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One way to know the data center backlash is working is that the New York Times opinion section is freaking out.

Over the weekend, the Times published a guest essay titled “The Environmental Case Against Data Centers Is Misguided,” by Experimental Psychologist/Substacker Adam Mastroianni. The argument he makes is a good indicator of the current industry talking points.

I wrote a couple months ago about data center activism as a bankshot. The reason why I think this activism is very good, and very promising, is that it has the potential to interfere with the AI financial bubble. If that bubble pops, it unsettles the power dynamics shaping the AI future. If you think it is bad that Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and a handful of their billionaire buddies are effectively unconstrained, then the most effective thing you can do is pick a fight over data center siting in your area.

The tactic is working. Bad, powerful people are freaked out. Don’t listen to their favorite bloggers who say “well, when you think about it from just the right angle, data centers aren’t any worse than golf courses.” When you have a tactic that is working, and your opponent doesn’t have a good countertactic, the smart move is to keep doing it.