A dirt road created by a power company cutting hundreds of native plants in the process at my family’s farm in Brazil.

By: Joseph Axworthy, Junior Writing and Media Major

I can still smell the smoke of machinery and hear the whirring of chainsaws, watching as a power company plowed through thousands of native trees in order to put up cables that I would never even see the benefit of. I was living on a farm in Brazil watching it all happen. It was the first time that I really witnessed deforestation. That event was formative in the way that I look at the world around me and how my actions affect the environment. However, a lot of people in Alabama haven’t really had to experience a similar event, and that can make these issues seem far off and in turn easy to ignore.  But with the rise of GenAI and large language models (LLM), that’s all changing and at a rapid pace. One example of this change is “Project Marvel,”a 4.5 million square foot data center that is planned to be built in Bessemer, AL.

The data center is projected to be one of the largest in the United States. Along with building the massive concrete structures, the project would occupy 700 acres of land to accommodate the buildings. This would mean the deforestation of thousands of native trees and destruction of animal habitats and ecosystems. Along with the destruction of flora and fauna, the residents of the area have also voiced their concerns. Many are worried about losing their peaceful green space for a concrete jungle of servers and cooling systems. 

This is a tragedy that’s happening not just in Bessemer but all over the United States. Texas data centers have already been reported to be causing issues with droughts due to their high water consumption. GenAI and LLMs are a big contributor to the increase in data center construction, including Project Marvel. In order to function, Gen AI  requires a massive amount of memory to run the complex calculations needed to be able to deliver its responses. This also means that it contributes in a large way to energy consumption. Some estimates state that a ChatGPT request can use as much as 10 times the amount of energy as a google search. Since around 82% of United States energy comes from fossil fuels, this increase in energy use is obviously very bad for the environment. This increased need for energy means plants like James H. Miller, Jr. Electric Generating Plant located around Birmingham might be pumping more air pollutants into our city’s air.

But what can we do? Do we refuse to use AI and start filling out paper forms at the dentist again? By “going paperless” as a society and relying on cloud computing, we no longer depend on storing information on forms in filing cabinets. Instead, we rely on storing information in data centers which requires a perpetual output of energy. From government websites to ordering foods and medications, so much of our lives use digital, cloud-based data that needs to be stored somewhere. Not only would it be incredibly difficult to undo this digital infrastructure, but it’s unlikely that anyone would vote for it.

For that reason, the solution to AI’s environmental impact can’t be to simply stop using it or stop storing so much digital data but to be more intentional on how we care for the environment. If we are destroying forests to build data centers, we need to increase green spaces in cities. If we are upping our energy consumption, we need to be using cleaner options of energy and finding more efficient cooling methods. The solution lies in trying to be more conscious about environmental solutions that can help balance the damage we are causing. We should also try to be intentional about making the process that we already have established more sustainable. For example, we could use closed loop water cooling to combat evaporation loss in data centers or switch to more renewable energies like wind and solar to power these massive structures.

Trying to figure out what we as individuals can do is daunting, but there are options out there available to us. Oftentimes reading about pollutants and deforestation is hard, but life goes on after we put the article down. We worry about finals, we let our mind fall into a hum as we go through our nine-to-fives. But it’s harder to ignore when it’s happening right in our city. However Alabama, and Birmingham specifically, have a variety of programs and organizations that focus on conservation , sustainability, and keeping our water sources clean. The Alabama Rivers Alliance org is currently looking into these data centers specifically Project Marvel.Even outside of volunteering, we should begin supporting campaigns that work with clean energy and public transit like the Green New Deal for Birmingham developed by the group GASP. 

Ultimately it’s unlikely that the continued expansion of data centers is going to stop. But as the trees in our state are chopped down to accommodate our ever growing need for storage, we all have a responsibility to try and do our part in keeping our future green.

Look for more in my next post about the concrete ways you can get involved in promoting environmental protection in Birmingham.