AI Data centres use as much power as a city!!! - Stand.earth petition

 please sign:

View this email in your browser

Hi Christopher,  Whether you use ChatGPT or not, it seems like AI is everywhere these days. You’re not imagining things – tech companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars to build out AI capabilities, and all that infrastructure requires a lot of electricity. Which begs the question – how will we power these giant data centers  that can use the same amount of electricity as whole cities? The choice  is stark, and right now, signs are pointing toward using fossil fuels. That  means more air pollution, more water pollution, more pipelines, and  more climate harming emissions. So if you care about the climate and communities, the answer is simple.  You power these data centers with around the clock, local renewable  energy, or you don’t build them in the first place. As a company that claims to be a climate leader and responsible  community partner we’re calling on Microsoft to ensure that its  new AI data centers are powered by local, round the clock  renewable energy, and provide substantial benefits for the  surrounding communities. Will you join us? ADD YOUR VOICE Microsoft touts that it “will procure 100% renewable energy” for its data centers, but the reality on the ground is that its data centers are directly driving the buildout of fossil fuel infrastructure. In our latest report, we catalogued how in North Carolina, the fossil fuel lobby cited Microsoft data  centers as a reason why the state must fast track and build additional gas pipelines and power plants.  This isn’t just hypothetical. To meet demand from Microsoft and othe r big tech companies, in Person County, NC, the local utility is  proposing building gas plants next to a local elementary school.  And when you consider that electricity demand from Microsoft’s North  American data centers is set to rival that of the entire New England  region by 2030, it becomes crystal clear that how Microsoft  (and the rest of the AI sector) powers these data centers is of utmost importance. Tell Microsoft to start acting like the climate and community leader  they claim to be and ensure that all new data centers are run on  24/7, local renewable energy – not methane gas and coal. Microsoft is the second-largest company in the world by market cap,  and they invested $80 billion in AI over the last fiscal year – that’s  more than the GDP of most countries. As a self-proclaimed climate  and community leader, Microsoft has a responsibility to ensure  its data centers don’t harm communities or the climate, and we  intend to hold them accountable. The Stand.earth community is no stranger to taking on big targets  (and winning 😉). We’ve worked to protect millions of acres of forests  from extractive industries. We’ve gone up against multinational oil, gas,  and coal companies worth billions of dollars and come out victorious,  blocking dozens of their projects that would have poisoned local  communities and accelerated the climate crisis. We’ve shifted billions  of dollars of purchasing from corporate powerhouses like Starbucks,  Staples, and Lululemon onto sustainable pathways. And with your support, Microsoft will be next. In solidarity, Nathan Taft (he/him) Senior Campaigner Stand.earth

Stand.earth delivers large-scale change by interrupting the systems that create environmental and climate crises, and challenging corporations and governments to treat people and the planet with respect. Our Work   Ways to Give San Francisco office: 548 Market Street, Suite 74196, San Francisco, CA 94104-5401 On traditional Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone Lands Bellingham office: 1329 N State St., Bellingham, WA 98225 On traditional Lummi and Nooksack Lands Vancouver office: 5307 Victoria Drive, Suite 347, Vancouver, BC V5P 3V6 On Unceded Territories of the səl̓ílwətaʔɬ, xʷməθkwəy̓əm, and Skwxwú7mesh Nations Unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences