2 Degrees Out West
Listen in as we examine the story behind some of the most pressing conservation issues facing the West.
2 Degrees Out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.
On 2° out west we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.
We find, legislators, researchers, organizers, conservation advocates, and more to ask about what we can do to help protect the West’s land, air, and water – and, yes, to fight the climate crisis and hold global heating to within 2 degrees Celsius.
2 Degrees Out West
What is the Climate Cost of AI?
In the last two years, artificial intelligence has rapidly changed the world that we live in. If you spend time online, you’ve seen it incorporated into almost every aspect of our digital lives. Search engines, social media, and online tools are all in a race to incorporate AI.
Powering AI are data centers – buildings that house endless rows of servers that bring LLMs, cloud computing, and high-speed internet to our fingertips. But all this power comes at a cost.
Data centers use energy and water – and plenty of it. Until now those demands have been predictable and easy for utilities to incorporate into their forecasts. Now, the new rapid growth and change of AI threatens to break that mold.
WRA has been investing a lot of time and energy into understanding what that cost for the climate could be and solutions to address those costs.
To better understand, we asked some of WRAs experts to explain what’s happening with data centers and what we can do about it. In this podcast, we will explore why data centers are different in the age of AI, how they pose a threat, and what our states can do about it.
On this Episode of Two Degrees Out West – What is the climate cost of AI, and what can we do about it?
2 Degrees Out West is a podcast from Western Resource Advocates, an environmental conservation organization that's focused on the Interior West. WRA works across seven states to protect our climate, land, air, and water. WRA protects and advocates for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Wyoming.
2 Degrees out West is a podcast for advocates and decision makers who want to fight climate change and its impacts across the West.
On 2 Degrees Out West we talk with climate experts and advocates to bring you stories, experiences, and insights from their work in the places we call home.
It is Hosted by Dave Papineau
Want to be part of 2 Degrees Out West?
- Email us with thoughts, suggestions, and interviewees at dave.papineau@westernresources.org.
- Follow us @westernresourceadvocates on Instagram.
- Create a clip sharing "our Bright Climate Future for the West" and send it to us at dave.papineau@westernresources.org. to be included in one of our next episodes.
- Join our email list to stay updated on when new episodes are released and calls to action on how you can help the West.
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