Thread

Improper redaction reveals Google Data Center water and electricity usage

403 points · 533 comments · sensanaty

yeag123 · 1791176084 · focus · HN ↗
As other commenters have pointed out, 13.3 million gallons = ~40.8 acre-feet and this being Nebraska, the obvious comparison is agriculture (Corn and Soybeans being the main crop).
The average Nebraska farm is 989 acers[1] as of 2022 and uses roughly ~1,200 acre-feet of water (or roughly 390 million gallons) per year[2]. So a single average Nebraska farm uses roughly 30 times the water the Lincoln data center uses per year. There are 44,479 farms/ranches covering 44 million acres, which accounts for over 90% of the state's total land area.
Until I looked this up, I didn't appreciate the scale of water usage in farming (even in a state like Nebraska that gets a large amount of rainfall compared to Central or Southern California). I hope that the current data center environmental focus continues to shed light on our industrial water and electrical usage.
[1]<a href="http://farmflavor.com/nebraska/nebraska-crops-livestock/top-nebraska-agriculture-facts/" rel="nofollow">http://farmflavor.com/nebraska/nebraska-crops-livestock/top-... [2]<a href="https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2024/2023-irrigation-and-water-management-data-now-available/" rel="nofollow">https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2024/2023-irrigation-and-water-man...
1. civvv · 1791187446 · focus · HN ↗
  The only relevant difference between datacenters and agriculture is that we need one to survive as a species, the other is actively being used for malicious crimes against humanity.
  1. gr__or · 1791189038 · focus · HN ↗
    We could get what we need to survive on a fourth of the farmland if we kicked the addiction to meat, arguably a more malicious crime against animals and the planet
    wallst07 · 1791193136 · focus · HN ↗
    Who decides what is or isn't a crime? Are you a Fruitarianist for making such claims?
    alpineman · 1791197043 · focus · HN ↗
    Huh? Not eating meat is not the same thing as Fruitarianism.
    Plenty of delicious (if prepared properly) and healthier plant-protein alternatives to meat. See: Tofu, Seitan, Lentils, Chickpeas, Tempeh, Edamame, TVP, Lupins, Hemp seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Peanuts, Nutritional yeast, Oats, Quinoa

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