White house meeting ended up with a “morally binding” agreement to be more generous to communities/states considering data centers.
Apparently, its cheaper to spend $1B on “toxic sludge is good for you” lies than it is to offer community benefits.
I think it’s well past time we all stop treating oligarchs like they don’t have something to gain by supporting each other. 1 billion from Amazon dissuading people from believing data centers are bad for the people around them = more money for health care companies when those people inevitably get sick. Those companies likely use AWS, which means some of that money gets funneled back into Amazon.
I’m sure I’m simplifying how things will actually work but this doesn’t seem entirely outside the realm of possibility. Not to mention that 1B Amazon is spending is, essentially, investing in a disinformation/ propaganda machine - which has benefits down the line. Not to the people, of course.
toxic sludge is good for you
This is perhaps obscure, but a reference to a famous PR book from the 1970s. Datacenter harm is mostly about electricity scarcity pricing for rest of US, noise and sometimes water use, and financial loss. There can be pollution/global warming associated concerns, but its not a major health care issue.
stop treating oligarchs like they don’t have something to gain by supporting each other.
This is indeed the core issue in America. Israel first rulership is part of the support circle, and much more so, since 2024.
That $1B budget is unlikely to be TV advertisements for datacenters. It’s likely to be bribes that get all of the pre-election candidate opposition to projects go quiet after election.
They can’t spend that fucking money on making this shit in a way that’s compliant instead?
Yeah, if data centers used solar power, batteries, and cooling that doesn’t waste water, I think communities wouldn’t mind (as much).
It’s not even that. Plenty of data centres are also being built illegally, in gross violation of environmental regulation. Straight up criminal.
If I had fucking 280 billion and wanted to build the world’s biggest data center right fucking now, you bet your ass I’d buy out the entire production chain of renewables infrastructure and get fucking even richer for the next 50 years as I use the stuff at the start to make the data center, then the rest to charge the local population for green energy, and to spend the rest of the supply chain after to sell more green energy production stuff.
If you had 280 billion, you wouldn’t give two hot shits about destroying the world.
Not really, I keep up with the news and want to achieve nice things.
then the rest to charge the local population for green energy
Evil.
cooling that doesn’t waste water
That would increase their already insane power consumption
The cruelty is the point.
That’s $1B+ that could have increased paychecks or benefits or bathroom breaks.
Holy shit, why would anyone still work there after moves like that?
Amazon seems to be riding on the desperation of poor uneducated people. When you can choose between starving homelessness for you and your kids and working at amazon, your ideals tend to take a backseat. And Amazon works hard to break your spirit and perpetually keep you that desperate.
I much more blame the people willingly using their services. Stop buying shit from amazon.
I refuse to buy anything from Amazon. Means at times I have to pay more, get something slightly different or not at all. IDGAF, it’s the only way to have an impact on them
Amazon offers education to their employees as well, it isn’t like they aren’t investing in their people - they just do it in a soul sucking manner.
If they want data centers so damn bad we can be sure they will not be good for us.
Nothing says “we’re the good guys” quite like having to lavishly bribe the public not to hate and obstruct your every move.
I laughed the other day when seeing a add in favor of datacenters.
and that if the common folk don’t get in line and support their development, the nation could be left in the dust.
The oh so important race to higher computing numbers again? While not giving the infrastructure to scientific research?
