We're focusing too much on *how* we built software, not enough on *why*. It should be about people. It is about greed. When we're creating problems instead of solving them, it's time to take a step back
#ai #aipollution #software #software_engineering #anthropocentric
Alerte sur les sites GenAI, extension navigateur (y compris mobile!)
https://addons.mozilla.org/fr/firefox/addon/alerte-sur-les-sites-genai/
#stopAI #AIPollution #AI_slop #chromium #firefox
Experts warn #Trump’s #nuclear blitz could trigger ‘Next #ThreeMileIsland'
by Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams
May 24, 2025
"U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a series of executive orders that will overhaul the independent federal agency that regulates the nation's nuclear power plants in order to speed the construction of new fissile reactors—a move that experts warned will increase safety risks.
"According to a White House statement, Trump's directives 'will usher in a nuclear energy renaissance,' in part by allowing Department of Energy laboratories to conduct nuclear reactor design testing, green-lighting reactor construction on federal lands, and lifting #RegulatoryBarriers 'by requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (#NRC) to issue timely licensing decisions."
"The Trump administration is seeking to shorten the yearslong NRC process of approving new licenses for nuclear power plants and reactors to within 18 months.
"White House Office of Science and Technology Director Michael Kratsios said Friday that 'over the last 30 years, we stopped building nuclear reactors in America—that ends now.'
" 'We are restoring a strong American nuclear industrial base, rebuilding a secure and sovereign domestic nuclear fuel supply chain, and leading the world towards a future fueled by American nuclear energy,' he added. [And radioactive waste!!!]
"However, the Union of Concerned Scientists (#UCS) warned that the executive orders will result in 'all but nullifying' the NRC's regulatory process, 'undermining the independent federal agency's ability to develop and enforce #safety and #security requirements for commercial nuclear facilities.'
" 'This push by the Trump administration to usurp much of the agency's autonomy as they seek to fast-track the construction of nuclear plants will weaken critical, independent #oversight of the U.S. nuclear industry and poses significant safety and security risks to the public,' UCS added.
"#EdwinLyman, director of nuclear power safety at the UCS, said, 'Simply put, the U.S. nuclear industry will fail if safety is not made a priority.'
" 'By fatally compromising the independence and integrity of the NRC, and by encouraging pathways for nuclear deployment that bypass the regulator entirely, the Trump administration is virtually guaranteeing that this country will see a serious accident or other #radiological release that will affect the health, safety, and livelihoods of millions,' Lyman added. 'Such a disaster will destroy public trust in #NuclearPower and cause other nations to reject U.S. #nuclear technology for decades to come.'
"Friday's executive orders follow reporting earlier this month by NPR that revealed the Trump administration has tightened control over the NRC, in part by compelling the agency to send proposed reactor safety rules to the White House for review and possible editing.
"#AllisonMacfarlane, who was nominated to head the NRC during the Obama administration, called the move 'the end of independence of the agency.'
" 'If you aren't independent of political and industry influence, then you are at risk of an accident,' Macfarlane warned.
"On the first day of his second term, Trump also signed executive orders declaring a dubious 'national energy emergency' and directing federal agencies to find ways to reduce regulatory roadblocks to 'unleashing American energy, including by boosting #FossilFuels and nuclear power.
"The rapid advancement and adoption of artificial intelligence systems is creating a tremendous need for energy that proponents say can be met by nuclear power. The Three Mile Island nuclear plant—the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history—is being revived with funding from #Microsoft, while #Google parent company #Alphabet, online retail giant #Amazon, and #Facebook owner #Meta are among the competitors also investing in nuclear energy.
" 'Do we really want to create more #RadioactiveWaste to power the often dubious and questionable uses of #AI?' #JohannaNeumann, Environment America Research & Policy Center's senior director of the Campaign for 100% #RenewableEnergy, asked in December.
" '#BigTech should recommit to solutions that not only work but pose less risk to our #environment and #health,' Neumann added."
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-nuclear-2672196220/
#RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NoNukesForAI #BigTech #EnvironmentalRacism #UraniumMining #NuclearWaste #TEPCOLies #TrumpLies
#HoltecLies #WaterIsLife #NuclearPowerPlants #Datacenters #AIPollution #MicrosoftSucks #TrumpSucks #NuclearIsNotCarbonFree #CancerRates #Downwinders #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a series of executive orders that will overhaul the independent federal agency that regulates the nation's nuclear power plants in order to speed the construction of new fissile reactors—a move that experts warned will increase safety risks.According to a...
