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Microsoft is using wetlands and native gardens to 'camouflage' 20-plus data center sites by blending them into nature — critics blast the 'biomimicry' effort as 'lipstick on a pig' amid a 20-year gas… (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 6 days ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Full title: Microsoft is using wetlands and native gardens to 'camouflage' 20-plus data center sites by blending them into nature — critics blast the 'biomimicry' effort as 'lipstick on a pig' amid a 20-year gas power deal

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[–] 66 points 6 days ago (19 children)

They won’t be camouflaged for long once the pollution starts to kill off the vegetation…pretty sure we have seen this scenario exactly before in the 60s & 70s…

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  • [–] 21 points 6 days ago (1 child)

    Once they'll built they'll start to argue that they pollute anywhere so might as well stay there...

    And still build as many as they can anywhere.

    Their MO seems to be do whatever it takes to get started then finish

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  • [+] -18 points 6 days ago (16 children)

    Data centers aren't heavy industry. They do emit some minor pollutants but not excessive amounts. You make it sound like there is an open sewer pipe oozing black sludge.

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  • [–] 26 points 6 days ago (8 children)

    They will generate huge amounts of heat, both from the generation of the power they will use and from their actual running.

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  • [+] -29 points 6 days ago (7 children)

    Yes. But that's going to create winds and convection, not pollution. Less so if cooled evaporatively or using said wetland as a heat sink(unlikely). They might even be good for the water table.

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  • [–] 13 points 6 days ago (4 children)

    They might even be good for the water table.

    What. Half the hue and cry is because they're a huge waste of water unnecessarily because economics.

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  • [+] -8 points 6 days ago (3 children)

    The renaturation might be really good. I don't know how the site looked before.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 days ago (2 children)
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  • [–] -3 points 5 days ago (1 child)

    Yeah, but this article describes Microsoft exactly not doing that.

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  • [–] 4 points 5 days ago

    Let's quote the article, shall we?

    The goal is to "minimize the visual impact on communities near our data centers." Not to actually be sustainable, but to look less offensive to the casual observer.

    "I cannot really see any level of biomimicry investment that makes a gas plant a desirable neighbor." Me neither.

    "Emissions have risen by Microsoft’s own accounting, too." It is pollution.

    "Microsoft had no clear answer when questioned if it would ever change its mind on a site." They are raping the planet we live on. Please think.

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  • [–] 18 points 6 days ago (6 children)

    It specifically mentions gas power. The air will be polluted and living things breathing that air will suffer. "AI" data centers are waste generators and planet heaters. The goal is to further wreck the environment and kill most of us. The rich think they can survive it somehow. It is unacceptable.

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  • [+] -24 points 6 days ago (5 children)

    Power plants typically connect via the grid, hence aren't local to the data center. Changing over is trivial. All industry generates waste and consumes energy. That's not their purpose and framing it as such makes you sound like a raving lunatic. Destroying the environment isn't profitable. Same goes for killing everyone. You have a warped perception of reality.

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  • [–] 16 points 6 days ago

    You must not be following the news. Many data centers get local power from on premises gas turbines and more than a couple are doing so illegally. Put ‘ data center gas turbine’ into your favorite news aggregator and there’s hundreds of articles about this.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 days ago

    Not being forced to follow environmental regulations (hence destroying the environment) is significantly more profitable than following them.

    Or do you think op is talking about companies who produce literally nothing but harm to the environment?

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