El Salvador Ecologist Criticizes President Nayib Bukele's Decision Regarding Mining Bitcoin Using Volcano Energy

Environmentalist critiques El Salvador's bitcoin mine using volcanic energy (Ambcrypto)

JAKARTA – El Salvador mines Bitcoin (BTC) using volcanic power, followed with the decision of President Nayib Bukele who plans to establish a Bitcoin City.

This was responded by the ecologist Ricardo Navarro who doubted the plan. Navarro called the attempt to set up a Bitcoin City near the volcano "absurd".

"Talking about building a city next to this volcano is like thinking you're rich because you live next to a bank," Navarro said.

In addition, the environmentalist also stated that geothermal energy is still an expensive endeavor and will not be much better than using petroleum sources.

“Geothermal is still more expensive than oil, otherwise we will use it more. What ends up happening is that we're just going to buy more oil," Navarro said.

According to Bitcoin.com News, Navarro is concerned about the consequences of the so-called world climate crisis. The ecologist runs the non-governmental organization CESTA (Center for Appropriate Technologies Salvadoran) and he recently discussed the issue with contributing author Politico, Bjarke Smith-Meyer, on November 10.

At the time, Navarro rejected the idea of ​​a volcano-powered bitcoin mining facility because he wholeheartedly believed that the facility would require more energy resources than just geothermal power.

"I got the impression that Bukele didn't really understand what was going on [with] the energy situation," Navarro told reporters. “That would definitely complicate… the request.”

El Salvador's ecologist explained that the crypto environment in his country could attract drug dealers. Navaro also considered that the Bitcoin law issued by President Nayib Bukele's government was too hastily implemented without any discussion first.

“If you have something good to promote, you propose it, you discuss it, and then you present your argument. But that's not the case with bitcoin," Navarro told Smith-Meyer.