A meticulous approximation says that Ethereum uses around 2 to 3 gigawatts. That is equivalent to 2 to 3 coal-fired power plants, or 1/3 of what Americans use for watching TV.

Record high temperatures devastated the Christmas tree crop planted in Oregon this year.

China is offering vaccines instead of loans to win diplomatic support from African countries.

The new approach is much better for those African countries. I wish the US were inclined to compete with China at it. If it were not for the oppressiveness of China, and its plan to conquer and subjugate Taiwan, I would wish China success in this competition.

*Wildfires broke carbon emission records from Siberia to the American west.*

The British government formally apologized for failing to enforce fire regulations, with the result that 72 people died in a fire spread by flammable building materials.

Now will it take responsibility for fixing firetrap apartments that people bought, who now can't afford to pay to make them safe? The government agreed to pay for this for tall buildings, but arbitrarily decided to leave the people in shorter buildings trapped there.