. According to analysis by the Guardian, two-thirds of planned datacentres in the US are in drought-stricken areas. The larger centres need up to 5m gallons of water a day for cooling, equivalent to the average usage of 50,000 people. It is unclear what the plan is and whose needs will take priority between AI, agriculture and everyone else.
“People are reporting bill spikes,” [Erin]Brockovich says, reading an email from someone who says their monthly water bill went from $22 (£17) to more than $350 (£265). The threat of these centres is about more than money – it feels existential. “How will the water use disrupt the balance of nature? People are asking: “What will happen to us?”
The scary thing is it all combined. Sucking up millions of gallons of water while belching out tons of greenhouse gasses all to generate propaganda or to try and replace the working class.
All of it is a huge problem that all compounds. Without the water that these things have sucked up people won’t survive the heat caused by them and their power generation.