this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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Futurology

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A report from Morgan Stanley suggests the datacenter industry is on track to emit 2.5 billion tons by 2030, which is three times higher than the predictions if generative AI had not come into play.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago

anything useful

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Create a wave of people out of jobs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

make em use solar power? and wind and batteries?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

so does everything else. should we ban airplanes and flying?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Before considering a ban, we should start by fairly taxing flights and burning of fossil fuel in general. That would include closing the loophole that makes plane ticket and plane fuel exempt of taxes. And of course a carbon tax.

That'd be probably enough to significantly reduce pollution from flights and data centers.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Well given the targets still exist, surely this has to result in greater investment in renewable energy sources?

Like no one sensible is gonna let them get away with "Welp, we can't do net-zero now because AI" when there's the simple solution of building more renewable energy sources.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

It'd be great if AI is powered entirely by renewables, but how trustworthy is that target?

Companies and politicians are known to drag their feet switching to renewables or use greenwashing to show they care more about climate than they actually do.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

"A report from Morgan Stanley"

This reads like they are shooting from the hip this just like McKinsey.

Morgan Stanley is an investment company. So this was written for a purpose, with a predetermined outcome.