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Digital Planet: Is Bitcoin energy use unsustainable?

Factual: Science & Nature

Mining rigs of super computer inside the bitcoin factory ‘Genesis Farming’ near Reykjavik, Iceland

16/03/2021 GMT

Is Bitcoin energy use unsustainable?

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, Is Bitcoin energy use unsustainable?

Is Bitcoin energy use out of control as its price continues to rise?

Is Bitcoin energy use unsustainable? Also the pandemic has shown that many young people still can’t get online and a new VR experience explains the stories behind iconic paintings.

It seems that the price of Bitcoin cannot stop increasing, but how sustainable is Bitcoin itself?  With such huge energy demands to keep Bitcoin mined, are some countries risking the stability of their electricity supplies to take advantage of the Bitcoin boom? Financial economist and founder of the blog “Digiconomist”, Alex de Vries is on the show to answer these questions.  He says, in his paper published in the journal Joule, that the entire Bitcoin blockchain network consumes as much energy per year as all data centres across the world.  

Access to the internet – affordability and lack of infrastructure still a major barrier 
It’s the web’s 32nd birthday, yet its creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee has warned that too many young people cannot connect and that the digital gap has widened during the pandemic. His comments come just after the latest ITU/A4AI report into the affordability of the internet, which found that nearly half of people with 4G coverage are not online as it’s too expensive to connect. A4AI’s Executive Director Sonia Jorge returns to the show to discuss the latest figures. TBL also called for a global push to connect young people.  The WebFoundation has announced a list of global web champions, and one of them, Ian Mangenga from South Africa, joins us on the show to talk about her project Digital Girl Africa.

(Hi)Story of a Painting
(Hi)Story of a Painting is a new animated VR series to be premiered at the SXSW Online festival. The five episodes take the viewer on a journey through iconic paintings and tell the stories behind them; the artist’s practice, struggles and successes.  The series’ co-creator Gaëlle Mourre, is on the programme to discuss how she created this gaze tech-led immersive experience, and made it safe to view in our own homes during lockdown.

Image: Mining rigs of super computer inside the bitcoin factory ‘Genesis Farming’ near Reykjavik, Iceland
Credit: Photo by HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP via Getty Images

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Angelica Mari. 

Studio Manager: Giles Aspen
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

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