Google quietly removes net-zero carbon goal from website amid rapid power-hungry AI data center buildout — industry-first sustainability pledge moved to background amidst AI energy crisis

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/google-quietly-removes-net-zero-carbon-goal-from-website-amid-rapid-power-hungry-ai-data-center-buildout-industry-first-sustainability-pledge-moved-to-background-amidst-ai-energy-crisis

It's ok. Consumers will take up the slack on climate change. You'll just not be able to do anything ever or eat normal food. I know a lot of you say that if you don't eat meat it produces a lot less carbon.

But what if I did eat meat and google didn't spend the energy grid's entire power supply chasing dominance in a technology none of want that badly.

This is the classic example of rent seeking. Rent seeking is when resources are spent on a contest that doesn't actually produce anything for the public. And the total resources spent on the contest by all parties can exceed even the benefit to the victor. It's Mr. Beast but instead of people exhausting themselves it's corporations exhausting the planet.

349 points · 16 comments · view on lemmy.world

16 Comments

BlackLaZoR@fedia.io · 42 pts · 359d

It was all for show from the start.

humanoidchaos@lemmy.cif.su · 25 pts · 359d (3 replies)

Consumers will take up the slack on climate change.

That would involve killing our rulers and the conpeople we keep electing.

It's the only way anything will change.

halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 359d

The same bullshit as telling people to limit their showers to save water during a drought instead of having agriculture switch to crops that need less water. Because the people using 15% of the water are definitely going to make a dent when the other 85% don't give a shit.

toiletobserver@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 359d (1 reply)

I can think of two other ways.

  1. nuclear world war
  2. meteor takes out the planet
FinalRemix@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 358d

I'd love for either to happen at this point.

Tetsuo@jlai.lu · 22 pts · 359d

Governments need to regulate businesses for pollution.

Politicians don't want to hinder the businesses in their country compared to abroad. They also may receives "gifts" from time to time.

Nobody regulates pollution.

Profit ?

And yet many people will still vote in some politician that probably was saying they would regulate and fight against climate change*

  • America is an exception : they elect directly someone that destroys climate for money. It's more straightforward apparently.
furzegulo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 17 pts · 359d (4 replies)

Don't be evil

Passerby6497@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 359d (3 replies)

Don'tefinitely be evil

scratchee@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 359d (2 replies)

Don’t be evil

JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz · 8 pts · 358d (1 reply)

candy_colors@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 358d

"How to write a negative character arc?"✍️

Google existing:

goatinspace@feddit.org · 7 pts · 359d (1 reply)

NotKyloRen@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 359d

"Well don't look at me like I'm frickin' Frankenstein or something. Give your father a hug."

lechekaflan@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 359d

Once Cheeto-head got in charge again, nearly all those tech corpos took off the blinders and go off doing anything as they please.

Ron@zegheteens.nl · 4 pts · 359d

Google started as the always ad free search engine.

SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org · 2 pts · 358d

We are so fucking fucked.