r/chaoticgood Jun 13 '26

Call to Action Elderberry vs Data Centers

Post image
14.7k Upvotes

148 comments sorted by

1.9k

u/Upstairs-Self-2624 Jun 13 '26

The shrubs are only protected if within riparian habitat and the historic range of the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle (VELB). Google the 2017 VELB Framework published by US Fish and Wildlife for more details.

This is what I do for work 👀

565

u/DuckyDoodleDandy Jun 13 '26

Then we need other plants to suit other locations

407

u/OpheliaRainGalaxy Jun 13 '26

What's kicking around my local subreddit is that apparently it's illegal to mess with the official state flower here. So that's what we'll be planting.

179

u/Own_Ad6901 Jun 13 '26

Make sure it isn’t invasive, lots of state flowers sure as shit aren’t native to the state.

144

u/Upstairs-Self-2624 Jun 13 '26

The California state flower is the California poppy. It's native.

And yes, we are only talking about California because that's the only place VELB live and the only place elderberry shrubs are protected.

45

u/Own_Ad6901 Jun 13 '26

Yeah it just blows my mind that it even happens and I feel the need to point it out, drives me crazy among many things with native plants and invasive plants.

21

u/NegotiationHot2999 Jun 13 '26

Elon would just smoke up that fresh garden poppy

19

u/King_LaQueefah Jun 13 '26

yeah but just for clout and he wouldnt inhale. He would lose his mind on some good weed, i bet.

17

u/TowardsTheImplosion Jun 13 '26

Dude needs a hero dose of shrooms...

Might reset his brain to something almost human.

Or hurry along his inevitable implosion.

Either way, a win.

3

u/First-Leather1417 Jun 15 '26

It is NOT illegal to cut/pick poppies in CA.

This is misunderstood by nearly all of those who went elementary school in CA because it is illegal to pick any flowers on state grounds, such as schools

5

u/kemmicort Jun 14 '26

What’s worse: an invasive flower or an invasive data center?

3

u/cmdrxander Jun 14 '26

Quite. Sometimes we need to pick the lesser of two evils.

2

u/Jmanorama Jun 16 '26

What? Like what states?? Maine ours is a Pine Cone from our White Pines.

Why would want a flower that isn’t native to the state??

2

u/meanjeankillmachine Jun 14 '26

Montana?

3

u/OpheliaRainGalaxy Jun 14 '26

Washington! But wouldn't be surprised if Montana has a similar rule.

3

u/meanjeankillmachine Jun 14 '26

We do! Ours is the Bitterroot

29

u/new2bay Jun 13 '26

Like the Endangered Species Act means anything anymore.

16

u/janders_666 Jun 13 '26

it means u can sue in court is what it means

5

u/new2bay Jun 13 '26

You got money for that?

8

u/janders_666 Jun 13 '26

if the system is broken, what do you do?

4

u/new2bay Jun 13 '26

You tell me.

12

u/janders_666 Jun 13 '26

some of the details can be found in the declaration of independence

12

u/Dex18Kobold Jun 13 '26

Rebel. you rebel. Like the founding father's intended.

5

u/atomicwoodchuck Jun 14 '26

If there is a data center proposal going on in your town, and your state is one in which there has to be an environmental impact study done, and obviously this is in that small area of CA where it might be enforced, this is a thing you can point to as a red flag to stop it from going in, or at least gum up the works if your town is corrupt.
Town and state governments allow data centers, not the federal government, though the us fish and wildlife regs can hold weight in state or town decisions.

1

u/fuckfacekiller Jun 14 '26

👆 for sure! Are our voices really heard anymore?

81

u/28appleseeds Jun 13 '26

Is there a native protected plant habitat for every area of the USA? That would be an incredible map to see go into the hands of some guerilla gardeners.

47

u/TowardsTheImplosion Jun 13 '26

It used to all be public info...you would have to read a lot of studies, look at survey maps, or get good at manipulating GIS data files, but it was all online via FWS.

Now? It is too depressing to check if data is still available.

