[flagged]
'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
51–60 of 194 posts
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#52> There’s an acute water shortage in The Netherlands right now. When I open BlueSky, everyone is talking about water being increasingly wasted on cooling data centres. And for what? To generate more AI shit.
Ah, the water-use BS again. In Europe, other than in the US, water use for data centers is strictly regulated. You cannot just do open-loop cooling and use a tap-water -> chiller -> sewer line. Things have to be closed-loop so there is no water consumption beyond the initial filling. The only thing you could get away with is to mist your outdoor units on the one or two hottest days per year. But even that is getting more and more restricted.
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#53What exactly are they trying to accomplish? I doubt they would just abandon the project. They would just redo the concrete which would emit even more emissions.
It’s as productive as people who glue themselves to roadways. It irritates drivers/commuters (who are then more likely to have a negative view of the cause) and it slows traffic resulting in even more fuel usage. Yet, they think they are doing something good.
Roadway gluing is designed to sway public opinion -> change politics -> affect the corporations.
This is designed to... affect the corporations. (Swaying public opinion could be seen as a secondary effect.)
I also realize it's not that simple. They probably didn't affect Microsoft here, rather a construction company, who are now calling their insurance company? Or the construction company is eating the cost for the damage, because it's deemed that the site wasn't adequately secured?
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#54I hate all this weird activist stuff. It's pointless. Someone just pays for it and the problem is fixed.
If you want to sabotage their hyperscale data centre construction, you probably should do it from the inside. Get the skills, get a job, get to the top and do a fucking terrible job of it like MSFT's C-suite.
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#55An obvious point, but if Europe wants sovereign onshore AI, they have to get these people under control. It's easy for Microsoft to simply build EU-serving datacenters elsewhere.
Who is Europe? I'm sure Ursula vdL wants onshore AI since she can tax it.
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's similar to the people who block roadways to protest climate change. Usually it makes the commuters frustrated and doesn't change anything. Personally I think data centers should pay a 100% fossil fuel tax. Markets respond to incentives.
I think fossil fuel taxes are a great idea, but if one consumer, data centers, should pay it, shouldn't all consumers (private car owners) pay it too? That's the only way we'll be able to make good decisions about what types of fossil fuels are useful (i.e. more good than harm) and which are pointless luxuries.
No. Industrial vs consumer use is night and day. Industrial has much higher draw of resources and should pay more as a result especially when total capacity needs to increase specifically for them.
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#57I suspect many HN commenters would be surprised to learn just how much the general public are on the side of these activists, condoning if not outright applauding their actions.
Yep. Even in very red areas like Texas, isn't the public opinion something like 95% opposed? City councils keep allowing it despite this, clearly due to bribes. Whole situation sucks.
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#58Love this
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yet here we are talking about the environmental impact of Microsoft data centres in NL. We wouldn’t otherwise be.
Are we talking about the environmental impact? Or are we talking about the vandalism perpetrated by activists? Attention on the protestors is not necessarily attention on the protestors' cause.
> Are we talking about the environmental impact?
Yes, obviously. Scroll up or down.
Re: 'We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction'
#60What exactly are they trying to accomplish? I doubt they would just abandon the project. They would just redo the concrete which would emit even more emissions.
delay the project, bring attention to the problem, feel better about themselves by doing “something”. “That achieves nothing” sounds like what a Microsoft PR person would want you to think.
> feel better about themselves by doing “something”.
"The real friends are the clicks and attention you receive along the way."