A few days ago I posted a request in the network for photos or examples of clever messaging that communities are using to organize against data centers and got a couple entertaining replies.
Thanks to Lynn Handlin for sharing this photo of the World on Fire Department Fire Truck wearing a data center “costume.” We are told that the outfit is complete with annoying sound effects. The truck was accompanied by ERpdx’s theater troop, Zany Bits, also dressed as data centers. 😜
I also came across this video from a North Carolina protest which included songs, skits, and a drag performance as part of the demonstration.
Well done everyone! Keep up the good work, keep the creativity flowing, and please send more photos of big signs, big messaging, and big diva energy.
Now for your bi-weekly data center update.
In this newsletter
This bi-weekly newsletter is a new project from Halt the Harm Network. For more regular updates and meetups on data center organizing, request access to the Stop Bad Data Centers group inside the HHN community space.
What We’re Following
The Disempowering Politics of “Inevitability”: Data Centers and LLMs as “the future”
Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson are the media analysts and hosts behind Citations Needed, a podcast on the intersection of media, PR, and power.
In this episode, they dig in to the history of “inevitability” as a PR messaging strategy, showing how the same scripts have been used for decades to discourage the public from taking action by reinforcing the myth of progress. Today, that same script is at play in the fight over data center build-out.
FracTracker’s August Data Center Snapshot
Thanks again to the FracTracker team and our colleague Mia Glover for putting together this update. This month’s Snapshot documented 33 newly added facilities and 62 other project updates.
Check out the full August Snapshot here.
Or explore data center projects around the U.S. or near you on the FracTracker interactive map.
Investigation: We Saw What Data Centers Don’t Want You to See
A recent episode of PBS’s Overview used thermal drones to expose pollution over the Stargate data center in Abiliene, TX. Reporters, scientists, and community members have been using thermal imaging to track emissions from turbines and keep operators accountable.
Fracking Industry Executives Are Salivating Over the AI Data Center Boom
Natural gas already provides more than 40 percent of the electricity used by data centers, and industry leaders see the build-out as a major new source of revenue. The resulting boom threatens to deepen methane emissions and local pollution, with rural, low-income, and predominantly Black communities exposed to the highest environmental and health risks.
The Trump administration, whose cabinet is stacked with fossil fuel executives like Energy Secretary Chris Wright, is expediting fossil fuel-powered projects while sidelining wind and solar, as Big Tech companies retreat from climate commitments and embrace gas-fired generation.
Read more about the connection between fracking and data center development here.
Event Recap
We’ve been light on events the last couple months, so no new recaps to share this week. But you can always check out the archive, where you’ll find 100s of recordings of previous events, workshops, and webinars—all searchable by topic.
We’ll have more live events coming up soon once the busyness of summer starts winding down. Stay tuned!
Closing Comment
If your community is getting creative, please send it our way! We want to see your billboards, signs, art, theater, music, memes, and any other fun or innovative protest strategies you’re trying. Let’s celebrate what’s working and help good ideas travel to our friends and neighbors!