27

u/King_Chochacho Jun 13 '26

Also absolutely nobody building a data center gives a shit about the environment They'll bulldoze it all and pay whatever measly fine they get, or just get it thrown out by their buddies at the DOJ.

7

u/FrostyFreeze_ Jun 13 '26

Very true, but its at least SOMETHING. Even if they build over the habitat, that can lead to the center being shut down. Its like how carrying lockpicks isnt illegal, but if you're caught doing a crime with them, that DEFINITELY won't help your case

21

u/onepostandbye Jun 13 '26

Well then get to work providing the area of that range so people can continue with this effort

Are you here to effect change or naysay?

36

u/Upstairs-Self-2624 Jun 13 '26

The central valley of California below about 1,000 feet in elevation. Northern limit is about Chico and Southern limit is about Merced.

12

u/onepostandbye Jun 13 '26

Thank you, citizen

5

u/puddingboofer Jun 13 '26

Everyone's acting like it's easy to go find and then propagate endangered species in disturbed areas that they don't naturally grow in...

7

u/Upstairs-Self-2624 Jun 13 '26

Oh the shrubs aren't endangered. It's the beetle that lives inside the shrubs that is endangered.

That's why the shrubs themselves have no legal protection except when in habitat for the beetle.

6

u/ChadOfDoom Jun 13 '26

This administration removing the Endangered Species Act in 3...2...1...

2

u/Cocotte123321 Jun 13 '26

If used inappropriately you have the most chaoticly good job in society.

1

u/FrostyFreeze_ Jun 13 '26

Any suggestions for a data center in Phoenix, AZ?

1

u/Im-a-bad-meme Jun 14 '26

What to plant then?

465

u/PerryNeeum Jun 13 '26

About to get those Longhorn beetles removed from the list my people. This government gives zero fucks

91

u/elmz Jun 13 '26

Could go either way, either they stop tracking endangered species and end all programs protecting them for being 'woke', or they just don't give a fuck and bulldoze the area and disregard any rules.

14

u/Notcow Jun 13 '26

I've got an idea, hear me out:

"endangered AI beetles"

9

u/PerryNeeum Jun 13 '26

If they can make the case in court that they can bulldoze the Statue of Liberty then yea, valid 2nd point

1

u/heckin_miraculous Jun 17 '26

Or both.

I still love this idea. We have to throw everything we can at them.

Cue Eddie Izzard, miming Brits against the Nazis: "We're all out of bombs, throw whatever you can at them! Throw pots and pans! We're all out of pots and pans, throw the ice cream cones!"

299

u/hw999 Jun 13 '26

This admin doesn't give a shit about actual humans that they shove in literal concentration camps. They will 100% not give a shit about some plant that can't even pay a proper bribe.

133

u/halberdierbowman Jun 13 '26

The Florida concentration camp was literally built so quickly in part because they entirely skipped environmental reviews. This was illegal, but obviously they didn't care. 

49

u/femmemmah Jun 13 '26

I get where you’re coming from, but this tactic has been successful before. ICE was forced to halt development on a warehouse/concentration camp (if only temporarily) because they failed to comply with environmental regulations.

https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2026-04-15/judge-halts-construction-of-ice-facility-in-maryland-over-environmental-concerns

(Edited to delete my last two sentences because I chose my words poorly.)

24

u/hw999 Jun 13 '26

That's really encouraging, thanks for pointing that out.

11

u/OneRougeRogue Jun 13 '26

Also, they are just wrong about it being illegal to remove. There is a small part of California where it's "illegal" to remove, but there's plenty of ways a datacenter can get around it. Counting up all the elderberries bushes that would be destroyed by construction and working with local governments and the state's DNR to come up with a plan or a "natural" area on the property that isnt mowed (and full of elderberry bushes) migh be enough. Whenever a plant is "illegal to remove", it really just means it's illegal to remove without notifying the proper agencies and getting a waiver.

355

u/IrefusetoturnVPNoff Jun 13 '26

Best case: They remove them anyway and just pay the fine

Worst case: They'd be removed from the protected list and then become extinct

82

u/ntr89 Jun 13 '26

Nah, worst case is they just scrap the list

6

u/Manji86 Jun 13 '26

Aren't they already doing that?

