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To the Journal editor:
Ryan Soucy's Letter to the Editor in late July, "We Need A Better Conversation About Data Centers" needs some clarification. His comment that data centers "generally cannot be prohibited throughout an entire community”, is not correct. If a community feels that the infrastructure needs that a business requires to produce its product, and, or, the product produced is incompatible with the stated values for that community, they may declare that a data center business is not allowed. Examples would be rocket launch sites, strip clubs or cannabis dispensaries, etc. So why would a community want to ban a data center development?
First, they require huge demands for electricity and most importantly lots of cold fresh water for cooling purposes. Siting of data centers within communities has increased electricity infrastructure demands and raised electricity rates for citizens within that community. There are also multiple case reports of water availability problems and dramatic lowering of ground water tables. Many public and private wells have dried up following data centers beginning operation within these communities. Initially, clean water taken in by data centers, is frequently contaminated with PFAS, corrosion inhibitors and anti-bacterial compounds once used and discharged. Data centers also create tremendous noise trespass onto adjacent properties that has been very difficult to mitigate. So despite these negatives, what is their product?
Second, data centers are now producing products detrimental to our quality of life and our society at large.
1. Cryptocurrencies. An electronic form of money that is not backed by anything real or tangible. It is backed only by faith that the creators have developed hack-proof electronic algorithms and that large electricity and water flows are insured to be supplied continuously every minute, every day, into the future indefinitely. All cryptocurrencies are valued for their global lack of any transparency in financial interactions. Criminals, drug cartels, tax evaders and all manner of people who have something to hide, benefit from cryptocurrency and data centers that create it.
2. Collection, storage and sale of your personal data. Yes, your loss of privacy is part of the data center's business plan. This includes creation of deep fakes of you or others for malicious activities or money making schemes.
3. Creation of heartless artificial humans to make important decisions for our society at large. This is a job destruction feature of data centers that benefits the billionaire tech class with more money and power at the expense of the working class. Although artificial intelligence can be useful up to a point (I used it today to write this), we always reach a point of more and more having less and less benefit and more risk for human society, our natural environment, quality of life and health. AI is now just fanning the flames of our serious electronic device addiction pandemic. The age-old values of having a non-virtual heart centered conversation and interaction with another human being are becoming atrophied and fading. If we give up our critical thinking skills to machines, our brains become weaker and can no longer realize their full amazing potential that is way beyond AI.
Sometimes wise planning involves more than just allowing anything with some conditions. If the infrastructure demands of the new business on the taxpayer are extreme and their products are ethically or environmentally at odds within the collective values of the community, then “just say no" is the correct answer. So, contrary to what (is said by) Mr. Soucy, who is (not only) a planner but also an electrician, local communities can have very solid justifications to "just say no" to data center developments within their counties, townships and municipalities.