It is just arbitrarily burning electricity. The security comes because people see a hashed sequence of blocks and agree on them, not because of the extra work done. Proof of stake and a trusted broker with an open book would do equally well to producing a consistent verifiable ledger.
Ethereum runs fine on proof-of-stake, and choosing not to be decentralized is another way of accomplishing pretty much the same tasks without needing to waste a huge amount of electricity.
Behind the billionaire climate tax | One economist explains why taxing the rich and paying the poor actually has a chance of becoming a reality. (heated.world)
Peering into the Corrupt Court’s Pretensions and Corruption (talkingpointsmemo.com)
Biden, Asked if He’s Planning to Debate Trump, Says ‘I Am’ (www.nytimes.com)
Atlanta's population could boom as people flee sea level rise, wildfires, and hurricanes | Sea level rise alone could drive 320,000 people from coastal areas to the city (yaleclimateconnections.org)
Student Leader of Columbia Protests: ‘Zionists Don’t Deserve to Live’ (www.nytimes.com)
Far-Right Greek Party Is Banned From E.U. Parliament Elections (www.nytimes.com)
Live updates: David Pecker to return to stand for cross-examination in Trump’s hush money trial (wapo.st)
New York Times coverage for comparison
In Illinois, a massive taxpayer-funded carbon capture project fails to capture about 90 percent of plant’s emissions (news.oilandgaswatch.org)
How Abrupt U-Turns Are Defining U.S. Environmental Regulations (www.nytimes.com)
This Whole King Trump Thing Is Getting Awfully Literal (www.nytimes.com)
AI advances may frustrate U.S. climate goals as electric demand surges (www.axios.com)
Four Republican-led states have sued the U.S. Interior Department to block a rule that cracks down on leaks of planet-warming methane during oil and gas drilling on public lands. (www.reuters.com)
Archived copies of the article: ghostarchive.org archive.today
Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog – and goat – in new book (www.theguardian.com)
Can corals be saved? As record ocean heat threatens corals off Florida and across the globe, conservationists are shifting their strategy (wapo.st)
Five Major Climate Policies Trump Would Probably Reverse if Elected (www.nytimes.com)
cross-posted from: slrpnk.net/post/8971807...
The Small-Business Tyrant Has a Favorite Political Party (www.nytimes.com)