{
"type": "rich",
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Action Network",
"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
"html": "",
"author_name": "Mukwa",
"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/mukwa",
"title": "Implement a Two-Year Moratorium on Data Center Construction Until a Regulatory Framework can be Established",
"thumbnail_url": "https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/752/567/normal/Rise_and_Repair-Sign_the_Petition.jpg",
"description": "We demand an immediate moratorium on the approval, permitting, and construction of hyper-scale data centers at the federal, state, and local levels which would remain in effect unless and until comprehensive, enforceable regulatory frameworks are established to safeguard water resources, energy systems, environmental integrity, and the health and welfare of affected communities. A moratorium is necessary to prevent irreparable harm while policymakers and regulators develop clear, transparent, and science-based standards governing resource consumption, environmental impacts, land use, and community protections. In the absence of such regulations, continued development poses significant and potentially irreversible risks human health and water supplies A pause on hyper-scale data center construction will allow time to develop regulations and help communities understand the potential negative impacts of these projects and allow time for communities to decide whether they consent to these projects moving in next-door. Many projects were and still are concealed behind non-disclosure agreements, preventing citizens from even beginning to grasp how their communities might be affected. Our children's drinking water cannot be wasted at this rate! A large-scale data center proposed in Farmington, Minnesota, could use over 800 million gallons of water in just one year. (Minnesota lawmakers push for water permits for data centers and other big industries | MPR News) These facilities have the potential to drain our state’s aquifers, putting our drinking water at risk of being wasted and contaminated. (Amazon agrees to settle $20.5M class action lawsuit over data center pollution in eastern Oregon) The energy required to power these facilities is also something our planet cannot afford to waste! A Department of Energy report predicted that blackouts would increase 100-fold by 2030 due to the energy needed by hyper-scale data centers. (Government officials issue dire warning that the US could experience 100-fold increase in blackouts — here's what homeowners need to know) It was predicted that Minnesota’s electricity usage would double if all 10 proposed data centers were built. Data Centers | Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy Bloomberg notes wholesale electricity costs as much as %267 more than it did five years ago in areas near data centers. How AI Data Centers Are Sending Your Power Bill Soaring. As the demand for electricity grows, so will the demand for critical metals. The clean energy transition depends on critical minerals—so why are these finite, high-impact resources being diverted to build massive data centers that power artificial intelligence rather than urgently needed climate solutions? Metal mining is among the most polluting industries in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, leaving behind toxic contamination that can persist for generations and is often impossible to fully reverse. The burden of this extraction falls disproportionately on Indigenous communities: Morgan Stanley Research estimates that 97% of nickel, 89% of copper, 79% of lithium, and 68% of cobalt reserves and resources in the United States lie beneath or within 35 miles of Tribal lands. We cannot sacrifice Indigenous homelands so the ultra-wealthy can continue amassing profits on a scale that far exceeds any reasonable human need. Mining Energy-Transition Metals: National Aims, Local Conflicts | MSCI Other harmful impacts that accompany these proposed projects include noise and light pollution and heating of local communities. CNN reported that areas near hyper-scale data centers are creating heat islands, warming up the land around them by as much as 16 degrees! (Data centers are creating ‘heat islands’ and warming the land around them by up to 16 degrees | CNN) Communities must be allowed to understand the true impacts of these facilities and decide whether they consent to their construction next to their homes! A moratorium will allow time to create regulations and environmental frameworks that enable full transparency into the true cost of these projects. At this moment, what these facilities take from communities far outweighs what they give! We must hit pause and enact a moratorium now to allow time to look at who truly benefits and who pays the costs! Nuclear energy is not the answer.",
"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/mndatacentermoratorium"
}