From Local Activist to National Advocate: Taking a Stand Against Cryptocurrency Mining
Cyndie Roberson never expected to become an activist. She had recently retired with her husband to Cherokee County, North Carolina, when a new cryptocurrency mine was constructed just half a mile from her home. Suddenly, she and her neighbors were bombarded by unbearable levels of noise pollution. When winter rolled around, they suffered from rolling blackouts across the region due to the cryptomine’s excessive energy consumption. Residents organized protests and petitions, winning an ordinance to block the construction of future cryptomines. But the cryptomine down Cyndie’s road was here to stay.
Eventually, many residents including Cyndie were forced to move away from Cherokee County NC as the cryptomine destroyed their quality of life. Yet, a few years later, another cryptomine was proposed in Gilmer County, Georgia where she had just moved. But this time, she was ready. She reached out to her neighbors, got in touch with experts, and created a strong social media campaign. Through countless weekly meetings, she organized her community to put pressure on the county commission. From her efforts, an estimated 900 people turned out to a public hearing in April 2024, where residents defeated the cryptomine proposal and a moratorium was put in place. A few months later, an ordinance was passed that banned the construction of cryptomining facilities in Gilmer County GA.
Today, energy usage from cryptomines and AI datacenters continues to skyrocket, leaving local communities under threat as new centers are constructed to meet this demand. But as Cyndie’s story shows, communities have the power to stop these facilities. In North Carolina and Georgia, Cyndie has gone on to help pass local ordinances in 14 local jurisdictions to stop the expansion of cryptomining facilities. She has worked to fight cryptomining facilities not only in her neighborhood in Cherokee County, NC, but also through collaboration in 21 states across the country. Recently, we worked with Cyndie to assist a group in New Hampshire who successfully fought against a state bill that would exempt cryptomining and datacenter facilities from noise ordinances. Cyndie’s work with these communities proves that with strong local action, we can win big victories to protect our health and environment from the most urgent environmental threats.
