Like lawns. We seriously use way too much water, chemicals, energy and time on a plant crop that is basically only for our visual enjoyment. We often think of the big fixes, which are needed, where there are some low hanging fruit we could pick first that would make an impact.

https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2010/06/04/the-problem-of-...

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practic...

Yes. The weird thing about bitcoin is that at least mining it doesn't create additional waste products.

If you spent the same energy used to mine bitcoin on producing Legos or In-N-Out burgers, then you'd have much bigger problems.

I

What things are similarly energy wasteful as Bitcoin?

American SUVs and trucks come to mind. We can for now ignore the wooden, uninsulated houses built in the desert with the AC on for 6-9 months of the year.

What is something more wasteful than Bitcoin?

It's a nondescript pollution factory from the Captain Planet cartoons.

Every other wasteful activity has just been overconsumptive, decadent, or externalized, not an actual burning of resources for no reason.