Plan from El Salvador Bitcoin mining with volcanic energy?

Status: 10.06.2021 12:45 p.m.

Completely clean, completely renewable: El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele plans to mine Bitcoins with the help of energy from volcanoes. This is how the country wants to get its high energy consumption under control. El Salvador wants to use geothermal energy from volcanoes for the energy-intensive mining of the crypto currency Bitcoin. President Nayib Bukele tweeted that he had commissioned the state-run geothermal electricity company LaGeo to work out a corresponding plan. The President is convinced that this is very cheap, 100 percent clean and renewable, does not generate any emissions and will develop quickly. There are more than a dozen volcanoes in El Salvador, many of which are still active.

Huge energy requirements

The immensely high energy requirement of Bitcoin mining has been discussed critically in public for a long time. The Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF) is working on this topic and has created an index on it . The Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index is supposed to estimate in real time how much electricity is currently being used for mining. The data is then extrapolated to the year. The calculated value is currently around 111 terawatt hours. This corresponds roughly to the annual electricity consumption in the Netherlands. According to the Federal Environment Agency, Germany consumed around 553 terawatt hours in 2020. According to a study by Bank of America, the global Bitcoin industry emits a total of 60 million tons of CO2 annually, which corresponds to the emissions of around nine million cars.

Bitcoin as a means of payment …

A few days ago, Bukele announced that El Salvador would be the first country to introduce Bitcoin as legal tender . He expects the move to create thousands of new jobs in the Central American country. Among other things, taxes should be able to be paid in Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the most popular digital currency. It is not issued by a central bank, but created using a decentralized computer process known as mining. It is by no means clear whether it is even suitable as a means of payment.

… or as an object of speculation?

Because so far, cryptocurrencies have mainly attracted attention as speculative objects, the value of which is subject to extreme fluctuations: Bitcoin was quoted at more than $ 55,000 around May 10, and is currently around $ 36,000. If the value of part of the income is exposed to such strong fluctuations within a very short period of time, this poses a number of problems for a state budget policy. The high volatility of cryptocurrencies is also an incalculable risk for companies. The US electric car maker Tesla, for example, started in March of this year To accept Bitcoin as a means of payment for its vehicles and reversed this step a little later . As a justification, Tesla boss Elon Musk referred to the “insane” energy consumption of prospecting. But it is likely that Musk, as a businessman, at least had these price fluctuations in mind.

