That was my take as well. I'm not convinced that BTC is technically or ethically "worth" the energy usage either way, but this is a useful/nuanced perspective.
Energy usage is distributed across industries and sectors, and we frequently criticize oil/gas and automobiles. Other technologies, like batteries, seem to avoid the laser-focus of the eco-oriented press. Batteries are very energy-heavy/carbon-heavy to produce. For example, the total carbon impact of a Tesla may in fact be higher than a conventional automobile. [1]
Point is: understanding total environmental costs of any technology is a Hard Problem.
Energy usage is distributed across industries and sectors, and we frequently criticize oil/gas and automobiles. Other technologies, like batteries, seem to avoid the laser-focus of the eco-oriented press. Batteries are very energy-heavy/carbon-heavy to produce. For example, the total carbon impact of a Tesla may in fact be higher than a conventional automobile. [1]
Point is: understanding total environmental costs of any technology is a Hard Problem.
[1] https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/cleaner-cars-cradle-grave