?? Noise pollution of bitcoin mining in canada
?? Authority shuts down illegal mining facilities
?? CEO admits mistakes
Cheap electricity for coding work
In the Canadian province of Alberta, the responsible authority has decided that two illegal gas-fired power plants that were used to mine bitcoin should be shut down, heise.de reports. Shareholder Link Global Technologies has leased two of its many unused gas sources, whose traditional operations are no longer profitable, from MAGA Energy and has installed small power plants and containers with bitcoin mining hardware on site. These gas sources, of which there are tens of thousands in the region, are a popular source of cheap energy for bitcoin miners. The company has been mining around the clock since the summer of 2020 – which also means that the generators run day and night. And they make a lot of noise to the resentment of the residents.
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One of the factories in Sturgeon is located near a noble apartment complex, the inhabitants of which especially appreciate the peace and quiet of their settlement. Because of the generators and ventilation systems at the mining facility, they suddenly found themselves exposed to a great deal of noise. One resident described the impact on CBC, Canada’s English-language public broadcaster, as follows: “It’s almost like heating an airplane engine on a tarmac.”
The authority announces a ban on sales
Against Link Global, which has made no effort to obtain permits or certifications, the relevant authority initially issued a temporary operational ban and is now definitive. As heise.de explains, generators under 10 megawatts can be operated in Alberta for personal use without a permit, but provided they do not harm anyone, comply with noise protection regulations and have no negative environmental impact. However, Link Global generators exceed the permissible volume at night, are a major nuisance to neighbors and burn natural gas, causing carbon dioxide emissions and thus harming the environment.
The CEO admits the mistakes the company has made
Link Global CEO Stephen Jenkins took a stand with CBC, acknowledging his mistake: “It’s my fault.” Jenkins also admitted to making noise: “I take full responsibility. We didn’t involve the neighbours.” The authority rejected the company’s settlement proposal with only bitcoin mining during the day. Even the CEO’s arguments regarding the environmental benefits of mining cannot change the opinion of officials. Jenkins suggested that some sources of fallow gas leak methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Since Link Global uses only fallow gas sources and does not drill new ones, methane pollution can be avoided in this way.
Thomas Fishel / editors finanzen.net
Image sources: Andrew Angelov / Shutterstock.com, Parilov / Shutterstock.com
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