Fruit garden planted on basalt Through the fairy land Buon Choah is also known as Cat village (Choah village, Krong No district, Dak Nong province), formerly mainly Ede people, they took the alluvial sand from Krong No river to name the village. The remote commune of Krong No district is the location of the global volcanic geological park. On the way from Buon Ma Thuot city to Choah village (where there is a volcanic cave complex), we heard Mr. Le Hoang Co, General Director of Dam San Tourism and Trade Company, a passionate explorer, many times. led the delegations to experience and learn about the land and volcanic caves of Dak Nong, sharing: for many years, the people here have lived by the rice trees, drank the river water, lived a kind and loving life. They love the road which is the burning rocks not because of the scorching sun but due to the impact of the volcano, which is quite interesting and strange. Especially the orchards planted on the wrong rocks are full of fruit. Whether it is a rice field or an orchard, when harvested, the yield is unbelievably high. This place has tourism potential, attractive agricultural resources, must combine all the strengths of the region to make products to attract tourists and improve the quality of life of the people. What makes this land poetic beauty is the endless stretch of rice fields, becoming a feature of the material and spiritual life of the people here. The fragrance of rice rose gently through the nose and the golden sun fell to the foot of the hill, Nguyen Thi Yen (Thanh Son village, Choah village) expressed, people call the rice fields in Choah village the golden rice bowl. because ST24 rice variety has good rice quality and high yield. In 1996, her family came here to set up a business, at this time, they grew RVT rice. In 2016, the government experimented with planting ST24, now it has grown the whole field. Her family has 2 hectares of this rice variety, two crops a year for 14 tons/ha and 2 sao of fruit trees: jackfruit, coconut, litchi and 10 cows, with a total income of 300 million VND per year. The newly discovered cave has a length of nearly 1 km The Krong No River appears before your eyes. The large ferry approached the shore, a group of 45 people from a company in crimson uniforms carried luggage onto the ferry. More than a few minutes of moving, touching the shore, each group in turn was arranged to wait for 5 workers and farmers. The peacock raced up the slope, everyone was surprised to see papaya, avocado trees on both sides of the road, forming a beautiful green patch, pressed against the dark gray pumice area. And the farmers themselves still see the mystery, in the fields and fields, there are only rocks and stones, yet the orchards are still green for bountiful crops. People forget the fatigue of the heat, find the heaven and earth here strangely enchanting. The hustle and bustle of life gradually subsided, in front of my eyes, thousands of colors flickered back and forth around the foot of the mountain, which was quiet and immense. This land for many years has been deposited by alluvium, now becoming the most fertile place of Choah village. The Krong No River builds up from the water to the products on both sides of the river, giving the local people a warm and friendly atmosphere, amidst the vastness of heaven and earth. The legendary story of A Tay and A Yong is told by the village elders over a jar of yeast that has been handed down for generations. That, their love was hindered because the girl’s house was too poor, there was no gift to bring the boy back to be her husband. The desperate couple threw themselves into the river to die. The girl turns into Krong Ana river (mother river), boy turns into Krong No river (father river). The Serepok River is the eternal blend of faithful love. The river has nurtured and created a culture unlike any other. While here there is a revelation of wonder that fascinates all mankind. The Mystery of the Bat Cave The vehicle carrying the group stopped in the middle of the orchard, next to the people’s farm huts. Weaving through the fruit-laden lychee orchard, we walked more than a kilometer on jagged pumice paths, frozen by the molten lava spewing out of the crater. The feet quickly reached the basalt field stretching as far as the eye could see. People seem to be trapped in the vast windy space, the fatigue is somewhat reduced. Touching the lava rock shelf where the new cave was discovered, each stone surrounded a giant arch. Following the flash of a flashlight, we groped on the jagged rock and entered the nearly 1 km long cave. In the dark and deep recesses of the cave, the smell of dampness penetrated the nostrils. The cool world inside the cave dispels the hot air outside. Flashlight streaks quickly glide over countless stalactites, traces of a volcano that have fallen asleep, making everyone stunned. The cave we are exploring, the experience is the newly discovered cave. Indigenous people say that there are many caves around this area, including bats, which is not strange. Before knowing Chu Bluk cave, the people around here used to call it Bat cave. If there are tourists to visit, these caves are not the first place they introduce, because of the wildness, difficult-to-find location, undeveloped services. Therefore, this has contributed to preserving the original purity of the cave until now. Leaving the cave, the sunset is long. On the Krong No river, the bobbing boats of the fishermen cast their nets and cast fishing lines. The woman showed off a 3kg trout struggling in her hand, returning down the stream after releasing the spoils. From time to time, motorboats carrying sand tore through the water, making the river’s surface agitated. Then, momentarily right there, the river was calm and calm again… The volcanic cave system in Krong No district, Dak Nong province is a 25km-long volcanic cave system in basalt, stretching from the crater of Buon Choah along the length of the Serepok River to the area of ​​Dray Sap waterfall. Dak Nong Geopark was recognized by UNESCO as a global geopark in 2020, contributing to strongly promoting tourism and attracting domestic and foreign tourists to explore. This is the third global geopark in Vietnam.

David Garcia bakes pizza on lava from the Pacaya volcano in San Vicente Pacaya, Guatemala on May 11, 2021. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Guatemala’s Picaya volcano began erupting again in February with a lava flow more than 1km long. Active volcanoes scare a lot of people, but for local resident David Garcia, this is where he came up with a unique idea – baking pizza using the heat from lava flows. That is the reason for the birth of a pizza called “Pizza .”. Picaya .” Follow Mr. Garcia, a 34-year-old auditor, to witness pizza baking at the foot of Picaya volcano and visit volcano This is a very enjoyable experience. Ingredients Pizza Picaya is like any other ordinary pizza, the main difference is that the special oven is created from lava and the mold can withstand temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. After spreading the dough into a special mold and adding the necessary ingredients such as meat, sausages, cheese, vegetables, tubers…. cake. With high heat in special “ovens”, Picaya pizza is ready to serve guests in less than 15 minutes. Visitors enjoying this cake all feel the strange taste of pizza baked on Picaya volcanic lava. Of course, in order to bake the cake, Mr. Garcia must wear protective gear. Mr. Garcia promoted this experiential tourism model in 2014 after he discovered several locations at the base of Picaya volcano that had the ideal temperature for baking pizza. Initially, there were not many customers, but gradually his Pizza shop attracted the curiosity of many people and now everyone who comes to Guatemla knows about Picaya pizza. Even as the Picaya volcano “wake up” and spewed lava over the past several weeks, Mr. Garcia baked cakes directly on the red lava. Pacaya, located 2,552 meters above sea level, is one of three active volcanoes out of a total of 32 volcanoes in Guatemala. In addition to this volcano, two other active volcanoes in the country are Fuego in the central region and Santiaguito in the west. Pacaya volcano has erupted since late February, affecting the lives of about 38,000 people in 20 surrounding areas.

