Greenpeace USA has revealed a new shady report alleging close ties between the bitcoin mining industry and various “climate deniers.” Published on March 19, 2024, the report alleges deep-rooted connections between the btc mining industry and several entities traditionally considered opposed to progressive climate change policies.
These include conservative think tanks, fossil fuel lobbyists, and climate change skeptics, casting a shadow over the bitcoin community's claims to move towards sustainability.
Greenpeace's research aims to reveal a web of relationships that suggest that, despite public claims to embrace renewable energy and reduce carbon footprints, the mining industry remains entangled with groups and individuals who have historically resisted efforts to combat climate change.
One particularly provocative claim is the alleged alignment with networks funded by the conservative Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), known for their anti-environmental stances and policies considered undemocratic.
The report goes further by accusing the bitcoin mining sector of fostering a “revolving door” phenomenon with the government, especially with figures from the previous Trump administration, involving an intricate dance of influence and policy manipulation that benefits the mining industry at the expense of environmental progress. .
Erik Kojola, senior researcher at Greenpeace USA, summarizes the concern, stating: “Our research uncovered deeper and more extensive connections between btc mining advocates and climate deniers than anticipated. “The bitcoin industry is akin to a house of cards that could collapse at any moment and people are working hard behind the scenes to ensure its longevity through greenwashing and deception, all at the expense of communities and the climate.”
Johanna Fornberg, a researcher at Greenpeace USA, added that: “bitcoin industry groups are caught in a web that includes some of the most notorious climate deniers. (…) Revealing who has power and influence in this industry is essential to holding them accountable for unfounded claims, climate impacts and harm to local communities.”
In conjunction with the report, Greenpeace USA created an interactive power map showing the relationships between btc industry groups, conservative and corporate interest groups, politicians, and other stakeholders highlighted in the report.
The bitcoin community reacts
The release of Greenpeace's Mining for Power report has sparked a strong response from the bitcoin community, questioning the claims made and offering a contrary perspective that paints a more complex picture of the industry's environmental footprint and sustainability efforts.
Daniel Batten, managing partner of CH4 Capital and an authoritative figure in the environmental analysis of btc mining, leads the charge in questioning the report's conclusions. Batten criticizes Greenpeace for relying on “a very old data set” which he claims no longer accurately represents the current state of btc mining.
According to Batten, a significant portion of the bitcoin network now relies on sustainable energy sources, a claim supported by recent reports, including a Bloomberg Intelligence analysis from September 2023, which found that bitcoin has reached a sustainable energy usage rate of 52%. .6%.
Batten strongly disputes claims about bitcoin's carbon footprint, water use, and alleged strain on power grids, citing peer-reviewed research and expert analysis that contradicts Greenpeace's conclusions. For example, it references research indicating that mining contributes to grid stability, can reduce electricity costs, and can accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, thus presenting a narrative of mining as potentially beneficial, in rather detrimental, to environmental sustainability efforts.
The only thing that is being broken is the credibility of GreenpeaceUSA.
One of the characteristics of GreenpeaceUSA reports is that they are very easy to debunk. You rarely get past the first paragraph without reading a lot of misinformation. This latest report is no exception.
1. “The… https://t.co/ekgUnpuriV
—Daniel Batten (@DSBatten) March 19, 2024
Echoing Batten's sentiment, the Satoshi Action Fund (SAF), identified by Greenpeace as a prominent bitcoin advocate, has used the release of the report as an opportunity to underline its effectiveness and aggressiveness in promoting bitcoin advocacy in The US Dennis Porter, founder of SAF, stated via X: “BIG NEWS: GreenPeace highlights Satoshi Act Fund as the most effective and aggressive bitcoin advocacy group in the US.”
BIG NEWS: GreenPeace Highlights @SatoshiActFund as the most effective and aggressive bitcoin?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>#bitcoin advocacy group in the US https://t.co/5xquoTLb8U pic.twitter.com/UGc9GmPMQg
—Dennis Porter (@Dennis_Porter_) March 20, 2024
Additionally, the bitcoin community has been further bolstered by a community note from It states: “The article contains many factual errors, such as faulty accounting of energy by transaction, and outdated and inaccurate information, such as the proportion of fossil fuels used as an energy source. Today, most of the energy used by bitcoin mining is renewable.”
At the time of publication, btc was trading at $64,220.
Featured image from Greenpeace, chart from TradingView.com
