When I express concern about data centers to people here in CA central valley they say What's that?? If I try to explain they usually say I love ai it makes searching on my phone so much easier. Some use Chat GBT. It does all the work for them. That's the average mindset! I'm bookmarking this for when it happens here.
There is a lot wrong w China…but they are also miles ahead of us w green initiatives…. While T et al are dragging us back to coal & fossil fuels. T has long been stuck in a very old mindsets: the 50s for relationship/social/civil things & the early 1900s for financial. He is one odd horribly uninformed duck:(
They say that even after learning that a data center would suck up all of the water and energy? A REP governor in CA would probably approve of having data centers despite the impact on agriculture & communities. Please vote for the leading DEM candidate in the upcoming primary for governor! Early voting starts in about a month and ends June 2nd. The 2 REP candidates are polling high/topping the polls.
“They paved paradise & put up a parking lot” was the 1st thing that popped in my head when I read your latest headline, Erin. Wishing you as much happiness as we can all find amidst the craziness.
In my case, a year ago a developer approached my township wanting to build a data center on farmland down the road from me. The township obliged by changing their zoning to permit data centers. But as a result of the Commissioner's draft ordinance, my township reversed its position, and this month passed a zoning ordinance prohibiting them! The final reading of the Ordinance is in 2 weeks - I'm so excited. Our community is already busy fighting an industrial application on a historic farm that is of major concern to our rural way of life, and the river, and our environment. To have one of the threats be addressed early without much drama is a huge relief. Hopefully our long fight on the industrial facility will eventually pay off.... Keep being engaged in local affairs everyone! Keep fighting the good fight!
Data centers should first prove that they won't adversely impact area communities’ water supply, waterways water treatment facilities, power grid, noise levels, traffic patterns, internet provider reliability, schools, etc., before they are approved. They should supply most of their own power using wind or solar. Data chip technology is always changing. Data centers should have plans for gow they will handle larfe-scale equipment upgrades so they won't become obsolete in a few years as more efficient and powerful equipment becomes available. They should also show how they are protecting communities from unwarranted surveillance.
There is no reason why a data centre can’t put up a cooling, condensation and recycling tower in their designs. Modern designs can be closed systems approaching 95% efficiency.
They can use solar or wind to provide the power needed for processing their water for closed cooling systems and for powering their computing equipment. That would reduce pollution and reduce the strain on electrical grids. Communities also need to consider how internet service providers can expand bandwidth to prevent internet interruptions.
Data center startups are following the silicon valley maxim of “move fast and break things” instead of planning properly to have the resources they need without hurting communities or the environment.
All we need are regulators with a spine. It should be a national specification. Otherwise, these companies can pit communities against each other in bidding wars to get the new business. That becomes the better deal for the loser who WON’T have the massive flat footprint taking arable land or the huge volume of drinking water (probably given free) lost to the totally wasteful but cheap cooling system. This is the USA run by the robber barons all over again. 19th century redux.
You are probably right. That’s where one needs a regulator. The technology exists and was developed to account for water cost and/or limited supply. It should simply not be an available option to build without a water recovery system.
I agree. It is unlikely to be done at the local or state level without being backed by federal law. They may be rushing to get them approved while the GOP is in power.
Retired NASA scientist Jonathan Trent gets standing ovations from govt officials for his industrial symbiosis UpCycle Systems concept; in Santa Cruz County, for instance, solve our ongoing/worsening salt water intrusion (gnarly issue for regional Agriculture), use that non-potable wtaer to cool a data center that serves the whole County, then turn that brackish "waste" into potable water.... Standing ovations, he gets, on refrain.. then; nothing changes because.. we can't break this 10 year contract to truck all this stuff to Oakland at $$$$ per ton ... Or.. Or.. Or...... Anything, ANYTHING, but paradigm shift. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-trent-7742555/
Community outcry made investors withdraw from a planned solar farm in Shiawassee Co., MI. Yeah everyone thinks solar power is great but this particular planning would have rendered hundreds of acres of fertile farmland unusable as well as using millions of gallons per week from our aquifer ( the large majority of us rely on wells.)
There are plenty of sites locally from closed manufacturing plants where it could have been located. Not on our farmland!
