21 What surprised Penny most about the initial rise of crypto-art?
A the extremely high prices paid for digital files
B the massive energy consumption involved
C the complexity of the technology used
22 Olaf argues that the main problem with the “Proof of Work” system is that it
A requires highly specialized equipment.
B encourages unnecessary competition.
C takes too long to verify a transaction.
23 What did the recent study by Valerius University reveal?
A Art platforms are deliberately hiding their emissions.
B The carbon footprint of crypto-art is decreasing.
C Producing one artwork equals flying across the globe.
24 Regarding the “clean crypto” movement, both students agree that
A it is currently too expensive for beginners.
B it suffers from a lack of public awareness.
C it is a step in the right direction.
25 What do they identify as the main drawback of ‘lazy minting’?
A It transfers extra fees to the buyer.
B It requires complex coding software.
C It reduces the perceived value of the art.
Questions 26 to 30
What feature do the students identify for each of the following eco-friendly blockchain platforms?
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions 26-30.
Platform Features
A It is highly recommended for complete beginners.
B It has a controversial climate offset scheme.
C It currently lacks a sufficient user base.
D It relies on a unique validation method.
E It only accepts established artists.
F It charges unusually high listing fees.
G It frequently experiences technical crashes.
Eco-friendly Blockchain Platforms
26 Aura-Ledger
27 Nova-Mint
28 Krypto-Bloom
29 Zenith-Block
30 Vortex-Art
Keys
21 B
22 B
23 C
24 C
25 A
26 B
27 E
28 D
29 C
30 G
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear two university students, Olaf and Penny, discussing the environmental impact of crypto-art.
OLAF: Hey Penny, how are you getting on with the research for our presentation on the environmental impact of crypto-art?
PENNY: Pretty well, Olaf. I’ve been doing a lot of reading. Honestly, when the whole crypto-art thing exploded, everyone in the media was talking about the millions of dollars people were paying for digital files. I mean, the prices were shocking. But what really blew my mind was finding out about the massive energy consumption behind it all. I had no idea it was so destructive.
OLAF: Right? I was entirely focused on the financial side too, initially. But the energy issue is huge. It mainly comes down to how these sales are verified, using that older ‘Proof of Work’ model.
PENNY: Exactly. It’s like a giant guessing game for computers all over the world.
OLAF: Yeah, and the issue I have with Proof of Work isn’t just that it requires specialized equipment, which is bad enough. The real problem is that it encourages unnecessary competition. Thousands of computers race to solve the exact same mathematical puzzle, and only one wins. The rest just waste enormous amounts of electricity for absolutely nothing.
PENNY: It’s incredibly inefficient. I actually read a fascinating report yesterday. It was published by researchers at Valerius University. They analyzed the total lifecycle of a single digital artwork.
OLAF: Did they find that the major art platforms are deliberately hiding their emissions?
PENNY: Not exactly hiding them, but the numbers are terrifying. The study proved that minting just one standard piece of crypto-art equals flying across the globe in terms of pollution. It’s the equivalent of a commercial long-haul flight.
OLAF: Wow, flying across the globe. That really puts the pollution into perspective. So, what about the ‘clean crypto’ movement?
PENNY: Well, there is a strong push for greener alternatives now. Some critics argue it still lacks public awareness, and others say transitioning to new network systems is just too expensive right now.
OLAF: I guess those are valid points, but honestly, any effort to move away from the old, dirty methods has to be a step in the right direction. We have to start somewhere.
PENNY: I completely agree with you. One solution being promoted is ‘lazy minting’. Basically, the artwork isn’t registered on the network until someone buys it, delaying the energy use.
OLAF: Sounds brilliant. What’s the catch? Does it require complex coding software for the artist?
PENNY: No, the technical side is easy. The main drawback is that it transfers extra fees to the buyer. When they purchase the art, they suddenly have to pay the processing costs, which can definitely scare off potential collectors.
OLAF: Ah, I see. Well, for the second part of our presentation, we need to evaluate specific eco-friendly blockchain platforms as case studies. Let’s run through the list. First up is Aura-Ledger.
PENNY: They claim to be entirely emission-free because they invest heavily in tree-planting initiatives. However, environmentalists accuse them of greenwashing. It turns out they have a controversial climate offset scheme that doesn’t actually reduce their core emissions at all.
OLAF: Good to know. Okay, what about Nova-Mint?
PENNY: I really liked their visual interface. But unfortunately, they have a very strict vetting process. They only accept established artists with a large following. So, for a student or beginner, it’s impossible to join.
OLAF: That’s too restrictive. Well, Krypto-Bloom is another major option. Do they use the standard energy-saving systems?
PENNY: Actually, no. While most green platforms use a system called ‘Proof of Stake’, Krypto-Bloom pioneered something called ‘Proof of Space’. It relies on a unique validation method based on computer storage rather than processing power.
OLAF: That sounds innovative. Let’s definitely include them. Next is Zenith-Block. I looked into their energy reports, and they are incredibly efficient.
PENNY: They are, but there’s a practical issue. Almost nobody is trading on there yet. It currently lacks a sufficient user base, meaning artists who upload their work simply cannot find any buyers.
OLAF: That makes it pretty useless for now. Finally, what about Vortex-Art? They are heavily marketed as the greenest platform around.
PENNY: They are popular, but their servers are terribly unreliable. Users complain that the platform frequently experiences technical crashes, sometimes locking creators out of their accounts for days.
OLAF: Oh, that’s a dealbreaker. We should highlight that in the presentation.
