How can "AI ... be the strongest demand signal ever for new low-carbon energy technologies" when data centers require a continuous, reliable power supply (I'm assuming your definition of "low-carbon" excludes natural gas)?
Having been very active in the climate change activity for decades now, I totally agree that the discourse among many of my peers in the environmental movement have shifted to data centers.
I call them "pitchforkers" and blame that element for climate hushing. Anything to do with coporations is bad news in their eyes.
Note too that most everyone (outside of pundits) beleives that air pollution of the visible type (ie smog.ozone etc) is the same as the climate problem. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Withness the AQI figures and remember that this is just for the U.S.
It has been no wonder then that so many think the U.S. has done at least OK in curtailing these local and visible emissions since the 1970s. In Texas, the sky is blue and clear very often.
But China and India have just started to clean up so it's understandable that most Americans think they're responsible now. (IMHO this is why polls show so many who believe in the problem but so few who want to pay 10 cents more per gallon. "It's their fault!")
The climate crisis is the result of our civilization inheriting technologies that we didn't know were problematic as accumulation led to an unblancing of how nature works. By the time we did see the harm, so many and so much was invested, the solutions weren't simple anymore.
There is no reason to blame anyone. And this good guy/bad guy naivete has hurt our cause tremendously IMHO.
Do I blame myself for reading comic books when I was 6?
PREACH!
How can "AI ... be the strongest demand signal ever for new low-carbon energy technologies" when data centers require a continuous, reliable power supply (I'm assuming your definition of "low-carbon" excludes natural gas)?
Having been very active in the climate change activity for decades now, I totally agree that the discourse among many of my peers in the environmental movement have shifted to data centers.
I call them "pitchforkers" and blame that element for climate hushing. Anything to do with coporations is bad news in their eyes.
Note too that most everyone (outside of pundits) beleives that air pollution of the visible type (ie smog.ozone etc) is the same as the climate problem. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Withness the AQI figures and remember that this is just for the U.S.
It has been no wonder then that so many think the U.S. has done at least OK in curtailing these local and visible emissions since the 1970s. In Texas, the sky is blue and clear very often.
But China and India have just started to clean up so it's understandable that most Americans think they're responsible now. (IMHO this is why polls show so many who believe in the problem but so few who want to pay 10 cents more per gallon. "It's their fault!")
The climate crisis is the result of our civilization inheriting technologies that we didn't know were problematic as accumulation led to an unblancing of how nature works. By the time we did see the harm, so many and so much was invested, the solutions weren't simple anymore.
There is no reason to blame anyone. And this good guy/bad guy naivete has hurt our cause tremendously IMHO.
Do I blame myself for reading comic books when I was 6?