Doomer Optimism DO 303 - AI, Existential Risk, and the Future of the Human Soul
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Mar 17, 2026 Farron Morgan, investigative reporter who covers energy, environment, and local crafts. She discusses lithium mining, data centers, and how shifting policy reshapes communities. Conversations cover anti‑AI activism, debates over existential risk, and the human costs of resistance. She also explores historic crafts, hands‑on schooling, and surprising cross‑ideological alliances.
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Check Developer Filings Before Approving Data Centers
- Scrutinize data center proposals by inspecting developers' water and power estimates submitted to local authorities.
- Farron advised reviewing project-specific filings because developers often expand usage beyond initial estimates.
Data Centers Shift Costs To Vulnerable Rural Areas
- Data centers target cheap rural land, shifting burdens to communities with low bargaining power and aging populations.
- Farron noted rezoning, tax incentives, and developers' use of farm or forest land concentrate environmental justice harms.
Communities Share Expertise To Resist Data Centers
- Communities fighting data centers now share knowledge networks to learn technical issues like evaporative cooling.
- Farron reported experienced towns mentoring newcomers and sharing data to raise resistance effectiveness.