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Amazon's off-grid Texas data center power plant uses inefficient simple-cycle gas turbines, producing dramatically more greenhouse gas emissions than standard combined-cycle plants, exemplifying the environmental toll of AI data center buildout.
New research published in npj Climate Action finds that AI's productivity gains for the fossil fuel industry could significantly increase global energy-related emissions, potentially outweighing AI's benefits to clean energy and exceeding emissions from data centers.
This paper examines the climate benefits of retiring an operational combustion engine vehicle earlier than its planned lifespan, likely comparing the emissions trade-offs between continued use and accelerated replacement.
MIT Technology Review's AI Hype Index covers the latest buzz, from dexterous robotic hands to Grok's controversial translation feature and Meta's creepy glasses, highlighting the unsexy side of AI.
New research from the University of Cambridge estimates that fan travel accounts for 80% of FIFA World Cup emissions, with the 2026 tournament expected to produce 4.23 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. The study also analyzes Coldplay's tour and proposes a climate viability framework for mega-events.
Microsoft's greenhouse gas emissions rose 25% last year, driven by the expansion of data center infrastructure for AI, as reported in its new sustainability report.
This newsletter covers three tech stories: solid-state air conditioning aiming to cut emissions, a chemist using AI to design drugs for animals, and Anthropic shutting down access to its top AI models after a US directive.
A new research paper uses GitHub Innovation Graph data to measure the 'digital complexity' of nations, revealing insights into GDP, inequality, and emissions that traditional economic data miss.
This article from Utah Clean Energy estimates the proposed Stratos data center in Utah would consume 9 GW of electricity from on-site gas plants, doubling the state's peak demand, and produce significant emissions and water consumption.
The U.S. Department of Justice is demanding that Apple and Google hand over personal data on over 100,000 users of EZ Lynk's Auto Agent app, which is allegedly used to bypass vehicle emissions controls, sparking privacy and legal concerns.
A study in Communications Sustainability explores using basalt instead of limestone to make cement, potentially cutting CO2 emissions by nearly 30% with fossil-fuel electricity and nearly eliminating them with clean electricity, though energy use doubles.
US tech firms including Microsoft successfully lobbied the EU to keep individual datacentre emissions data confidential, with industry language incorporated almost verbatim into EU rules, hindering environmental scrutiny and potentially violating transparency conventions.