#America #water #WaterUsage #infrastructure
"[Landon Marston and Yunus Naseri] have created the United States Water Withdrawals Database, the first nationwide resource to track who is drawing water from rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, and in what amounts."
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/01/eng-cee-water-database.html
Virginia Tech: New database reveals how Americans use water. “[Landon Marston and Yunus Naseri] have created the United States Water Withdrawals Database, the first nationwide resource to track who is drawing water from rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers, and in what amounts.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/02/03/virginia-tech-new-database-reveals-how-americans-use-water/New York Times: Microsoft Pledged to Save Water. In the A.I. Era, It Expects Water Use to Soar. . This link goes to a gift article. “Internal forecasts that Microsoft made last year, which were obtained by The New York Times, show the company expected its annual water needs for roughly 100 data center complexes worldwide to more than triple this decade to 28 billion liters in 2030. That […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/01/29/new-york-times-microsoft-pledged-to-save-water-in-the-a-i-era-it-expects-water-use-to-soar/Berkeley News: This Berkeley professor is exposing the hidden physical toll of our digital world. “In her forthcoming book, Earthy Algorithms: A Materialist Reading of Digital Literature, [Professor Alex] Saum-Pascual argues that digital tools like generative AI mask the messy reality of the internet — the massive energy, hardware and human labor it requires — to trick us into thinking we […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/01/24/berkeley-news-this-berkeley-professor-is-exposing-the-hidden-physical-toll-of-our-digital-world/Thirsty Data: The Hidden Water and Energy Costs of Texas’ Data Center Boom https://harcresearch.org/news/thirsty-data-the-hidden-water-and-energy-costs-of-texas-data-center-boom/ #HARC #HoustonAdvancedResearchCenter #WaterUse #WaterUsage #WaterConsumption #DataCenters #AI #generativeAI #genAI #TechIndustry #Tech #EnvironmentalHarms #EnergyUse #EnergyConsumption
CNBC: Data center deals hit record $61 billion in 2025 amid construction frenzy. “Global stocks sold off in November as worries of an AI-fueled bubble persisted. But S&P Global reported that more than $61 billion has flowed into the data center market this year, up slightly from $60.8 billion last year, amid what it called a ‘global construction frenzy.'”
https://rbfirehose.com/2025/12/21/cnbc-data-center-deals-hit-record-61-billion-in-2025-amid-construction-frenzy/Tom’s Hardware: OpenAI’s Stargate data center gets approval to receive 1.4 gigawatts of power in Michigan — some residents furious as energy company is given go-ahead by regulatory body without hearing opposition. “This move meant that DTE Energy did not have to go through a lengthy hearing, wherein opposing groups could seek expert testimony and present evidence to challenge DTE’s claims. […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2025/12/20/toms-hardware-openais-stargate-data-center-gets-approval-to-receive-1-4-gigawatts-of-power-in-michigan-some-residents-furious-as-energy-company-is-given-go-ahead-by-regulatory-body-with/The Hidden Cost of AI: Water Waste and Community Impact
Conversations about AI often overlook its environmental impact, specifically water consumption from local communities due to inefficient cooling systems. Closed-loop systems, similar to those used by hobbyists, are viable for data centers but ignored for cost-effectiveness. Sustainable practices are essential to protect ecosystems and communities from the industry's unchecked expansion.
Gizmodo: All the Bad Things That Can Happen When You Generate a Sora Video. “The Sora app is powered by Sora 2, an AI model—and a rather breathtaking one to be honest. It can create videos that run the gamut of quality from from banal to profoundly satanic. It is a black hole of energy and data, and also a distributor of highly questionable content. Like so many things these days, using Sora […]
Ummmm... Earth Has Tilted 31.5 Inches. That Shouldn’t Happen. Can we fix it back?
By Tim Newcomb, Published: Nov 15, 2025
Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:
- When humans pump #groundwater, it has a substantial impact on the tilt of Earth’s rotation.
- Additionally, a study documents just how much of an influence groundwater pumping has on #ClimateChange.
- Understanding this relatively recent data may provide a better understanding of how to help stave off #SeaLevelRise."
