In Memphis, a campaigner aimed a thermal camera at a huge AI datacentre. She watched gas turbines vent heat and fumes into the sky. According to Ajit Niranjan at The Guardian, scenes like this are sparking a debate about what the AI boom is costing the planet.

One prompt is not the issue. Scale is. In Ireland, datacentres already use about one fifth of the country’s electricity, and demand could rise again soon. Yet big companies still share limited data. So it is hard for the public to see the full footprint.

Carbon is only part of it. Power plants that run on gas and coal still feed many facilities. Cooling also needs water. That can tighten the squeeze on rivers and local ecosystem health during drought. In 2025, the UN special rapporteur on safe drinking water urged a moratorium on new datacentres until rules catch up.

A key question is what we are getting in return. Using fossil fuel power to generate low value content feels like a bad trade. The same goes for tools that push health myths on a warming planet. Still, AI can help if we aim it at real problems.

The International Energy Agency says AI could help cut emissions across the economy. A Nature Climate Change paper warns cloud and hyperscale data centres contribute about 0.1% to 0.2% of global emissions. That share will rise if growth stays unchecked. A Systemiq and London School of Economics paper argues AI can speed up better batteries. It also points to plant based proteins that can replace meat.

So what now? Push for transparency, stricter permits, and cleaner power for every new data centre. Ask companies to treat water like a scarce public resource. Then use AI with intention, and keep choices that protect animals and Support a more vegan future on Earth.

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