Every second of every day, day after day, large computers
in huge data centers process requests and sending
information on to phones or computers. It is like magic;
however, it comes with environmental cost at every step of
this process. Data centers use a tremendous amount of
electricity, need millions of gallons of water to keep cool
and add tons of emissions plus other pollutants into the air
— which add to climate change and impact health,
especially for communities around these data centers.
Data centers used 1.9% of total US electricity in 2018,
4.4% in 2023 and are projected to use 12% in 2028. In
2023, 66 billion liters of water were used by data centers
— triple the amount in 2013. Data centers contribute about
0.5 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. Health costs
are estimated to rise to $20 billion per year by 2030.
Earth Steward Action: Reduce your energy footprint. Stay
tuned for part 2 next week.
Source: AI Is Using Your Energy and Water—and
Polluting Your Air. Catalyst, vol. 25, fall 2025, pp. 16-17.
https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/Catalyst-
Fall-2025.pdf