Larke Newell is a freelance journalist who divides her time between Canada and Panama. Being very concerned about the state of her country, she writes articles to draw attention to current issues.It appears that North America is fiercely divided on the subject of data centres being located on our soil. As is unusual in our two countries, both Canada and the United States are, at worst, adamant and, at best, ambivalent regarding the invasion by these behemoths. A necessary evil or additional overreach?Even the infamous Erin Brockovich has thrown her hat in the ring and entered the fray in full battle mode. According to The Guardian, this thirty-year veteran of legal battles against big corporations, in the name of progress and the mindless poisoning of our pristine countries and their inhabitants, is armed and ready for battle.Upon receiving thirty emails from residents of a small US town complaining about data centres, Ms. Brockovich put out a call on her website for like-minded citizens. Immediately, she received 3862 responses. One of these reported that their water bill increased within one month after the installation of the nearby data centre, from $22.00 to over $350.00.Other responders reported wildlife disappearing and animals lying dead in unlikely places. Bulldozers arriving before any public notice or discussion. NDAs signed by their own elected officials, effectively preventing them from warning their constituents. One very pertinent question was put forth: “If data centres are so great, why are they being built in secret?”Also reported by The Guardian, two-thirds of the US data centres are erected in drought-stricken areas. They require up to five million gallons of water per day, equivalent to the average usage of fifty thousand people. Let that sink in.A campaign opposing the construction of a data centre in Nashville, Tennessee, in close proximity to the Nashville Zoo, has surged past 400,000 signatures, due in part to the support from country singer Brad Paisley. He commented, “First of all, they don’t have the power to build this. They don’t have the water. It doesn’t belong there. It would be an enormous monstrosity, an absolute eyesore, and detract in every way from the zoo and surrounding area.” This zoo, which received 1.4 million visitors last year and is home to 3700 animals, was described by Paisley as “one of the top zoos in the world.” The zoo stated emphatically that there is a definite lack of publicly available studies assessing potential harm..As Mark Carney pushes AI and digital sovereignty vehemently to further his own devious agenda, there are both pros and cons to be considered, in spite of his tunnel vision. From soaring energy bills to huge environmental impacts, there are serious downsides to being neighbours to one of these projects. Electricity grid strain, excessive water consumption, constant noise both day and night, and air pollution, to name a few.Often, AI centres are erected on rural sites due to lower power grid demand. This entails massive clear-cutting and site preparation, permanently altering forested and undeveloped land by the hundreds of acres.The promised economic benefits are often gravely overstated. In short, data centres rarely improve local economies, as often stated. Property values are in upheaval, insurance premiums rise, and often homeowner displacement, whether singly or entire residential areas, is unavoidable.The federal government issued this statement: “Canada will double the electricity grid, largely with clean power, hydro, nuclear, and renewables, and leverage its cold climate to give itself a built-in cost advantage that competitors are spending billions to replicate artificially while minimizing carbon footprint and water usage.” (Sound like more Carney word salad?)“New projects must meet strong environmental standards, use energy and water responsibly, deliver tangible benefits to local communities, and ensure taxpayers are not left bearing unreasonable costs for private development.” Ha. That would be after Carney gets his cut, of course.There has been a definite change regarding these structures in Canada. The ones currently being built have ten times the capacity of the previous ones. There are five hyperscale data centres at this time — two in BC and the other three in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Currently, an additional ninety-six are either under construction or planned for the near future..Alberta is the preferred location with such advantages as a fibre optic network, a skilled workforce, and the provincial government making it clear that they are open for business. Once again, the lure of dollars over any other considerations. As well, their deregulated electric system and cheap natural gas are attracting the centre builders.To quote Byron Hackett, Managing Editor of the Red Deer Advocate, “Here we are on the heels of a $13 billion investment in our province from Meta. The numbers sound great to most Albertans: The project will create more than 3000 construction jobs and support 300 operational jobs.It will generate approximately $250 million annually in benefits for Albertans.Meta is also investing approximately $60 million in local infrastructure improvements.But at what cost? There is no question that Meta plunked its data centre in Sturgeon County, north of Edmonton, because the Alberta government relaxed regulations and the regulatory environment to pave the way for it.”The one gigawatt centre will draw as much power as the entire city of Edmonton. Research has shown that on average, a ChatGPT query needs nearly ten times as much electricity to process as a Google search.To be fair, data centre developers are attempting to find more efficient use of water by using a closed-loop system similar to a car radiator. This, in my opinion, is a drop in the bucket, no pun intended. Some are investing in off-grid power generation. I suppose you could call that a step in the right direction.I am not opposed to progress in any way, but I am opposed to the further destruction of our continent and the further stripping away of our people’s financial security and quality of life.Larke Newell is a freelance journalist who divides her time between Canada and Panama. Being very concerned about the state of her country, she writes articles to draw attention to current issues.
