Talk Show Hosts Claim Bitcoin Mining Uses 8% of Global Electricity but That’s Not True

So Bill Maher said on his show that crypto uses 8% of all electricity worldwide but that’s just not right. Bitcoin uses about 150 terawatt-hours a year, which is less than 1% of total electricity. All cryptocurrencies combined only use between 0.4% and 0.9%. Ethereum changed to proof-of-stake and cut its energy use by over 99.9%. Plus, Bitcoin mining gets over 60% of its energy from renewable sources and can even help improve electricity grids. Maher’s comments show he might not fully understand how Bitcoin affects energy use, which is actually less than what data centers use.

*This summary is auto generated by a bot and not meant to replace reading the original article. As always, do your own research.

@Flippa
My local Chase bank has been there since the mid-80s. It used to be a diner that served fried eggs and pancakes and relied on natural gas and old lights. Now it’s a Chase bank with energy-efficient upgrades like LED lights and better insulation. I guess you could say traditional banking is now more energy-efficient than a pizza place, but it’s still not as effective as crypto.

@Merrill
So you think crypto is really that useful and efficient?

It’s crazy how talk show hosts can just say things without checking the facts.

Bill Maher needs the attention and buzz for his show. The truth doesn’t seem to matter much to him.

Dex said:
Bill Maher needs the attention and buzz for his show. The truth doesn’t seem to matter much to him.

He really shows how little he knows about crypto when he talks about it.

8% really?

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It’s bad that he’s spreading lies, but even saying it’s close to 1% is still pretty bad for the actual impact crypto has on society.

AblaJordi said:
It’s bad that he’s spreading lies, but even saying it’s close to 1% is still pretty bad for the actual impact crypto has on society.

There’s really no problem with energy use if the grid can handle it and it’s from renewable sources.

Unless the US talk show can back this up with solid data, it just feels like fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

So Bitcoin is using 100% of the pizza now?

It’s actually 0.8%, not 8%.

How can anyone believe that? You don’t even need data to see how ridiculous that number is.

Bill Maher is just a smug clown that nobody should take seriously.

They also say cow farts are causing global warming.

Finn said:
They also say cow farts are causing global warming.

Well, methane is a greenhouse gas, and each cow can produce over 200 pounds of it a year. With about 1.5 billion cows on Earth, it’s definitely a factor.

@Trevor
How about we start a cow butt plug company and cash in on a ton of carbon credits? We could make a fortune.

Isan said:
@Trevor
How about we start a cow butt plug company and cash in on a ton of carbon credits? We could make a fortune.

Absolutely, let’s raise some funds!

Even if that was the case, who cares? It helps solve the duck curve problem.