matt on Nostr: I've had discussions with people about Bitcoin and the environmental impact it has. ...

I've had discussions with people about Bitcoin and the environmental impact it has. My opponents have always been misinformed on the particulars in general, but I noticed a subtle tendency toward energy use itself being bad in their arguments.

"Bitcoin is a waste of energy."
"We could use that energy on something else."
"We should be using less energy."

Their primary focus is usually on the amount of energy used rather than the source. Granted, these people are average people in my real life, so they aren't super knowledgeable on Bitcoin or probably energy in general.

But I find it interesting that people don't make the connection that the ultimate difference between us and cave people is the amount of energy we use.

People who want human life to get better should be looking for ways to use more energy in general (making things more efficient without degrading output is fine), not less.

I can at least understand wanting to use better energy sources (although many of them aren't in favor of the better options we have either), but to want to use less energy for its own sake is bizarre to me, especially when we don't have to and all the evidence suggests that doing so would make life worse for humans.