There was a reddit post going around the past week I saw posted in r/Appalachia, where the OP suspected that it was helping fake charity scams. And that’s absolutely benefitting the scammers. It’s part of a whole disinformation economy. And this disinformation is harming people, it’s heartbreaking. It’s all using the same disinformation, co-option, green-washing and woke-washing strategies.
MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy – Thinker-Fest: Session 1 – Fireside Chat – How to Fix the “Splinternet” Mar 3, 2023 The issue is that if you broaden out, you start to see that all of these dynamics can take place because there are very clear revenue models and businesses. People are making money from this. For example I trace what’s called direct benefits. So these are companies that are selling products and services directly related to the idea that’s circulating. So if you are anti-vax, you are selling supplements right, if you are, you’re selling essential oils, you’re selling products that are directly benefiting from the disinformation or misinformation that is circulating.
What comes to mind is: If you’re in covid related social media circles, you’re promoting unproven tech solutions for prevention, and unproven theories and treatments for long covid. Anything that circumvents actual public health solutions and community action is promoted and funded. Anti-mask and anti-vax interests will tell concerned people: it’s fine you don’t need those anyway, here’s this product. They may say hey you can still mask — but then it’s all about offering an alternative to the actually effective public health solutions… that would inconvenience business interests – (primarily fossil fuel). They do this with AI hype snake oil too, they provide a product with pitfalls then sell the fix which is itself extremely flawed.
That’s what they do with climate change too – make up tech solutions and conspiracy theories as diversions. And some people buy into this stuff. Industry is burning coal just to make cryptocurrency in Pennsylvania, and pushing to burn tires. Yes, you heard me right, they want to burn tires to make cryptocurrency. Fossil fuel industry must love cryptocurrency and data centers, because they’re talking about firing back up closed power plants just for this stuff. This is while local residents cry out about the air pollution in Pennsylvania from the Panther Creek Power Plant, and also noise pollution from the Terawulf facility. They’re planning on reopening Three Mile Island, imagine adding tire burning to this mess.
Meanwhile cryptocurrency moguls try to greenwash with odd PR outlets talking about dubious PR schemes for planting some trees for crypto. The Panther Creek Power Plant in Carbon County Pennsylvania belongs to the parent company Stronghold Digital Mining with a website that actually makes the claim: “The only environmentally beneficial and vertically integrated public Bitcoin mining company.” All these industry tycoons try to connect the high energy sucking cryptocurrency schemes to wellness and solutions, when they’re quite obviously the problem. And they all know how to divert activism in a way that serves industry, and they have the money to do it.
Cryptocurrency company responds to lawsuit By Isabela Weiss | WVIA News | Report for America Published April 18, 2024 at 4:15 PM EDT Panther Creek received 18 environmental safety violations since Stronghold took over in 2021. 17 of those violations are for air pollution. That data comes from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) eFACTS website. However, Stronghold only lists eight violations on a recent DEP permit application. Panther Creek currently burns waste coal, but wants to add tire burning to the mix. The permit would allow it to use tire-derived fuel (TDF) to supplement 15 percent of its monthly electricity use by weight. (emphasis added)
Who’s really on the side of public health?
It’s always been about industry opposition to public health.