One of America’s Last Chestnut Groves Is About to Be Destroyed for a Data Center

[u/Miserable_Phase_2519]

https://www.gadgetreview.com/one-of-americas-last-chestnut-groves-is-about-to-be-destroyed-for-a-data-center

[u/scienceisaserfdom]

Absolutely! See the NCAR Wyoming Supercomputer Center for an example of that and WY has a ton of wind power as well. Unfortunately, these AI Data Centers aren't built for sustainability whatsoever....because that would be pretty expensive. Rather these are built explicitly for the speed they can be rapidly constructed (before the public can organize), in the most bribe-able/corrupt/ungoverned places in the US, and most importantly in total disregard of environmental impact that would otherwise drive up construction costs or force them to actually pay for the resources that are sucking up. That last part is important, because there are also often giant large tax incentives/bribes secretly negotated between these companies and a state or local polticial establishement (almost always Repugs) to give away huge rate discounts on water and electricity that taxpayers are actually subsidizing. Beyond all that, its catagorically insane and cartoonishly evil to erase this genentically-critical grove of trees; as there is absolutely no reason why this project cant just be re-sited beyond the staggering greed and political graft driving it.