This year, with fertilizer shortages, farmers may have to increase acreage to offset reduced yields, or switch to less nitrogen-intensive crops. Our diets may be a little different this fall as well as our food costing more. Time for a wartime victory garden.
because globalists & their corporate lapdogs want surveillance of every human. They want everyone chipped & to track speech, texts, purchases & associations. That required data storage
Soon all over the USA California passed SB283. Overrides the local or county governments ability to reject a Battery Farm. For the good of the state verbiage in earlier versions of the bill.
Well now I'm livid!!!!!! I'm in the central valley where there is a lot of farm land. The row crop farmers are starting to switch their fields to nuts. Mostly almonds.(Lot's of water usage & lots of dirt!) I keep dreading the inevitable data center takeover.
It doesn't help that it is also a very low information population. Most people don't even know what a data center is!☠️☠️☠️
Bless you both and everyone that supports you in your tireless and unrelenting efforts. Thank you for maintaining your integrity over the years and standing as a model of what ONE can accomplish, how MANY may be influenced. This situation is inhuman, unpatriotic and a betrayal by those the people elect to represent them. I’m sharing everywhere for help.
Phenology the study of cyclic biological events is one of our most sensitive indicators of a changing climate. Because cherry blossoms (Sakura) are highly sensitive to spring temperatures, they act as a natural thermometer.
The Baseline (812 AD – 1800s): For over a millennium, the peak bloom in Kyoto was remarkably stable, hovering around April 14th to April 17th. This suggests a stable regional climate with predictable seasonal shifts.
The "Great Acceleration": The shift began gradually with the Industrial Revolution but moved into overdrive in the last 50 years. The 2-week shift isn't just a "warm spring"; it’s a fundamental realignment of the season.
The 2023 Outlier: When 2023 broke the record as the earliest bloom in 1,200 years (peaking on March 20th), it wasn't just a "beautiful early spring" . it was a data point 25 days ahead of the historical average.
The Urban Heat Island Effect: While global warming is the primary driver, Kyoto's urbanization also plays a role. Concrete and asphalt trap heat, causing city trees to "wake up" even earlier than those in the countryside.
Off the bat, America and Israel have attacked data centers in the middle east, in retaliation Iran has openly declared that Data centers are LEGITIMATE MILITARY TARGETS. Data centers should not be placed within 15 miles of any civilian infrastructure, especially those of grave value. Full stop.
The modern food system is essentially "fossil fuels turned into calories." When the Middle East the world’s primary hub for both energy and the natural gas required for nitrogen fertilizer is destabilized, the entire agricultural stack collapses.
The Fertilizer Bottleneck: Roughly 25-30% of global urea and phosphate supply transits the Persian Gulf. With shipping effectively stalled, urea prices have spiked 40-60% in the last month alone.
The Delayed Impact: Crops being planted now (like the Kharif season in India or spring planting in the US) are facing 25% higher pesticide costs and severe fertilizer shortages. This means lower yields per acre, leading to a "supply cliff" 4-6 months from now.
Net-Zero as Resilience: The "easy way out" doesn't exist because we are addicted to a centralized, fossil-fuel-dependent supply chain. Transitioning to Green Ammonia (fertilizer made with renewable hydrogen) and regenerative practices isn't just about the climate it's about national security and "de-risking" the dinner table from foreign conflicts.
Tucson Arizona has a similar situation when a huge databases center was going to be built here sucking up water and electricity and adding heat in a place that does not need more heat. Local authorities voted against it, but wealthy investors have declared it will be built. I hope that it is not.
When I express concern about data centers to people here in CA central valley they say What's that?? If I try to explain they usually say I love ai it makes searching on my phone so much easier. Some use Chat GBT. It does all the work for them. That's the average mindset! I'm bookmarking this for when it happens here.
Erin Brockovitch is a Hero! Thank you!
In China they are using it for improving agriculture for the masses, apparently.
I can see why CHINA is regarded as a danger by those manipulating the Moronocracy.
There is a lot wrong w China…but they are also miles ahead of us w green initiatives…. While T et al are dragging us back to coal & fossil fuels. T has long been stuck in a very old mindsets: the 50s for relationship/social/civil things & the early 1900s for financial. He is one odd horribly uninformed duck:(
They say that even after learning that a data center would suck up all of the water and energy? A REP governor in CA would probably approve of having data centers despite the impact on agriculture & communities. Please vote for the leading DEM candidate in the upcoming primary for governor! Early voting starts in about a month and ends June 2nd. The 2 REP candidates are polling high/topping the polls.
The American masses need massive education!!!!!
