the mentality of profit at all costs, ignoring the devastation that our investments create.

The "Digital Gold Rush" & Its Victims

The story of Bitcoin is usually told as a story of innovation and financial liberation. But beneath the surface lies a dirty secret: its dependence on massive amounts of electricity, overwhelmingly generated by fossil fuels. The preliminary study came with a seriously alarming statistic. In fact, only 34 Bitcoin mines consumed 33% more electricity than the electricity overwhelmed city of Los Angeles throughout this study. Let that sink in.

It’s like a new digital gold rush, powered by the waste of coal-fired power plants. These plants spew toxic air pollutants, disproportionately affecting our most vulnerable communities. It’s a cross-state, interstate domino effect of pollution, where the burden of pollution lands on those most vulnerable and least able to mount a defense. This concern goes deeper than just Bitcoin. It underscores a system that prioritizes profit over people, allows polluting industries to cluster in communities of color, and does not give state regulators the teeth to hold them accountable. I’m not here to tell anybody Bitcoin is evil, but the structure that makes Bitcoin possible is profoundly broken.

Time to Demand Clean Crypto, Now!

We must do better than shrugging our shoulders and making this the cost of doing business. We have to hold them to it and demand better, not only from the Bitcoin industry but from our elected officials as well.

This study’s authors are right to call for federal regulation, for this is not a problem that states alone can fix. In other words, for every state, especially upwind states, the EPA needs to be adopting more stringent restrictions on power plant emissions. Finally, we should reward Bitcoin mines for picking responsible places and focusing on renewables.

  • Support Local Environmental Justice Organizations: Find and support groups working to combat pollution and advocate for environmental justice in your community.
  • Demand Transparency from Bitcoin Companies: Call on Bitcoin mining companies to disclose their energy sources and commit to using renewable energy.
  • Contact Your Elected Officials: Urge your representatives to support stronger regulations on power plant emissions and to incentivize the responsible siting of Bitcoin mines.
  • Invest Responsibly: Consider divesting from companies that contribute to pollution and investing in sustainable alternatives. Research the environmental impact of your investments.

This isn't just about protecting the environment; it's about protecting our health, our communities, and our future. We need to make sure that all of us enjoy the fruits of technological innovation fairly. At the same time, we have a responsibility to shelter those who can least afford to incur the costs. Let’s channel our anger into activism and help create a cleaner, more equitable future for all. Don’t let all that promise of digital gold blind you to the human cost of it. Your health and the health of millions more Americans depends on it.

This isn't just about protecting the environment; it's about protecting our health, our communities, and our future. It's about ensuring that the benefits of technological innovation are shared equitably, and that the costs are not borne by those least able to afford them. Let's turn our outrage into action and demand a cleaner, more just future for everyone. Don't let the promise of digital gold blind you to the human cost. Your health, and the health of countless others, depends on it.