Green methods for mining crypto - What are they, and are they worth it

As crypto has become more dominant in the world, especially in recent years, it is important to examine the detrimental impact it is having on the environment. According to Colombia University, Bitcoin mining alone uses 150 terawatt-hours of energy per year. To put that into perspective, that's the amount of energy that's used to power entire countries. And since this energy is not produced cleanly, it results in carbon emissions. According to NBC News, 22 to 22.9 metric tons of carbon dioxide are emitted because of Bitcoin, and again, that is the amount of emissions for entire countries.

To address this issue, many companies and individuals have researched more "green" ways to mine bitcoin, especially those powered by renewable energy sources. There are companies, such as the Estonian H2Hashes and CleanSpark that uses wind, solar, and hydrogen to mine crypto. Even the government of El Salvador started a green mining initiative to mine their Bitcoin, which is being used to rebound their economy. WIth a global shift towards renewable energy bound to come with rising oil prices, these methods of mining will certainly become more prevalent, helping to solve the current environmental issue.

There have also been efforts to conserve energy in the mining process itself by other crypto platforms. Bitcoin utilizes a proof-of-work method to verify mining payouts, while Etherium and Cardano use a proof-of-stake awarding system, which awards mining payouts based on the amount of crypto the user currently holds. The latter is more energy efficient.

Anyway, I hope this gave you a little overview of the green mining process if you didn't know already! Thanks.