Can you imagine if PoW cryptocurrencies hadn't of existed, that the climate change narrative would have been adapted to apply as "the world really needs to ban triple-A gaming" instead?
This story reminds me of an urban legend that the Sony Playstation 2 consoles almost hit a snag on an export ban because of "potential military applications". Different era, different context I suppose.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/20-years-later-how-concerns-about...