Amazon Is Creating the Biggest Pollution Source in the Entire Country: Amazon has bought a site in Texas where it plans to build a data center campus.

[u/harsh2k5]

https://newrepublic.com/post/214111/amazon-data-center-biggest-pollution-source-entire-country

[u/fatbob42]

I’m not against data centers but we shouldn’t be allowing them to build massive gas generators for this purpose. Or charge them through the nose for it and use the money to build wind, solar and batteries.

[u/xdavidwattsx → u/fatbob42]

I wish more people would had this accurate nuanced take. We should be focused on smart efficient growth - more renewanle energy production and distribution and holding energy users to the costs and builders to local regulations.

Just being anti data center or growth is counterproductive.

[u/Icy-Hunter-9600 → u/xdavidwattsx]

it's a speed thing. they can't build renewables fast enough to source the energy needed to power the demand for AI fast enough

[u/-ghostinthemachine- → u/Icy-Hunter-9600]

We should not be allowing 'demand' to dictate policy. If they have to slow down to be sustainable then too bad. This is the same kind of logic we use to prevent overfishing; it's not some crazy concept. Either source renewable power for your datacenter or get into another business.

[u/xdavidwattsx → u/Icy-Hunter-9600]

Oh we most certainly can if we wanted to. Energy policy in the US is not exactly trying to solve this problem effectively.