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Daily Archives: January 20, 2022

Congress Is Trying To Figure Out What To Do About Crypto’s Colossal Carbon Footprint

BuzzFeedNews: “For years, cryptocurrency has rivaled entire nations in terms of energy use, and US lawmakers are just now starting to investigate how crypto mining operations could be undermining global efforts to combat climate change. This question was the subject of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Thursday that broadly examined the carbon footprint of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum. The panel addressed a growing refrain that certain types of crypto transactions are catastrophically energy intensive and are extending the lifetime of fossil fuel resources. Committee members also questioned some of the promises made by crypto boosters, such as the claim that miners can actually help stabilize energy grids. “Our focus now needs to be reducing carbon emissions overall, and increasing the share of green energy on the grid,” subcommittee Chair Rep. Diana DeGette said during introductory remarks. While the unique demands of crypto “present potential benefits,” DeGette continued, “it’s important to understand the degree to which this is actually being done.” The hearing marks one of the few times that lawmakers have discussed crypto’s climate implications on a bipartisan stage. Last year, six crypto company executives testified before the House Financial Services Committee; one of those CEOs, Bitfury’s Brian Brooks, appeared again on Thursday as a panel witness alongside other crypto CEOs and former government officials. “Crypto’s energy consumption is a feature, not a bug,” said witness John Belizaire, CEO of data center developer Soluna Computing, claiming that “the narrative of [crypto’s] threat to the grid is wrong.”…

Report – Solar on Superstores

“A report by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group – Solar on Superstores Big roofs, big potential for renewable energy – Bryn Huxley-Reicher, Frontier Group; Wade Wilson and Ben Sonnega, Environment America Research & Policy Center. Solar energy is the fastest-growing form of electricity generation in the United States. America has 40 times… Continue Reading

Why most of us should be wearing N95 masks

Washington Post: “N95 respirators have long been the best disposable face coverings for protection against airborne viruses, but until recently, they were scarce. When worn properly, N95s can filter out at least 95 percent of particles in the air, including the virus that causes covid-19. Only pricey air-purifying respirators or hazmat suits offer better protection.… Continue Reading

Virtual Ancient Rome in 3D – Aerial view, 8 minute flight over the detailed reconstruction

“Our goal is to create the most extensive, detailed and accurate virtual 3D reconstruction of Ancient Rome. In this video you can see the whole center of the Eternal City from the air, as well as other significant areas, such Campus Martius, or Trastevere (Transtiberim). You can see the Forum, Colosseum, imperial Forums (Fori Imperiali),… Continue Reading

EPIC Urges Postal Service to Reverse Plans to Expand Law Enforcement Access to Customer Data

“In comments to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), EPIC urged the agency to reverse a system of records expansion that would pull data from U.S. Postal Service customers for use by the law enforcement wing of the Postal Service. The proposed modification would give the USPIS access to information used for package tracking and other services,… Continue Reading

Top 5 things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022

IRS.gov: “With filing season beginning January 24, the Internal Revenue Service reminded taxpayers about several key items to keep in mind when filing their federal income tax returns this year.Given the unprecedented circumstances around the pandemic and unique challenges for this tax season, the IRS offers a 5-point checklist that can help many people speed… Continue Reading

How to run Windows on your Mac computer

CNET: “Even Mac users completely satisfied with their computers may have times when they need to run Windows. Maybe they need to run software that’s only available on Windows. But whatever the reason, Apple makes it surprisingly easy to run Windows on your Mac. If you have an Intel-based Mac with enough storage, and the… Continue Reading

Fed releases long-awaited study on a digital dollar but doesn’t take a position yet on creating one

CNBC: “The Federal Reserve on Thursday released its long-awaited study of a digital dollar, exploring the pros and cons of the much-debated issue and soliciting public comment. Billed as “the first step in a public discussion between the Federal Reserve and stakeholders about central bank digital currencies,” the 40-page paper shies away from any conclusions… Continue Reading