David Garcia makes pizza to bake on lava from the Pacaya volcano in San Vicente Pacaya, Guatemala on May 11, 2021. Photo: AFP/VNA Guatemala’s Picaya volcano began erupting again in February with a lava flow more than 1km long. Active volcanoes scare a lot of people, but for local resident David Garcia, this is where he came up with a unique idea – baking pizza using the heat from lava flows. That is the reason for the birth of a pizza called “Pizza Picaya”. Following in the footsteps of Mr. Garcia, a 34-year-old auditor, to witness the pizza baking at the foot of Picaya volcano and visit this volcano is an extremely interesting experience. The ingredients for making Picaya pizza are the same as other ordinary pizzas, the main difference is that the special oven is created from lava and the mold can withstand temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. After spreading the dough into a special mold and adding the necessary ingredients such as meat, sausages, cheeses, vegetables, etc., Mr. Garcia placed the molds in the stone cavities with the right temperature for baking. . With high heat in special “ovens”, Picaya pizza is ready to serve guests in less than 15 minutes. Visitors enjoying this cake all feel the strange taste of pizza baked on Picaya volcanic lava. Of course, in order to bake the cake, Mr. Garcia must wear protective gear. David Garcia bakes pizza on lava from the Pacaya volcano in San Vicente Pacaya, Guatemala on May 11, 2021. Photo: AFP/VNA Mr. Garcia promoted this experiential tourism model in 2014 after he discovered several locations at the base of Picaya volcano that had the ideal temperature for baking pizza. Initially, there were not many customers, but gradually his Pizza shop attracted the curiosity of many people and now everyone who comes to Guatemla knows about Picaya pizza. Even as the Picaya volcano “wake up” and spewed lava over the past several weeks, Mr. Garcia baked cakes directly on the red lava. David Garcia bakes pizza on lava from the Pacaya volcano in San Vicente Pacaya, Guatemala on May 11, 2021. Photo: AFP/VNA Pacaya, located 2,552 meters above sea level, is one of three active volcanoes out of a total of 32 volcanoes in Guatemala. In addition to this volcano, two other active volcanoes in the country are Fuego in the central region and Santiaguito in the west. Pacaya volcano has erupted since late February, affecting the lives of about 38,000 people in 20 surrounding areas.

1. The largest volcanic cave system in Southeast Asia belongs to which province? Dak Nong
Dak Lak
Lam Dong The system of volcanic caves in the Central Highlands was discovered in Dak Nong province, mainly in Krong No district. In 2014, the Vietnam Geological Museum and the Japan Volcanic Cave Association announced results showing that this is the largest-scale volcanic cave system in Southeast Asia. Image: Howmanycountry. 2. What is this cave system called? Tham Pua

Chu B’luk
A Few Chu B’luk is also known as Bat Cave. The cave is 25 km long from the crater of Buon Choar along the length of the Serepok River to the Dray Sap waterfall area. Image: Takenbykha. 3. Which place is considered as “Ha Long Bay” of the Central Highlands? Ta Dung Lake
Lak Lake
Sea Lake This large lake possesses a unique natural setting with more than 40 large and small islands undulating in the middle of the water. Ta Dung Lake has cool and pleasant weather all year round. This place is attractive to those who love to travel, experience and enjoy the beauty of nature. Image: Howmanycountry. 4. Coming to Ta Dung, what activities can visitors experience? Camping, trekking through the forest, boating in the middle of the lake, check-in homestay with beautiful view…
Enjoy local cuisine, visit ethnic minority markets…
All the above activities Coming to Ta Dung, visitors can camp, trek through the forest, take a boat trip in the middle of the lake, check-in “virtual living” at homestays with beautiful views, enjoy local cuisine, visit ethnic minority markets. … Image: Yenretro. 5. Where is the waterfall in Dak Nong province? Lieng Rowoa
Lieng Nung
Phu Cuong Belonging to Dak Nia commune, Gia Nghia town, Dak Nong province, Lieng Nung waterfall has a green space and charming landscape that attracts many tourists. Consisting of 3 clusters with the largest main waterfall about 30 m high, Lieng Nung is like a white silk strip stretching along the craggy cliffs. Image: Sontungst. 6. What does the name Dray Nur waterfall mean? Husband Waterfall
Wife Waterfall
Waterfall Con Dray Nur is the most majestic waterfall, located on the border of 2 provinces of Dak Nong and Dak Lak. The name of the waterfall means the female waterfall, so it is also called the Wife waterfall, with a length of 250 m, a height of 30 m and a width of 150 m. Image: Hannah.nguyen981161. 7. Dak Nong Geopark is the 10th Global Geopark recognized by UNESCO in Vietnam? first

2
3 On July 7, 2020, UNESCO recognized Dak Nong Geopark as a Global Geopark. With this recognition, Dak Nong Geopark becomes the third global Geopark in Vietnam, after Dong Van Stone Plateau Global Geopark, Ha Giang Province and Non-Non Global Geopark. Cao Bang country, Cao Bang province. Image: Nguyenxuanhai212.