“They paved paradise & put up a parking lot” was the 1st thing that popped in my head when I read your latest headline, Erin. Wishing you as much happiness as we can all find amidst the craziness.
Yes.
Folks, I wanted to share a positive story from beautiful rural western New Jersey. One of my County Commissioners came out late last year with a model ordinance prohibiting Data Centers. And several local townships are adopting it! https://www.tapinto.net/towns/phillipsburg/sections/warren-county-news/articles/commissioner-kern-shares-model-ordinance-to-assist-municipalities-in-evaluating-data-center-siting Commissioner Kern is receiving interest in his model ordinance from well beyond his county - including as far away the southern states. Would your township adopt something similar?? How can you influence such a change taking place?
In my case, a year ago a developer approached my township wanting to build a data center on farmland down the road from me. The township obliged by changing their zoning to permit data centers. But as a result of the Commissioner's draft ordinance, my township reversed its position, and this month passed a zoning ordinance prohibiting them! The final reading of the Ordinance is in 2 weeks - I'm so excited. Our community is already busy fighting an industrial application on a historic farm that is of major concern to our rural way of life, and the river, and our environment. To have one of the threats be addressed early without much drama is a huge relief. Hopefully our long fight on the industrial facility will eventually pay off.... Keep being engaged in local affairs everyone! Keep fighting the good fight!
Data centers should first prove that they won't adversely impact area communities’ water supply, waterways water treatment facilities, power grid, noise levels, traffic patterns, internet provider reliability, schools, etc., before they are approved. They should supply most of their own power using wind or solar. Data chip technology is always changing. Data centers should have plans for gow they will handle larfe-scale equipment upgrades so they won't become obsolete in a few years as more efficient and powerful equipment becomes available. They should also show how they are protecting communities from unwarranted surveillance.
Good post!
There is no reason why a data centre can’t put up a cooling, condensation and recycling tower in their designs. Modern designs can be closed systems approaching 95% efficiency.
They can use solar or wind to provide the power needed for processing their water for closed cooling systems and for powering their computing equipment. That would reduce pollution and reduce the strain on electrical grids. Communities also need to consider how internet service providers can expand bandwidth to prevent internet interruptions.
Data center startups are following the silicon valley maxim of “move fast and break things” instead of planning properly to have the resources they need without hurting communities or the environment.
Agree completely, Patrice.
But “the birds!” We need to invest in better education systems.
Who the fk wants any data centers? Jfc
Then they need to do that
All we need are regulators with a spine. It should be a national specification. Otherwise, these companies can pit communities against each other in bidding wars to get the new business. That becomes the better deal for the loser who WON’T have the massive flat footprint taking arable land or the huge volume of drinking water (probably given free) lost to the totally wasteful but cheap cooling system. This is the USA run by the robber barons all over again. 19th century redux.
Yes.
The reason is they don't care. Easier and cheaper to get sued and settle
If they’re given that option, I’m sure they’d take it. I don’t see the Trump admin forcing them into more sustainable designs.
No fking data centers!
Paying fines doesn't correct the damage done. You damage an aquifer: it is a permanent loss of a valuable clean water source!
MIT addresses this on LinkedIn.
I suspect that you know who invested heavily in the older technology, so it’s probably more of a money thing when you get down to brass tacks.
You are probably right. That’s where one needs a regulator. The technology exists and was developed to account for water cost and/or limited supply. It should simply not be an available option to build without a water recovery system.
I agree. It is unlikely to be done at the local or state level without being backed by federal law. They may be rushing to get them approved while the GOP is in power.
Of course it is about money. Why would they spend to protect the local communities if they can get away without doing it?
Yes, I have read sm bits about this but haven't heard of any strong move in that direction. It is a critically important piece!
Or we can just say no!
Then make sure this is explained to everyone and adopted as policy.
Retired NASA scientist Jonathan Trent gets standing ovations from govt officials for his industrial symbiosis UpCycle Systems concept; in Santa Cruz County, for instance, solve our ongoing/worsening salt water intrusion (gnarly issue for regional Agriculture), use that non-potable wtaer to cool a data center that serves the whole County, then turn that brackish "waste" into potable water.... Standing ovations, he gets, on refrain.. then; nothing changes because.. we can't break this 10 year contract to truck all this stuff to Oakland at $$$$ per ton ... Or.. Or.. Or...... Anything, ANYTHING, but paradigm shift. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-trent-7742555/
It begins at the local level.
