US congressmen called for a Proof-of-Work test for environmental damage

United States congressional group applied to the Environmental Protection Agency with a request to check the mining industry for environmental risks and compliance with relevant laws.

The authors of the letter were particularly concerned about the Proof-of-Work consensus algorithm. According to the document, one bitcoin transaction can provide the average American household with energy for a month.

As an alternative, congressmen are proposing a “less energy-intensive” Proof-of-Stake technology, which supposedly uses 99.99% fewer resources.

The authors of the initiative expressed concern about the violation of laws on clean air, clean water and noise from mining farms that disturb the peace of citizens living in the neighborhood.

Congressmen also mentioned the success in the fight against the Greenidge Generation bitcoin mining company, which in July 2021, New Yorkers accused of environmental violations.

In April 2022, the New York State Supreme Court rejected a petition to stop the construction of the firm’s mining facilities near Seneca Lake.

Recall that in February 2022, the head of one of the largest manufacturers of Intel chips, Pat Gelsinger criticized bitcoin for its impact on the environment.

Earlier, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called the human factor the main barrier to Proof-of-Stake.