A Bitcoin transaction ‘uses a swimming pool of water’

Send us a textA Bitcoin transaction ‘uses a swimming pool of water’ Every Bitcoin transaction uses about the same amount of water as a backyard swimming pool according to a study published in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. That’s around six million times more than a credit card swipe. The vast amounts of water are needed as Bitcoin uses so much computing power, and in turn, electricity to complete a single transaction on the blockchain ledger. Digiconomist and author of the study Alex de Vries is on the show to explain how he came to his conclusions and what can be done to reduce this phenomenal amount of water consumption. Desalination system makes freshwater cheaper than tap waterEngineers at MIT in the US and in China have designed a solar powered device that takes in saltwater, uses its circulation and the sun’s heat to lead to evaporation, which creates a salt free water vapour that can be condensed into drinking water. The system is so effective it can produce between four to six litres an hour and is cheaper and faster to produce than tap water. Lenan Zhang, a research scientist at MIT’s Device Research Lab, explains the process to Gareth Mitchell. The work is published in the journal Joule. The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell and the studio expert is Peter Guest. More on the show:Bitcoin’s growing water footprint Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap waterSupport the showEditor: Ania LichtarowiczProduction Manager: Liz Tuohy Recording and audio editing : Lansons | Team Farner For new episodes, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or via this link:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2265960/supporters/newFollow us on all the socials:Join our Facebook groupInstagramTwitter/XIf you like Somewhere on Earth, please rate and review it on Apple PodcastsContact us by email: [email protected] us a voice note: via WhatsApp: +44 7486 329 484Find a Story + Make it News = Change the WorldLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast--6924871/support.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.