Community outcry made investors withdraw from a planned solar farm in Shiawassee Co., MI. Yeah everyone thinks solar power is great but this particular planning would have rendered hundreds of acres of fertile farmland unusable as well as using millions of gallons per week from our aquifer ( the large majority of us rely on wells.)
There are plenty of sites locally from closed manufacturing plants where it could have been located. Not on our farmland!
This year, with fertilizer shortages, farmers may have to increase acreage to offset reduced yields, or switch to less nitrogen-intensive crops. Our diets may be a little different this fall as well as our food costing more. Time for a wartime victory garden.
We survived all these years without data centers. Why do we need them if they’re such a pain in the ass?
because globalists & their corporate lapdogs want surveillance of every human. They want everyone chipped & to track speech, texts, purchases & associations. That required data storage
And it’s really all about control.
Soon all over the USA California passed SB283. Overrides the local or county governments ability to reject a Battery Farm. For the good of the state verbiage in earlier versions of the bill.
Well now I'm livid!!!!!! I'm in the central valley where there is a lot of farm land. The row crop farmers are starting to switch their fields to nuts. Mostly almonds.(Lot's of water usage & lots of dirt!) I keep dreading the inevitable data center takeover.
It doesn't help that it is also a very low information population. Most people don't even know what a data center is!☠️☠️☠️
I have seen articles about how they put off so much noise that it drives the people nuts within a region. We don’t need that
Bless you both and everyone that supports you in your tireless and unrelenting efforts. Thank you for maintaining your integrity over the years and standing as a model of what ONE can accomplish, how MANY may be influenced. This situation is inhuman, unpatriotic and a betrayal by those the people elect to represent them. I’m sharing everywhere for help.
Phenology the study of cyclic biological events is one of our most sensitive indicators of a changing climate. Because cherry blossoms (Sakura) are highly sensitive to spring temperatures, they act as a natural thermometer.
The Baseline (812 AD – 1800s): For over a millennium, the peak bloom in Kyoto was remarkably stable, hovering around April 14th to April 17th. This suggests a stable regional climate with predictable seasonal shifts.
The "Great Acceleration": The shift began gradually with the Industrial Revolution but moved into overdrive in the last 50 years. The 2-week shift isn't just a "warm spring"; it’s a fundamental realignment of the season.
The 2023 Outlier: When 2023 broke the record as the earliest bloom in 1,200 years (peaking on March 20th), it wasn't just a "beautiful early spring" . it was a data point 25 days ahead of the historical average.
The Urban Heat Island Effect: While global warming is the primary driver, Kyoto's urbanization also plays a role. Concrete and asphalt trap heat, causing city trees to "wake up" even earlier than those in the countryside.
we use a great sized aquifer and the untouchable railroad built a
RE-FUELING STATION DIRECTLY ABOVE THE NORTHERN END OF it
which had been use for a couple hundred years and the area growing.
Despite promises galore and
binders full of plans and data .. it leaked oil and diesel into the a aquifer in no time at all🤬🤬🤬🤬
Off the bat, America and Israel have attacked data centers in the middle east, in retaliation Iran has openly declared that Data centers are LEGITIMATE MILITARY TARGETS. Data centers should not be placed within 15 miles of any civilian infrastructure, especially those of grave value. Full stop.
The modern food system is essentially "fossil fuels turned into calories." When the Middle East the world’s primary hub for both energy and the natural gas required for nitrogen fertilizer is destabilized, the entire agricultural stack collapses.
The Fertilizer Bottleneck: Roughly 25-30% of global urea and phosphate supply transits the Persian Gulf. With shipping effectively stalled, urea prices have spiked 40-60% in the last month alone.
The Delayed Impact: Crops being planted now (like the Kharif season in India or spring planting in the US) are facing 25% higher pesticide costs and severe fertilizer shortages. This means lower yields per acre, leading to a "supply cliff" 4-6 months from now.
Net-Zero as Resilience: The "easy way out" doesn't exist because we are addicted to a centralized, fossil-fuel-dependent supply chain. Transitioning to Green Ammonia (fertilizer made with renewable hydrogen) and regenerative practices isn't just about the climate it's about national security and "de-risking" the dinner table from foreign conflicts.
PS, I love the way you tackle environmental issues. It is people like you who save us from disaster
Tucson Arizona has a similar situation when a huge databases center was going to be built here sucking up water and electricity and adding heat in a place that does not need more heat. Local authorities voted against it, but wealthy investors have declared it will be built. I hope that it is not.