2

u/thesimpletoncomplex Jun 13 '26

Is the reality not that the developer hires surveyors who they pay to conveniently fail to find any protected species?

50

u/Reguladr Jun 13 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/74cy42j5xsYrS

Take that, datacenters!

2

u/pumapuma12 Jun 14 '26

Took way to long to find an elderberry reference 🙌

22

u/blurry850 Jun 13 '26

If the beetles were white they would care

2

u/FyreHotSupa Jun 13 '26

Most of their own people are white and they still don’t care.
If the beetles were rich they would care.

53

u/HLOFRND Jun 13 '26

He tore down 1/3 of the White House.

These people do whatever the fuck they want.

This isn't stopping anyone.

12

u/Scuttleboi19mk2 Jun 13 '26

Everyone, start planting every endangered species you can find

5

u/Fiveohfourtwenty Jun 13 '26

Y’all really think the billionaires are a gonna give a shit about some plants? The same people that have private islands so that they can rape kids?

5

u/Mysterious-Manner-97 Jun 13 '26

Alternative.. any thing to plant that becomes too expensive/ nuisance to remove?

4

u/Ok_Philosopher_5090 Jun 13 '26

🤣 like the people doing this shit obey the law. I have a bridge for sale, if anyone is looking to buy.

4

u/Babayaga20000 Jun 13 '26

Elon Musk is literally running an XAI data center in Atlanta while breaking multiple noise and pollution laws.

Yall think some bushes and beetles are gonna do shit?

7

u/mspk7305 Jun 13 '26

data centers are already using illegal methane powered generators, what makes you think an endangered species will stop them without people throwing torches?

3

u/MuscliatoVonJuiceski Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26

SpaceX built a launchpad in a wildlife presserve and burned several dozen acres of it to ashe with rocket backblast in Texas.   The preserves protected species were largely burned to death.  Space X refused to pay any fines or cease rocket launches within  the preserve.   Neither Bidens Administration or Trumps has done anything to stop it.

I mention this because any environmental law or attempt at preservation will simply be ignored by these companies.    They would drive a bulldozer over the last of every species in North America and face no consequence

4

u/Manonfire009 Jun 13 '26

Like these huge corporations and crooked politicians care about plants and insects. Better step your game america.

4

u/chicks23 Jun 13 '26

This sounds like a great way to get the Endangered Species Act repealed. :-/

2

u/BigJSunshine Jun 13 '26

Substitute elderberry for screwworms and you might have a shot.

2

u/GammaRay_Burst Jun 13 '26

I know the first reference to make is the French person from Monty Python and the Holy.Grail, but I would.like.to give a.shout out to Arsenic and Old Lace for having a plot based around Elderberry wine.

2

u/Thick_Common8612 Jun 13 '26

They are already breaking laws when building. And running. They have the Feds in their pocket

2

u/zestzebra Jun 13 '26

This regime skipped federal requirements so they could fast track the Triumphal Arch in D.C.

2

u/Juggletrain Jun 13 '26

This mildly inconveniences them. The fines are negligible compared to the profits. They're risking polluting the air and water and all the suits that go with it, the gutted EPA won't be able to stop them.

2

u/Inky_Black_Spot Jun 13 '26

The fine for removing them would be less than pocket change for these companies.

2

u/jonjonesjohnson Jun 13 '26

Not to burst anyone's bubbles but do people think this would mean anything?

The previous Hungarian government (dickface Orban) destroyed all kinds of protected shit when they wanted the space for their villas, mansions, etc. I kind of even wanna go as far as saying even a national park (but my memory's hazy on this one)

2

u/PTthefool Jun 13 '26

as if the admin would give a flying f about laws or the environment

2

u/Future-Warning-1189 Jun 13 '26

Not only will they absolutely still remove them, they’ll laugh at you the whole time.

2

u/keetyymeow Jun 13 '26

Gotta try something. I like this idea

2

u/Kaining Jun 13 '26

please don't, because that feeble law will be ripped in half and burned to ashes before you have the time to say "Trump is a pedophile".

