Earlier quoted context omitted.
The heat has to go somewhere and that is the environment. 300 MWh is enough energy to boil over 3k metric tons of water. That's 107 medium fuel trucks for perspective.
Yeah it gets radiated into space
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Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
241–250 of 346 posts
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#242Earlier quoted context omitted.
This seemed high to me. According to Google, one ton of water takes about 730kWh to boil. So I think you’re off by an order of magnitude, it’s only ~450 metric tons. (But this assumes that no heat is radiated away in other forms.)
Google confused you. One needs 730 kWh to fully evaporate 1 ton of water. Otherwise it's 1.16 Wh/kg (or kWh/ton) to rise the temprature by 1°C. Thus one needs a delta of 80°C, so 93 Wh to boil a kg of 20°C water. That's what my napkin math was based on. I used that metric a lot to calculate heat deltas in storage tanks.
I think it's the context that's confusing here. Given the topic the first thought is evaporative cooling but IIUC your intention was to give perspective by comparing to a volume of water raised to the boiling point.
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#243There’s lots of anti ai and anti tech coming from hn and in general lately. I guess this is start of the hit list.
Reference Cipolla's basic laws of human stupidity. The commenters are genuinely unaware of how they are harming others and themselves.
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#244Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it a canard? In Florida a data center drew water in an unauthorized way and the surrounding community had issues with brown water and had to go into water rationing. Even if datacenters are highly efficient, if the water supply is strained, you can pollute people’s supply by drawing wells down too far and things like that.
There are lots of nonsensical stories like this circulating on social media right now. Water draw for datacenters can't turn tap water brown. That's a supply or piping issue.
Hyperscalers are a drain on existing infrastructure- which is exactly why the Netherlands banned them.
Companies are in the business of privatizing profits and socialising losses.
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#245Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most everybody isn't affected by data center build outs.
Some people have empathy for those who are, even if they are not. I don't live anywhere near SpaceX's methane monstrosity in Memphis, but I still think it shouldn't exist because of the negative impact it has on the people who live near it. And I still think Anthropic became fully complicit by renting it out.
I often see empathy being mentioned in places where I can totally see the self-preservation link: if other people are negatively affected, it will sooner or later also affect me personally negatively. I am totally fine with seeing empathy and compassion as tools for self-preservation, without assigning any morality to it. Unless I kill you and all of your tribe and anyone else who cares about you, not caring about your needs will backfire on me. It simply makes rational sense to see what you need and make you happy so I can stay happy too.
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#246Earlier quoted context omitted.
It does seem most of the pro-AI people aren't actually affected by any of the negative aspects of it. It's a lot easier to be in favor of something that doesn't actually affect you or anyone you care about.
Most everybody isn't affected by data center build outs.
Except the people living next to them but they don't count because reasons.
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#247Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe the issue is the "reassurance" is identical to propaganda and manipulation. It definitely doesn't help that the companies having to "reassure" people have aligned themselves with so many others that have been pushing propaganda to manipulate others for some time now. Nor does it help that many of the same companies that need to "reassure" people are also actively doing the opposite - see the billboards bragging…
Reassurance is identical to propaganda and manipulation insofar as all attempt to convey beliefs. Reassurance, here, should be apparently different in that it conveys true information. In the history of mankind, it has never been easier to discern between true and false information. If people want to throw up their hands and start believing whatever feels right, they are permitted to do so. Though they have a duty no…
How can the average citizen who knows nothing about engineering/technology determine that their electric bill [as the result of a new datacenter in town] won't go up as truthful or falsehood?
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#248Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're right, we should build it in a third world country instead!
I'd argue we don't need to build a 9 GW data center anywhere. But that's just me.
There is very little we do that is "needed" if you break it down to actual necessities (basic needs pyramid).
Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#249Re: Erin Brockovich made a map to track data centers around the country
#250Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really think advocating against building data centers in Box Elder County Utah kind of gives away the whole game here. The impact logic is so clearly motivated. Have you ever been there? Or even near there? Like, driven from San Francisco to the East Coast at one point? It's a literal wasteland. It is like being on the moon.
I knew someone would come out and say that. To answer your question, I have driven through, multiple times. I suggest starting with Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire to raise your awareness.
Edward Abby wrote about southern Utah. Red rock country. Box Elder County is northern Utah. Night and day.