This is a great misconception about Bitcoin, that a lot of people are suffering. I think this should be a sticky here and on bitcoin.org, also because I am tired to explain this over and over again.
But have you seen anywhere hard data on the cost of using "tangible money"? I can't completely rule it out, but neither am I convinced it's true.
And again, Bitcoin is currently more comparable to credit card companies than physical money.
Your comparsion is pretty weak. Creditcard Companies are centralized and Bitcoin is decentralized. Your "tangible money" is guaranteed to lose value over time and Bitcoin will most likely raise in value, because of the demand for a secure, personal and decentralized store of value.
As Danny Hamilton explained, the current world wide banking system is wasting A LOT more energy, than the Bitcoin network. If you don't believe it, start calculating.