What are cryptocurrencies, and what have they got to do with sloths?
Cryptocurrencies are digital currency that is not issued by a central authority, such as the government of any particular country.
Mining crypto actually requires doing a lot of calculations involving blockchains to process these currency transactions around the world. This takes lots of computers, and lots of energy and anything that uses energy has a potential environmental impact.
Some cryptos, like Bitcoin, are designed to use lots of energy and processing power in order to keep it exclusive and difficult to replicate. Others, such as Solarcoin or Bitgreen, are designed to incentivize eco-friendly power options.
Governments are also stepping in to encourage cryptocurrencies to use only energy in the grid that would otherwise go to waste by giving tax breaks and environmental rebates.
This is important because the total energy usage of these server farms could power a country. Literally. The entire country of Argentina uses less electricity than farming Bitcoins.
What happens if you have some cryptocurrencies and want to donate them to conservation organizations like SloCo?
Cryptocurrencies are worth $3.3 trillion and are not going away any time soon. We at SloCo believe that rather than abstaining from the future, we should fix it. We do accept cryptocurrencies, and then we work hard to keep it green.
If you donate in crypto, we use a system called Giving Block to convert it immediately into more usual currencies, such as the US dollar.
You can also do your part to keep these currencies of the future good for the future
Support laws in your area that incentivize renewable energy usage in general and for crypto mining specifically. Let energy-intensive cryptos like Bitcoin or Etherium know that you support them transitioning to more environmentally-friendly models.
Finally, donate to organizations like SloCo, where we will help offset the carbon footprint for you!
Our staff of 17 people uses only two vehicles for the entire organization, and only when we can’t travel by bicycle. 16 of us do not even own cars, and we work very hard to live local so that we can keep doing this. We eat and shop local too, eat lots of plants, and recycle everything we possibly can. We opt out of big fashion by buying used clothes and wearing them out. We reduce our need for air travel, and when we do have to fly, we pack light.
If you have an interest in donating cryptocurrencies to SloCo, we have the will to make it work. All of your donations go towards planting trees, ethically bringing down feral dog populations, installing wildlife bridges, promoting responsible tourism, and of course studying sloths. The more we know, the better solutions we will have to ALL of our problems, and we are certain that together, we’ll find a way forward.
