climate policy, writer, social scientist, geographer
holly jean buck
Loading...
The energy use needs to be dealt with in the context of planning for a decarbonized grid. The water use needs to be dealt with in the context of water resource management. And the economic and security dimensions of AI require broader debate. Moratoria do not take us in these directions.
where else can you push back on job-eating algorithms, deep fakes, and autonomous drones?
in the workplace, with your union?
the school board?
with your electeds?
with local journalism?
in your living room?
all of these would be more effective & durable than broad moratoria on data centers
These left-right coalitions with grassroots energy are seductive, but (a) there's an underlying para-environmental politics to be wary of, & (b) opposition may be the only thing these constituents agree on. So a moratorium is a dead end; it doesn't lead to progress on the underlying issues.
enjoyed talking with Jael! i now have a clear working definition of slopulism
What does it mean if Bluesky and RFK Jr are on the same side of an issue?
why two people can look at this movement and see such different pictures: carbonic.substack.com/p/you-dont-n...
we should not give up on the more expansive, forward-looking vision in this very good 2014 book ...
in favor of mediagenic infrastructure-blocking tactics that risk slowing down progress on decarbonization and are unlikely to advance progress on the social and economic challenges of AI
"AI data center" moratoriums are not the way.
They risk pushing burdens to places with less regulation, and driving up the price of compute, which will worsen inequality.
jacobin.com/2026/04/ai-d...
holly jean buck
holly jean buck
holly jean buck
holly jean buck
I did a lengthy interview with the CEO of Stardust, in which he walked back the solar geoengineering startup's testing and deployment plans a bit. The company also intends to release details about its proprietary particles early next year and expects to open a US office soon.
It's Earth Day, which means you should preorder my new book, "Building Postcarbon Futures: Land, Justice, and Energy Transitions."
cup.columbia.edu/book/buildin...
jae holzman
The potential for catastrophic effects from the AI boom demands robust deliberation and real democratic governance. Localized initiatives like data center moratoria won't get us there.
And why many scientists are freaked out about the first serious for-profit company moving into the solar geoengineering field.
www.technologyreview.com
What would a postcarbon future look like? How would a more just, decarbonized world require us to change the way we live? What would it take to build this wo... | CUP