Oh yeah. Fast-tracking a #NuclearPlant restart is such a good idea...NOT!
#ThreeMileIsland nuclear plant reboot fast-tracked to 2027
By Laila Kearney
June 25, 2025
Excerpt: "Despite the enthusiasm, nuclear power plant projects have historically been far over budget [leaving taxpayers on the hook] and behind schedule [which is why nuclear plant companies often fabricate and lie about details. They milk it for all it's worth!]
"No fully shut nuclear power plant has been restarted, but at least one other attempted restart - of the #PalisadesNuclearPlant in #Michigan - is under way.
"As the technology industry drives U.S. electricity demand to record highs, nuclear power has broadly seen a resurgence of interest after decades in decline. New York plans to build a new nuclear power plant, which would be one of the first to be constructed in a generation."
#RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NoNukesForAI #BigTech #NuclearWaste #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearIsNotCarbonFree #Pennsylvania #CancerRates #TEPCOLies #HoltecLies #WaterIsLife #NuclearPowerPlants #Datacenters #AIPollution #MicrosoftSucks
ChatGPT Is Flooding the Web With So Much Sludge, AI Might Learn From Itself
A feedback loop of distortions. Recursive intelligence. Garbage in, garbage smarter?
#AIpollution #RecursiveAI #SyntheticContent #DigitalEntropy #TheInternetIsCrack
The noise of #BitcoinMining is driving #Americans crazy
Constant hum of fans that cool #DataCenter computers is turning residents against #Trump's pro-#cryptocurrency agenda
Scientists are increasingly linking 'prolonged exposure to #NoisePollution with cardiovascular damage'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
published 5 days ago
"The relentless '#MechanicalHowl' of a #cryptocurrency mining facility has become 'the soundtrack to life for hundreds of residents' in #GranburyTX, a small rural town in #Texas, said The Guardian.
" ;It echoes across agricultural land and forests, chasing away deer. It seeps into walls, vibrating bedrooms and dinner tables.' One resident said it was as though a 'jet engine is forever stationed nearby'.
"Bitcoin mining has exploded in the US over the past decade, particularly in the wake of Donald Trump's re-election to the White House and his embrace of cryptocurrency. But it's an energy-intensive process: the powerful computers that create and protect the cryptocurrency need fans on the go constantly to cool them down. And across #rural, mostly #Republican towns, residents are getting sick of the noise – and getting sick, full stop."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/fnuCT
#AIColonialism #NoNukesForAI #AISucks #WaterIsLife #Enshittification #AIPollution #NoisePollution
#DataCenters #USPol #NoisePollution
#Kentucky is welcoming a #DataCenter boom. But what are the #environmental costs?
by Connor Giffin
April 29, 2025
"Some of the biggest companies in the world are eyeing Kentucky and neighboring states for data center development, as surging interest in artificial intelligence pushes the industry to scour the country for energy, land and water.
"The projects carry a promise of historic investment. Experts say they could also deepen some of Kentucky’s foremost environmental challenges.
"Sprawling data centers have been announced in Jefferson County, across the river in Southern #Indiana, and most recently in Oldham County — where opponents fear a $6 billion proposed project could upend rural character, quality of life and water resources.
"Data centers are critical infrastructure for internet and cloud services, underpinning everything from emails to online shopping. Due to their vast scale of computational power, cooling systems and other operations, large data centers have an insatiable demand for energy.
"The major projects coming to the Louisville area will demand hundreds of megawatts — enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. Data centers are expected to make up 7-12% of all U.S. electricity consumption by 2028, up from 2% about a decade ago.
"In Kentucky, a small portion of power generation comes from renewable sources, like solar power. Most comes from coal, widely considered the most polluting form of energy, or gas, which also brings emissions with planet-warming consequences.
"With a looming spike in power demand and pressure to meet that demand, advocates fear utilities could turn to highly polluting fuels. But some hope the demand could also push utilities to diversify with more renewables, as data center operators call for as much power as possible, as soon as possible.
"The industry has tried to assuage fears of environmental harm. Some data center operators have indicated plans to use renewable energy or take steps in development to protect waterways and preserve green space.
"State and local officials are welcoming data centers with open arms. The Kentucky General Assembly this year expanded sales and use tax exemptions for 'qualified data center projects' in a bill lobbied by #Google and #Meta."
