Study: Bitcoin mining could help reduce methane emissions
Bitcoin mining could help reduce methane emissions, according to a study published this week in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The study suggests that miners could use a "landfill gas-to-energy" (LFGTE) system to convert methane gas from landfills into usable energy, thereby sequestering this greenhouse gas and reducing its harm to the atmosphere.
The authors argue that bitcoin's global economic incentives are suitable for capital-intensive long-term projects and offer an innovative solution without government incentives. This incentive structure not only helps reduce methane emissions, but can also be used to recycle underutilized energy such as wastewater treatment plants and agricultural processing operations.
In addition, Marathon Digital (now known as MARA) has started using the LFGTE system for bitcoin mining and a policy partnership with Kenya to develop renewable energy infrastructure. This research, supported by other related papers, suggests that bitcoin mining could reduce global emissions by around 8%.