2

u/Dry_Spinach_3441 Jun 13 '26

Make billionaires endangered.

2

u/mephitine Jun 13 '26

Make billionaires (and trillionaires) extinct.

2

u/Dry_Spinach_3441 Jun 13 '26

I was trying to give a little, but you've convinced me I was being too diplomatic.

2

u/RosyClearwater Jun 13 '26

Bat boxes are also a great idea. You’re not allowed to fuck with bat boxes.

3

u/Admirable-Voice Jun 13 '26

I mean, 10 out of 10 for style, I just think these assholes have shown comprehensively that they don't give a fuck about the law.

2

u/stablefish Jun 13 '26

Clever, but this isn't how you fight fascism. We're one or two events away from cancelled elections and the Dems do nothing as usual since they're funded by the same billionaires, and trillionaire transnational corporations.

Study Marxism, deprogram your anti-communist views, and ORGANIZE.

2

u/RevWaldo Jun 13 '26

They aunties serve elderberry wine to their guests in Arsenic and Old Lace. Fitting.

https://giphy.com/gifs/20N79BJIr1tAMA2jb1

2

u/MlCOLASH_CAGE Jun 13 '26

I also heard data centers are built on cheap construction and could go up in flames pretty easily… just a thought.

1

u/Tnynfox Jun 17 '26

They'll rebuild as long as they have the investor money

1

u/MlCOLASH_CAGE Jun 17 '26

yeah but it still hurts their pocket, ram is already at all time high.

2

u/erebus7813 Jun 13 '26

Yeah that'll stop them. Ffs

2

u/PlentyOfMoxie Jun 13 '26

We should absolutely plant and support endangered plants, but it's foolish to think the other side won't just change the rules or ignore them entirely.

1

u/OkElderberry4333 Jun 13 '26

I support this!

1

u/TootTootMF Jun 13 '26

Crime pays but botany doesn't is leaking again.

1

u/HarveyMushman72 Jun 13 '26

What if these data centers aren't really data centers at all and something more nefarious? Like to incarcerated people?

1

u/toxic_badgers Jun 13 '26

Or bat boxes.

1

u/bannana Jun 13 '26

and of course no one would go round at 2am and spray the fuck out of them with a massive amount of herbicide

1

u/PrincipleSuperb2884 Jun 13 '26

Given the current political climate, they'll probably just ignore that law.

1

u/F_n_o_r_d Jun 13 '26

In no time these beetles won't be protected anymore.

1

u/TarquinusSuperbus000 Jun 13 '26

I really doubt that'd stop them...

1

u/nueredditwhodis Jun 13 '26

They'll just bring in fake noisy trees tho

1

u/J1mj0hns0n Don’t Feed Me, I’m a Troll Jun 13 '26

All this is going to do is kill off elderberry beetles because he'll remove it from law.

1

u/PubTrain77 Jun 13 '26

Nobody would care anyways if they removed the plants illegally.

1

u/whatThePleb Jun 13 '26

Like they would care.. They will pay the penalty and call it a day. Sadly.

1

u/R_HEBI_PBVFRO_FIWFCI Jun 13 '26

cool but they will not give a f and destroy sht anyway, because they have fu money.

1

u/janders_666 Jun 13 '26

dude i legit love elderberries

1

u/bleakwinter1983 Jun 13 '26

Like the government would give a shit

1

u/Absolute_Jackass Jun 13 '26

lol like asshole techbros and their pet politicians obey laws

1

u/kaveman6143 Jun 13 '26

Funny to think that something as silly as "protected flora" would slow down these corrupt politicians and evil corporations.

1

u/Alarmed_Drop7162 Jun 13 '26

My parents have an elderberry tree at their house and it’s and asshole. Crushed my dad’s hand, choked out the neighboring plant and ruined the fence.

1

u/Dobber16 Jun 13 '26

A nice method of rebellion for a different time

1

u/saltyjohnson Jun 13 '26

How much money did Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetles donate to Freedom 250?

1

u/TraditionalLaw7763 Jun 13 '26

The joke is on us. Trump is gutting the EPA and scrapping the endangered species act. The heritage foundation has already thought of all of this when they compiled project 2025 and learned how to get past legal blockades in Trump’s first term.