"NASA research published in 2016 alerted us to the fact that the distribution of water can change the Earth’s rotation. This study in Geophysical Research Letters attempts to add some hard figures to that realization. 'I’m very glad to find the unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift,' Seo says. 'On the other hand, as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised to see that pumping groundwater is another source of sea-level rise.'
"The study included data from 1993 through 2010, and showed that the pumping of as much as 2,150 gigatons of groundwater has caused a change in the Earth’s tilt of roughly 31.5 inches. The pumping is largely for irrigation and human use, with the groundwater eventually relocating to the oceans.
In the study, researchers modeled observed changes in the drift of Earth’s rotational pole and the movement of water. Across varying scenarios, the only model that matched the drift was one that included 2,150 gigatons of groundwater distribution."
Archived version:
archive.ph/LgKrm
#WaterIsLife #Datacenters #Groundwater #Aquifers #PlanetEarth #LoveYourMotherEarth #LoveYourMother #NoWaterForAI #Fracking #WaterUsage #WaterDisplacement
Recent analyses reveal stark disparities in AI data center water usage, from Google's 0.26 mL per prompt to Mistral's 45 mL, driven by cooling and electricity factors. ❤️ #AI #datacenters #EnvironmentalImpact #ESG #Regulation #sustainability #techindustry #WaterUsage #redrobot
The Guardian: Amazon strategised about keeping its datacentres’ full water use secret, leaked document shows. “Amazon strategised about keeping the public in the dark over the true extent of its datacentres’ water use, a leaked internal document reveals. The biggest owner of datacentres in the world, Amazon dwarfs competitors Microsoft and Google and is planning a huge increase in capacity […]
Oh no! 🙊 A trillion-dollar corporation tries to hide its water usage like it's the recipe for Coca-Cola. 🥤💧 Apparently, letting everyone know they're not just a rainforest-destroying juggernaut but also a thirst-quenching data hoarder would be bad PR. Who would've thought? 🙄
https://www.source-material.org/amazon-leak-reveals-true-data-centres-water-usage-secret-plan/ #corporateaccountability #waterusage #PRdisaster #datasecrecy #rainforestprotection #HackerNews #ngated
Internal memo reveals Amazon’s consideration to conceal total water use of its datacentres
What are the potential implications for AWS's Water Positive pledge if the full water footprint, including indirect uses, is considered, @aibot, and how might regulators respond?
New York Times: From Mexico to Ireland, Fury Mounts Over a Global A.I. Frenzy. This link goes to a gift article. “In Ireland, data centers consume more than 20 percent of the country’s electricity. In Chile, precious aquifers are in danger of depletion. In South Africa, where blackouts have long been routine, data centers are further taxing the national grid. Similar concerns have surfaced in […]
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Nebraska-developed map highlights U.S. water rights systems, informs governance. “The map illustrates that western states generally adhere to the prior appropriation system, which prioritizes water rights seniority and is typically independent of land ownership. In contrast, eastern states largely follow common law principles, granting landowners the right to use […]
Tom’s Hardware: Michigan township sued by AI data center builder and disgruntled residents over opposition to the site — mounting concerns about rising power bills and water usage fuel growing skepticism. “The industry has seen around a trillion dollars’ worth of investment and deals in the past weeks alone, but the high power and water usage of AI data centers come at a price for their […]
The Conversation: OpenAI’s newly launched Sora 2 makes AI’s environmental impact impossible to ignore. “Generating an image uses the electricity of a microwave running for five seconds, while making a five-second video clip takes up as much as a microwave running for over an hour. The next leap from text and image to high-definition video could dramatically increase AI’s impact. Early […]
So, taking off to run a few errands. I'm thinking that this afternoon/evening I'll be posting about a topic that's been on my mind for a while -- is #AI #DumbingUsDown? A lot of you won't be surprised at what the studies say. AI and #DataCenters are NOT worth the price to the #Environment or our #BrainHealth!
#AISucks #AIIsDumbingUsDown #NoNukesForAI #NoNukesForDatacenters #ElectricityHogs #WaterUsage #WaterIsLife #NoisePollution
