Maintaining the current trajectory of AI development requires computing power. This computing power doesn’t come from nowhere and relies on data centers, which is why these facilities keep popping up. The situation is only getting worse. There may not be much concern about the environmental impact of new data center operations, and many of them will be built in drought-stricken areas. Climate change debate aside, residents often object to “computer factories” when they affect us, so to speak. For example, residents of Newton County, Georgia, were openly unhappy with Meta’s new data center being built in the area, citing water supply issues.
This is becoming a central issue in the United States. Reports that Amazon’s data centers burned 2.5 billion gallons of water in a year were nothing more than a confirmation of what critics already knew about AI’s environmental impact. While this particular headline may have gone unnoticed by many, Nashville residents surprisingly rallied against the construction of DC Blox’s new data center, to protect animals at a nearby zoo. From what exactly?
Well, data centers do more than just drive up utility prices. In addition to impacting the water supply, the facilities also introduce noise pollution and infrasound, which can significantly impact the Nashville Zoo’s endangered animals. Fortunately, the Nashville Zoo’s data center sparked a public outcry. The petition garnered more than 520,000 signatures, and the city’s mayor, Freddie O’Connell, introduced a bill to acquire the vacant land on which DC Blox planned to build the data center.
Nashville shows solidarity with zoo
According to the Nashville Zoo, infrasound emitted by the proposed 69,000 square foot data center adjacent to the facility could harm animals on the premises. In a blog post, the Nashville Zoo also shared an anecdote about a Texas rancher who saw no live livestock births on his ranch after a data center popped up near his property. Water is another problem. The zoo’s stormwater retention system already operates 24 hours a day to purify runoff from the industrial park planned for the new data center. Of greatest concern is the impact on local tributaries, one of which even contains federally protected crayfish species.
Light pollution could also disrupt animals’ sleep cycles and behavior, but it’s not just an issue at the zoo. The data center in question is expected to consume a minimum of 50 megawatts, which the zoo says is equivalent to at least 30,000 single-family homes and will put additional strain on Nashville’s power grid. Citizens opposed to the data center’s construction found an ally in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who said the city had found better uses for the vacant land. So he filed a condemnation bill to acquire the property and make it available to the public. Mind you, the land is valued at over $36 million, proving that a common enemy easily bridges the gap between citizens and politicians.
