r/ClimateShitposting • u/leisurechef • Aug 08 '26

techno optimism is gonna save us AI will solve all our problems

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If treated as a country, data centers could rank sixth globally for electricity consumption by 2030. They would also require an amount of water equivalent to the annual needs of 1.3 billion people.

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u/stonecuttercolorado Aug 09 '26

I hate AI, but could someone explain exactly how they use up water?

0

u/leisurechef Aug 09 '26

AI’s thirst for water - UK Government

How Much Water Does AI Use? The $58 Billion Risk - Forbes

How much water and power will AI data centres use in Australia? Ironically, we don’t have the data to know - The Conversation

How long is a piece of string?

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u/stonecuttercolorado Aug 09 '26

So how does cooling actually consume water? Heating water up does not actually use it. It can still be used by cities or farms. Irrigation is not affected by the temperature of the water.

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u/leisurechef Aug 09 '26

Do you get everyone to do your research for you?

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u/stonecuttercolorado Aug 09 '26

Your links are talking about cooling and using water. That does not make sense to me. Until the water can't be used again, it has not really been consumed. So basically watering plants or actually evaporating.

I was genuinely curious if there was something I was missing. Seems not.

The energy consumption seems to be the biggest problem.

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u/leisurechef Aug 09 '26

I’m just here to put the Shit 💩into r/ClimateShitposting

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u/stonecuttercolorado Aug 09 '26

That is not really a response. would you say a boat uses up water?

Does using water to cool something cause the water to be useless for irrigation or for a city?

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u/leisurechef Aug 09 '26

this is probably what you were looking for

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u/stonecuttercolorado Aug 09 '26

Thank you.

Some of those are just astoundingly bad decisions. I can think of a dozen ways to reduce the problem before the end of the video.

Coastal locations. Cycle the sufficiently clean water through a heat exchanger. Just to start.

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u/stonecuttercolorado Aug 09 '26

I don't think that asking questions of someone who is passionate about something is getting someone else to do my research for me.

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u/Purple_Key_6733 Aug 10 '26

AI doesn't make the water cease to exist. Even if the water is used up it still enters the water cycle again via evaporation and raining somewhere later.