The air pollution from power plants dedicated to noise pollution generating data centers are currently running roughshod over communities already. How long are we going to wait and put up with these negative externalities that are being shoved off on the human population?
San Francisco Examiner – AI-induced pollution could kill hundreds, cost billions, researchers say By Troy Wolverton | Examiner staff writer | Feb 11, 2025 Demand for computing power for AI models is prompting the construction of increasing numbers of data centers. The manufacturing of chips and other hardware used in those facilities, the fossil-fuel power plants often used to provide electricity to them, and the typically diesel-powered backup generators used to keep them running during power outages or times of high electricity demand all generate air pollution, the researchers noted in their study. The researchers said exposure to that air pollution — in the form of particulates, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide — can lead to maladies such as lung cancer, asthma and cardiovascular disease, and premature deaths. Already disadvantaged communities are likely to absorb much of that pollution.
And when you understand what AI really is, and more importantly what it’s not, you realize a lot of this is superficial profiteering and a lot of tech hype based on nothing, but that can do a lot of damage anyway, and with dire consequences.
AI does not exist but it will ruin everything anyway Angela Collier Jul 16, 2023
My letter to reps:
I don’t want to live in a community wrecked by air pollution because of pointless AI data centers and the supporting power plants. I’ve heard of power plants burning coal, coal waste, construction debris, and looking to burn rubber, just to run private data centers that wind up also disrupting communities they set up in. They’re talking about starting up Three Mile Island again just to power some chatbots for Microsoft. This is clearly all madness and we need to put a stop to this because AI isn’t even a real thing and it’s not even particularly useful the way they sell it with their dubious marketing.
Please feel free to copy or repurpose for your own letters to reps.