比特幣減半會損害環境，我們無能為力阻止它

根據 Fast Company 報導，比特幣減半大約每四年發生一次，即比特幣挖礦獎勵減少 50%。

Bitcoin halving, in which rewards for mining Bitcoin are reduced by 50%, happens roughly every four years, as Fast Company has reported.

根據 Fast Company 報導，比特幣減半大約每四年發生一次，即比特幣挖礦獎勵減少 50%。

April 2024's Bitcoin halving will affect what miners can earn, but it is also anticipated to have a troubling environmental impact.

2024 年 4 月的比特幣減半將影響礦工的收入，但預計也會對環境產生令人不安的影響。

What's happening?

發生了什麼事？

Bitcoin is finite, with 21 million as the cutoff point, according to Fast Company. Around 19 million have already been mined, and halving happens after every 210,000 blocks are mined. The reward was 6.25 BTC for every block mined up until April's halving, but that now stands at only 3.125 BTC.

據 Fast Company 稱，比特幣是有限的，以 2,100 萬為分界點。大約已經開採了 1,900 萬個區塊，每開採 21 萬個區塊就會減半。在 4 月減半之前，每開採一個區塊的獎勵為 6.25 BTC，但現在僅為 3.125 BTC。

With the halving, two environmentally negative possibilities are expected. First, mining Bitcoin is an energy-intensive activity, with a United Nations study that found 173.42 terawatt-hours of electricity were used to mine Bitcoin between the 2020 and 2021 mining period.

隨著減半，預計會出現兩種對環境不利的可能性。首先，開採比特幣是一項能源密集活動，聯合國的一項研究發現，在 2020 年至 2021 年採礦期間，開採比特幣使用了 173.42 太瓦時的電力。

When rewards are halved, miners are likely to work harder to make the same amount they did before the halving, which could see the amount of energy used soar, as Fast Company detailed.

正如 Fast Company 詳細介紹的那樣，當獎勵減半時，礦工可能會更加努力地工作，以賺取與減半前相同的金額，這可能會導致能源消耗量激增。

Second, miners may opt to invest in new equipment to boost productivity, meaning machines at the end of their life cycle will likely end up in landfills.

其次，礦工可能會選擇投資新設備以提高生產力，這意味著機器在生命週期結束時可能最終會被丟進垃圾掩埋場。

Why is excessive energy consumption and e-waste concerning?

為什麼過度能源消耗和電子垃圾令人擔憂？

While renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are becoming more prevalent across the globe, power stations that run on fossil fuels remain the dominant provider of electricity.

儘管太陽能和風能等再生能源在全球範圍內變得越來越普遍，但使用化石燃料的發電站仍然是主要的電力供應商。

According to the Energy Institute's 2024 Statistical Review of World Energy, shared by Our World in Data, coal generated 35.51% of the world's energy in 2023, followed by gas at 22.47%.

根據我們的世界數據分享的能源研究所《2024 年世界能源統計回顧》，2023 年煤炭發電量佔全球能源總量的 35.51%，其次是天然氣，佔 22.47%。

These energy sources produce pollution that traps heat in the atmosphere, leading average global temperatures to creep up. With warmer air encouraging extreme weather events like droughts, flooding, wildfires, and deadly storms, it's essential we reduce our reliance on dirty fuel for energy and cut consumption. The increased power demands of Bitcoin mining will not help this cause.

這些能源產生的污染將熱量滯留在大氣中，導致全球平均氣溫攀升。隨著空氣變暖，乾旱、洪水、野火和致命風暴等極端天氣事件頻繁，我們必須減少對骯髒能源燃料的依賴並減少消耗。比特幣挖礦不斷增加的電力需求無助於此目標。

Regarding e-waste, the World Health Organization has noted it is the world's fastest-growing solid waste stream. Of the 59 million tons of e-waste discarded in 2019, only 17.4% was documented as being collected and recycled.

關於電子垃圾，世界衛生組織指出，它是世界上成長最快的固體廢物流。在 2019 年丟棄的 5,900 萬噸電子垃圾中，只有 17.4% 被記錄為被收集和回收。

The items that aren't recycled typically end up in landfills, and the WHO says that if treated inappropriately, this waste can release up to 1,000 different chemical substances into the environment, such as lead and mercury.

未回收的物品通常最終會被送往垃圾掩埋場，世界衛生組織表示，如果處理不當，這些廢物可能會向環境中釋放多達 1,000 種不同的化學物質，例如鉛和汞。

What can we do to help?

我們能提供什麼協助？

While there's not a lot we can do about the Bitcoin market, we can be more responsible about our life choices. For example, harnessing the power of the sun through rooftop solar panels can reduce our reliance on dirty fuel and cut our energy bills.

雖然我們對比特幣市場無能為力，但我們可以對自己的生活選擇更加負責。例如，透過屋頂太陽能電池板利用太陽的能量可以減少我們對骯髒燃料的依賴並減少能源費用。

We can also make better decisions when it comes to recycling electronics. Consider repairing existing machines rather than throwing out broken ones, which could save you money and keep items from heading to landfills. If that isn't an option, finding appropriate recycling points for electronic waste will at least give machines more of a chance of finding a second life than just sending them to the trash would.

在回收電子產品時，我們還可以做出更好的決策。考慮修理現有的機器，而不是丟掉損壞的機器，這樣可以節省金錢並防止物品進入垃圾掩埋場。如果這不是一個選擇，那麼為電子垃圾找到合適的回收點至少會給機器更多的機會獲得第二次生命，而不是僅僅將它們扔進垃圾桶。

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