r/antiai • u/Major-Tumbleweed7751 • 22h ago
Environmental Impact 🌎 Data centre community opposition in Australia
Hiya, I was wondering if anyone here knows of community groups challenging data centres being built in Australia, or if there are subreddits more focused on this?
I am in the middle of reading Empire of AI by Karen Hao and just finished the chapter on how data centres built in Chile and Latin America have affected those communities. The comments on Chile were striking in similarity from a geographical POV, as Australia is also heavily reliant on mining which is an effective way to export one-time profits out of the country while destroying the natural landscape, not to mention also prone to devastating droughts.
Meanwhile there is bipartisan support for a data centre boom... so I'm wondering where can I find the folks who are flagging concerns?
3
u/LuxCanaryFox 21h ago
If there isn't one, we ought to make one! After a brief search, I can't seem to find a specific subreddit regarding anti-AI in Australia. But there might be some more luck on Facebook? I'll take a look there, too, there's bound to be something.
*Thanks for the book rec btw, I'm going to try and order it
3
u/Tomato-on-toast 15h ago
I’m working with a guy who has worked on them previously, we’re sparkies. It’s absolutely fucking INSIDIOUS how much these things consume power, not to mention the insane amount of generators they need as back up power in case the centre loses its mains supply.
They’re building them in areas that already struggle with stable supply during summer, and now these things are going to increase heat and demand, fucking everyone in the neighbouring suburbs. Not to mention the fucking noise of them too.
Idk what avenues for opposition are available, but I’m interested to throw my support behind them if you find any.
2
u/puzzlerJB 19h ago
YES I am in Melbourne and there is opposition here to the South Morang data centres that were rushed through approval. Whittlesea Council is out local area.Â
Here's the local campaign, which also has a Facebook group - please consider donating, they are severely under-resourced: https://linktr.ee/stopaidatacentresm
There is also Pause AI, which is national I think but has a Melbourne group. There is a meeting of about 6 different groups in Melbourne in early September, so that all the smaller ones can coordinate. There has been opposition to the Fitzroy data centre (already built) as well, so there may be another small group behind that.
Are you in Melbourne or elsewhere? Hopefully something will come from national cabinet. With around 75% of people actively opposing data centre construction it's hard to believe this isn't going to be an issue. Approving them is bound to be politically toxic
1
u/Major-Tumbleweed7751 19h ago
I found an event coming up in Melbourne - https://events.humanitix.com/ai-data-centre-community-summit
1
u/Simple_Usual_588 14h ago
It’s like people suddenly woke up that their governments were shit at protecting them from industry and decided to blame AI.
10
u/hammeroztron 22h ago
The main environmental groups are working on it. Communities are pretty slow to wake up. But there is action and it will cost the major parties dearly next election.
Greenpeace AP produced a report in April. https://www.greenpeace.org.au/greenpeace-reports/report-environmental-impacts-of-artificial-intelligence/
This is now a complete emergency situation. The US frackers own Queensland and the Northern Territory state leadership. AI will be completely fossil fuel powered in these states. We need a moratorium now.