#AIColonialism #NoNukesForAI #AISucks #WaterIsLife #Enshittification #AIPollution #NoisePollution
#DataCenters
AI's Air Pollution Problem: Data Center Energy Use Adds to Deadly Emissions
Published Dec 12, 2024
"The energy required for artificial intelligence causes air pollution from fossil-fueled power sources, a new study has found, and the authors warn that as AI grows so will the health burden from air pollution unless data centers use cleaner power.
"Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, and CalTech project that growing demand for power for the AI boom could result in as many as 1,300 premature deaths and billions of dollars in health costs in the U.S. each year by the end of this decade.
"Despite growth in cleaner energy and progress in pollution controls, many parts of the country still rely heavily on coal and natural gas to generate electricity, and pollutants from power plants such as fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
"The rapid growth of data centers to drive AI will be a major source of demand for electricity and thus a major contributor to air pollution, the researchers said.
" 'These are real impacts that we'll be seeing if we're not taking any actions right now,' UC Riverside associate professor of electrical and computer engineering Shaolei Ren told Newsweek. 'And those are preventable to a large extent.'
"Ren and his co-authors drew on industry data about energy consumption by data centers and used a tool developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to calculate the air pollution and health impacts from the electricity use [that was before the #Trumpian era].
"However, many data centers also rely on backup generators separate from the electric grid. For example, when Elon #Musk launched his #xAI data center in Memphis, Tennessee, in July, it relied on a fleet of mobile generators, raising #pollution concerns among residents there."
#AIColonialism #NoNukesForAI #AISucks #WaterIsLife #Enshittification #AIPollution #NoisePollution
#DataCenters
AI data centers are making your electricity supply worse and could damage your home, new study says
Katie Balevic, Lloyd Lee
December 29, 2024
"A Bloomberg analysis assessed readings from some 770,000 homes from February to October and found that over 75% of 'highly distorted power readings across the country are within 50 miles of significant #DataCenter activity.'
"Stresses on the power grid can lead to inconsistent power quality, and as the power quality decreases, the risk increases, Bloomberg reported. Inconsistent energy flow can cause #electronics to overheat, leading to sparks or even #HouseFires.
"A small handful of large tech companies own the vast majority of global data centers — and they show no signs of slowing down as they pour billions into building more powerful AI models.
"#Amazon, #Google, and #Microsoft own about 65% of the cloud infrastructure market, which includes data centers, according to a 2023 report from market research firm Synergy Research Group.
"Google announced in April that it's investing $3 billion to build and expand data centers in #Virginia and #Indiana. The search engine giant unveiled its latest AI model, #Gemini 2.0, in December.
"#Amazon, which is a large investor in AI startup #Anthropic, is investing another $10 billion in Ohio data centers, Gov. Mike DeWine announced on December 16.
"Microsoft, which has invested $13 billion in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, said in September that the company has partnered with other investors, including #BlackRock, in a $100 billion energy infrastructure project. The project will include 'new and expanded data centers,' the company said.
"To meet AI's increasing energy demands, companies like Google have also started turning to #NuclearPower to find more reliable and sustainable energy sources."
https://www.aol.com/news/ai-data-centers-making-electricity-195931626.html?guccounter=1
#AIColonialism #NoNukesForAI #AISucks #WaterIsLife #Enshittification #AIPollution #NoisePollution
#DataCenters
FIRE AT HILLSBORO DATA CENTER
5/26/2025
"On Thursday, May 23rd, a thick cloud of putrid black smoke rose over #HillsboroOR. The smoke was from an early morning fire at one of the massive #DataCenters based in the city. According to local media, the fire originated from #batteries inside the Digital Realty (PDX 11) #DataCenter. Unfortunately, the flames did not spread to the rest of the data center and the damage was minimal. Firefighters let the fire burn itself out for five hours. The fire caused major disruptions on the web, including big outages to X/Twitter, which was reportedly one of the companies leasing space at the data center. There is currently no public information about the cause of the fire."
https://rosecitycounterinfo.noblogs.org/2025/05/fire-at-hillsboro-data-center/
#OregonDataCenters #SiliconForest #AISucks #NoNukesForAI
#WaterIsLife #Enshittification #AIPollution #NoisePollution
#DataCenters
csolomonides
Édouard Lopez
DoomsdaysCW
The Internet is Crack
