I think the most under-discussed real environmental problem with data centers is clearly everywhere their normal demand is keeping coal plants online fwiw. On both climate and air pollution coal's clearly uniquely bad. That's where a lot more attention should go
Some users dismiss discussion of data centers keeping coal plants online and raising environmental risks as boring and mainly motivated by a desire to feel good inside.
A weird part of this dynamic is that the coal plants where data centers draw from the most are probably in West Virginia, but here coal is basically politically sacrosanct and shutting them down is really unpopular.
I think the most under-discussed real environmental problem with data centers is clearly everywhere their normal demand is keeping coal plants online fwiw. On both climate and air pollution coal's clearly uniquely bad. That's where a lot more attention should go
@AndyMasley Problem is, maybe those anti data centre activist leaders also opposed the nuclear power that kept those coal plants open
@AndyMasley but that's boring and yelling about data centers makes people feel good inside, and that's what really matters
I think the most under-discussed real environmental problem with data centers is clearly everywhere their normal demand is keeping coal plants online fwiw. On both climate and air pollution coal's clearly uniquely bad. That's where a lot more attention should go