What really (finally) more or less killed GPU mining was the Ethereum move to PoS (Proof of Stake).
[0] did you know the original snake oils contains more omega-3 and therefore improves cognitive function when compared to lard? I did not. But you can get omega-3 elsewhere, and the people who made the term synonymous with fraud didn't use those snakes, so…
or games. People could have been studying or doing something more important than wasting time and energy. I get that it is entertainment, but so are board games and that don't require mining rare earth minerals or putting pressure on the grid as you can always play board games with candles on.
Or going outside. People could have been studying or doing something more important than wasting time and energy.
Or not being locked in the education facility. People could have been studying or doing something more important than wasting time and energy.
That said, gaming is what gave us GPUs (which have developed for gaming over the course of decades) so that we can now utilize them for more interesting and "productive" applications.
So, for me, in the end I'm happy the PC gaming industry and user base has been pushing GPU capability.
The most ecologically friendly thing you can do is go to sleep. If you want to play games, do it while the sun is out!
(/s, just in case)
