[NetBehaviour] The Unreasonable Ecological Cost of #CryptoArt

[Gretta Louw]

Why stop at crypto art? I’ve never seen a tool that reliably calculated the ecological impact of creating physical artworks - not shipping them round at art fairs, nor most intl museum shows. No point holding newer tech to standards we don’t apply to existing systems. I for one am very glad there are ethical and conscientious thinkers like Ruth working to stake claim in the field of blockchain before it all slides completely into the sludgey territory of the tech and finance bros.

I was listening to a talk on crypto art the other night and all these big shot makers and designers and collectors in the field had no idea of the basics of digital art conservation. That world is operating in a vacuum at present bc ppl from outside don’t want to engage with it - whether bc it seems too complex or techy or ethically fraught- but that unfortunately just gives free reign to those who have the worst intentions and the least grasp on context. 

Gretta

Sent from my mobile bionic device

> On 24. Jan 2021, at 15:30, Graziano Milano via NetBehaviour <netbehaviour at lists.netbehaviour.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> Well if a better detailed research and tools can understand and then show the ecological impact of some or all online Crypto-Art platforms, then the 196 nations who signed the 2016 Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) may be able to legally force Google, Apple and Amazon to block those online platforms and apps.
> 
>> On Sun, 24 Jan 2021 at 11:24, Ruth Catlow <ruthcatlow at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi Graz,
>> Our emails crossed in the ether..
>> 
>>> The question is what kind of ecological impact each digital artwork uploaded and sold at Async Art and/or at any other similar online platforms as CryptoArt will have in the short and long term as a result of blockchain-based transactions. Probably the vast majority of artists selling their digital artwork on those online platforms are not aware of that. A detailed scientific study of the ecological impact of selling their digital artwork on any of those platforms as CryptoArt must be provided to all digital artists so they can make an informed decision if they wish to use any of those platforms or not. 
>>> 
>>> If a detailed scientific study can prove and highlight the ecological impact of those online Crypto-Art platforms, then Google, Apple and Amazon must block those apps as they recently have blocked the far-right "free speech" app Parler. 
>> And yes we agree - we need better research and tools to understand the ecological impact of technologies and better ways to hold companies to account. Though how this is achieved is up for discussion - are we now saying that Google, Apple and Amazon become de-facto global law makers?
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