Which... it already has. Coal plants have been spooled up just to mine btc. The idea that we should continue or expand crypto mining is ludicrous, because it already has harmed the environment, even at its small market cap.
The real question is: why do we still allow oil companies to exist when they're the ones responsible for much of the world's pollution? Because the USD is backed by oil.
Probably because attempting to enforce an oil ban overnight would probably involve death counts in the 9-10 digits. That is why any attempt is going to be progressive, and we can all agree that it's not going nearly fast enough.
That question is kind of a diversion from the current discussion, though.
It's really not. Cryptocurrencies have no real impact on the environment so discussing that is not really productive. Better to redirect discussion towards real problems which are actually destroying the planet. Problems which will never be properly solved because powerful people depend on their existence. The petrodollar, trade with China, etc.
