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US Politics 2w
Meta just bought 50,000 acres next to the Hoover Dam for their next data center. RIP the Colorado River
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Anonymous 2w

I mean we’ve known the Colorado river was essentially a lost cause for a while now (how many years has it been since it last reached the sea?) but damn if it doesn’t hurt. To think that the very same raging river that inch by inch carved the Grand Canyon is now just dirt in some places. It’s not fair and I hope Meta blows up.

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Anonymous 2w

I’m confused, what’s the “RIP” about?

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

Thanks in part to the Hoover Dam, and the general mismanagement of water resources — think alfalfa agriculture in Utah, for example, or green lawns in Arizona — the Colorado River is drying up and has been for a while. AI centers use a lot of freshwater and building a huge one that feeds off an already strained river system is basically a death sentence for the mighty Colorado. 🫡

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Anonymous replying to -> navyblue_palms_up 2w

Oh I thought the alfalfa issue was worse in AZ? They’ve just been mismanaging their water forever 😭

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Anonymous replying to -> navyblue_palms_up 2w

I don’t think it’ll entirely kill a river lol, only some water is actually lost in evaporative cooling. Maybe I’m missing something?

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

Lol it’s probably bad in both places I’m just pulling examples out of my ass. But yea the whole southwest has major issues with how they manage their water :/ California too

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

It definitely uses up a fair amount of water, altho not as bad as the agriculture in the area. I think the thing is that it opens the door for other facilities to build in the area, and also just the fact that development is still occurring on a river that is widely acknowledged as very fragile is very sad and kind of speaks to the future of the river. Admittedly I don’t think a data center will make or break it, but it is just another domino lined up in this process.

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