cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/74351191
A proposed data center in northwestern Alberta could generate dozens of atomic bombs worth of heat every day.
Why dont they boil water with the excess heat to recover a tiny bit of energy? Is that even possible?
Keep this yankee bullshit in the backwaters down south, if at all. We don’t want this here
On the order of 20MW continuous draw, saved you the math.
That’s pretty small for an industrial load and some hyperscale data-centers are in the 500MW scale.
Good thing we’re not dealing with a existential crisis caused by heating the earth, or anything…
Global warming is caused by GHG emissions causing the atmosphere to delay the Earth’s radiation of heat from the sun back into space. The heat directly emitted by the data center would have more of a local effect. It is apparently unprecedented in terms of a point heat source so it could potentially be quite destructive to the local environment. That being said, the article stated the data center alone would also account for a whopping 4% of Canada’s GHG emissions.
While you’re correct, that much heat emitted in a local area prone to yearly fire seasons seems to be unwise. If sparks from trains travelling around curves can start fires (Lytton seemingly every year), multiple nukes’ worth of heat daily might be worse.
Also, it’s still an increase of emissions, more is always worse than neutral in this scenario. Yes, there are more polluting things to worry about, but we need to be reducing emissions, not increasing them.
I agree entirely, and I do hope my comment didn’t appear to try to justify this insane data center buildout. We don’t need any more data centers, and we need to completely eliminate fossil fuel usage.
I would also think that the heat may dry and kill the flora in the vicinity, which could potentially increase fire risk. But I’m no expert.
Wrong.
While you’re correct, that much heat emitted in a local area prone to yearly fire seasons seems to be unwise.
The “23 atomic bomb” facility is ~20MW, equivalent to an extra 40,000m^2 (that’s a 200m square) of sunlight falling on that area. Insignificant.
. If sparks from trains travelling around curves can start fires (Lytton seemingly every year), multiple nukes’ worth of heat daily might be worse.
Sparks from a train are pinpoints of incandescently hot metal, more than 500c, falling into dry grass. 20MW industrial building rejects its heat as air or steam in the 50-100c range.
Also, it’s still an increase of emissions, more is always worse than neutral in this scenario. Yes, there are more polluting things to worry about, but we need to be reducing emissions, not increasing them.
At least you got one right.
All the sources I’m finding say 7 to 18 GW, not 20 MW.
I took the energy of 23 trinity bombs and divided it over 24hrs to get ~20MW.
I think you should take another look at that calculation.
The $70 billion project, backed by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary
Of course it’s the wonder valley project. I don’t have time to read the full article just now but last I had heard it kind of sounded more like investor fraud than a legitimate project.
Edit: Here’s a youtuber covering it. Also at about 5:03 he shows the promo video that Kevin O’Leary AI slopped… It’s ridiculous.
Kevin O’Leary is a piece of shit that should be banned from anything related to Canada.
Lol. I’m embarrassed that he’s a Canadian.
Went into the article and no, it doesn’t provide actual hard numbers beyond ‘atom bombs’. Stupid bullshit.
a daily thermal load of between 16 and 18 gigawatts
Yes, there is a range in standard units. Please read the article more carefully.
This heat would be from fossil methane combustion. Who accepted to store all the exhaust in their own backyard?
This website is ad-laden cancer
Dino juice should be phased out, and something like this should be required to develop a Candu reactor, than the heat should be shoved up Kevin’s ass!
Marlaina Smith passed a law that data centers can NOT use renewables, they must use gas. I shit you not.
What an absolutely stupid and intentionally misleading way to frame this.
Whhhaaaaattttt???
Today in “Possible Future News That May Or May Not Happen”. Film at 11:00PM in 15 years. /s