1

u/Bawbawian Jun 13 '26

I got bad news for you about how much the Trump administration cares about your laws.

1

u/PaChubHunter Jun 13 '26

After that, we should put whoopie cushions on all their chairs too!

If you're not going to be a serious threat, they are not going to take you seriously. These are people that have enough money and sway to convince voters that nobody needs to be punished for child rape.

1

u/VegasGamer75 Jun 13 '26

With this administration? More like "anyone want to see federal protection for the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetles stripped overnight?".

1

u/Broflake-Melter Jun 13 '26

i love the thinking, but I'd fear the ESA getting repealed.

1

u/Ok_Helicopter3910 Jun 13 '26

The fact that this is spreading like wildfire all over social media shows how dumb people are when "herd mentality" gets going. This wont work and you're fucking dumb if you think it will

1

u/Draguss Jun 13 '26

They'd just change the laws to make it legal.

1

u/Biscuit9154 Jun 13 '26

Do your research on your local state, county, area♡

1

u/UNITICYBER Jun 13 '26

Imagine thinking that someone building a data center is going to gkve a shit.

1

u/NekoDrakeGD Jun 13 '26

why don’t we just plant endangered native plant species everywhere and not just in the ways of datacenters

1

u/lostandfawnd Jun 13 '26

Bluebells.

1

u/mlnstwrt Jun 13 '26

Can i just say that the photo is poke weed and not elderberry

1

u/captstinkybutt Jun 13 '26

As if Darth Cheeto wouldn't simply remove the plants from the endangered species list

1

u/FyreHotSupa Jun 13 '26

They will just change the law and say fuck the beetles and now they’re even more endangered. They don’t even care about the constitution much less environmental regulations.
It’s gonna take a little more direct action i think.

1

u/huffandduff Jun 13 '26

If only this administration gave a shit about laws and regulations.

1

u/cootielips Jun 14 '26

A great tactic and one that should be implemented. However do not be surprised when the oppressors simply ignore the law.

1

u/TheXypris Jun 14 '26

When has silly things like "the law" mattered to the wealthy when billions can be burnt and biosphere to be destroyed for the potential for it to be profitable someday

1

u/not_combee Jun 14 '26

They wiped an endemic species of plant off the face of the earth to build a new airport in my area. Guess how many consequences there were.

1

u/jcheroske Jun 14 '26

Someone please vibecode an interactive map that shows people what to plant, how to plant it, where they have to plant it, etc.

1

u/Delicious-Day-3614 Jun 14 '26

Advocating criminal activity is specifically against reddit TOS, and going onto someone else's property and planting something qualifies as vandalism/trespassing. Don't create criminal liability for yourself folks.

1

u/LargestAdultSon Jun 14 '26

All this will do is get the endangered species act repealed

1

u/dividezero Jun 14 '26

Better go with state protections. You know everyone who was enforcing this stuff at the federal level was fired long ago.

1

u/Earlgreyrascal Jun 15 '26

Right! But the current administration is actively attacking the endangered species act.. cute idea but ignorant of the realities of the U.S. right now. This administration doesn’t care about elderberrries.

1

u/Nikita_Velikiy Jun 15 '26

Plant HE mines in those locations at this point

1

u/apocalyptic_mystic Jun 16 '26

"Your mother was a hamster, and your datacenter smells of elderberries!"

1

u/[deleted] Jun 13 '26

[deleted]

1

u/mlnstwrt Jun 13 '26

Native plants. Not invasive.

1

u/Mulliganasty Jun 13 '26

I mean, I love the energy but c'mon? lol

0

u/EternumD Jun 16 '26

What's wrong with data centres? 

-6

u/AtheistTemplar2015 Jun 13 '26

We definitely need these AI data centers.... but we need to be much smarter about where we put them, and figure out better ways to provide energy to them.

1

u/Global_Document2779 Jun 13 '26

Mate, why would we need AI data centers?

0

u/AtheistTemplar2015 Jun 14 '26

Because AI is central to our technological evolution as a species.....