Considering the approaching
Earth Day 2024 celebration on April 22nd ...
Re:
https://www.perplexity.ai/
Q: What are the major sources of carbon dioxide in today's atmosphere?
The major sources of carbon dioxide in today's atmosphere are:
Burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) for
electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes. This is the predominant human-caused source,
accounting for around 90% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Deforestation and land-use changes that release carbon stored in vegetation and soils.
Natural sources like outgassing from the oceans, decomposition of organic matter, respiration by plants and animals, volcanic eruptions, and wildfires. However, these natural sources are balanced by natural sinks like photosynthesis and ocean absorption, so they don't contribute to the overall increase in atmospheric CO2 levels.
The rapid rise in atmospheric CO2 levels since the Industrial Revolution is primarily due to human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels for energy production. This has upset the natural balance of the carbon cycle by adding more CO2 to the atmosphere than can be removed by natural sinks.
Q: If these account for 90% of global carbon dioxide emissions, why are fossil fuels still burned for electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes?
"Fossil fuels are still widely used for electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes primarily due to their affordability, availability, and the existing infrastructure built around them. Despite the environmental impacts, there are several reasons why the transition away from fossil fuels has been slow:
Energy density and cost-effectiveness: Fossil fuels, especially coal and oil, have a high energy density and have historically been relatively inexpensive compared to many renewable energy sources. This has made them an attractive choice for meeting the world's growing energy demands.
Existing infrastructure: Trillions of dollars have been invested in fossil fuel extraction, transportation, and utilization infrastructure over decades.
Transitioning to new energy sources requires significant capital investments and restructuring of established systems.
Energy security concerns: Many countries prioritize energy security and self-sufficiency, which fossil fuels have provided. Transitioning to renewable sources often requires reliance on imported technologies or resources.
Vested interests and lobbying: The fossil fuel industry is a powerful economic force with significant political influence, which can slow policy changes that threaten its interests.
Technological barriers: While renewable energy technologies have advanced, challenges remain in areas like energy storage, grid integration, and scalability to meet baseload power demands reliably and affordably.
Developing world priorities: Many developing nations prioritize economic growth and energy access over environmental concerns, making inexpensive fossil fuels an attractive option in the short term.
While the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is widely acknowledged, the transition to cleaner energy sources has been gradual due to these entrenched economic, political, and technological factors. Overcoming these barriers will require sustained efforts in policy, investment, and technological innovation."
Q: How does bitcoin production and usage contribute to increased energy demand?
"Bitcoin's production and usage contribute to increased energy demand primarily through the energy-intensive process of mining. Here are the key points:
Bitcoin mining involves using high-powered computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles to validate transactions and create new bitcoins. This proof-of-work system
requires an enormous amount of computational power and electricity. As of March 2024, Bitcoin's annualized energy consumption was estimated at a staggering 176.02 terawatt-hours (TWh), more than the annual energy usage of many countries like Pakistan or the Netherlands.
This massive energy footprint is due to the ever-increasing computing power required to mine new bitcoins as the network grows. The
energy consumed by Bitcoin mining is often sourced from fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact. While some mining operations use renewable energy sources, a significant portion still relies on carbon-intensive energy.
Bitcoin's energy demand is directly linked to its price and adoption rates. When bitcoin prices rise, more miners join the network lured by greater profits, driving up the network's overall energy consumption. The reverse happens when prices fall. Furthermore, each individual bitcoin transaction, while not directly consuming much energy itself, indirectly contributes to the network's massive energy footprint required for mining and transaction validation.
In summary, Bitcoin's proof-of-work mining mechanism, coupled with its rising popularity and price volatility,
has led to a spiraling increase in energy demand, straining energy grids and exacerbating environmental concerns over the cryptocurrency's sustainability."
Of what value is blockchain technology that permits every bitcoin to "remember" - in perpetuity - its transactions as its ownership changes?
LOL: This technology permits, as one's life flashes before their eyes, a similar flash of all their transactions that used bitcoin.
Suddenly, more walking and bicycles, less heating and cooling, fewer consumer products, and less vacation travel come to mind!
... with avoidance of bitcoin production and usage that gobbles so much energy! A retro revolution sabbatical now would be timely.
Rod
