News/Environment
Google DeepMind’s AI maps Earth with 24% better accuracy
Google DeepMind announced AlphaEarth Foundations, a breakthrough AI system that can map the entire planet's surface with unprecedented accuracy by integrating massive amounts of satellite data into unified digital representations. The system reduces error rates by 23.9% compared to existing approaches while requiring 16 times less storage space, potentially transforming environmental monitoring and resource management for governments, conservation groups, and businesses worldwide. How it works: AlphaEarth Foundations processes information by creating "embedding fields" — highly compressed digital summaries that capture essential characteristics of Earth's surface in 10-meter squares. The system maintains sharp 10×10 meter precision while tracking changes over time,...
read Jul 29, 2025Malaysia builds $2.36B green-powered AI infrastructure with Nvidia
Malaysia has partnered with Nvidia and YTL Power International in a RM10 billion ($2.36 billion) initiative to establish green-powered AI infrastructure and develop the nation's own sovereign large language model. The collaboration positions Malaysia as a strategic AI hub in Southeast Asia while advancing the country's digital sovereignty ambitions through sustainable technology deployment. What you should know: The partnership will create AI data centers powered entirely by renewable energy sources and deploy Nvidia's high-performance GPU technology across Malaysia. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz confirmed the initiative includes developing Malaysia's own sovereign LLM to strengthen...
read Jul 29, 2025Trump eases water rules for AI data centers after tech lobbying push
The Trump administration has announced AI policy recommendations that include loosening Clean Water Act permitting for data centers, mirroring specific requests made earlier this year by Meta and the Data Center Coalition (DCC), a lobbying group representing tech giants like Google and Amazon Web Services. These environmental rollbacks are embedded within Trump's broader AI Action Plan, which aims to streamline regulatory processes that tech companies argue slow down critical infrastructure development. What you should know: The proposed changes target Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which governs how projects impact federally protected waters during construction. Current 404 permits for...
read Jul 28, 2025Google expands AI weather forecasts to Pixel 8 devices
Google's Pixel Weather app has begun rolling out AI-powered forecasts to Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a devices, expanding beyond the Pixel 9 series where the feature originally debuted. This marks a significant expansion of the locally-generated AI weather feature, which had previously been limited to Google's newest flagship phones despite older devices having the necessary Gemini Nano AI capabilities. What you should know: The AI forecast feature requires Gemini Nano to be enabled and updated to the latest model version.• Users need to activate Gemini Nano in their phone's Developer Settings to access the AI-powered weather predictions.• The latest Gemini...
read Jul 25, 2025Mistral AI reveals first comprehensive environmental audit of large language models
Mistral has released what it calls the first comprehensive environmental audit of a large language model, revealing the carbon emissions and water consumption of its "Large 2" AI model over 18 months of operation. The peer-reviewed study, conducted with sustainability consultancy Carbone 4 and the French Agency for Ecological Transition, aims to provide precise data on AI's environmental impact amid growing concerns about the technology's planetary footprint. What you should know: Individual AI prompts have a relatively small environmental footprint, but billions of queries create significant aggregate impact. A single average prompt (generating 400 tokens of text) produces just 1.14...
read Jul 25, 2025AI robot kills fish humanely in 7 seconds using Japanese technique
California-based Shinkei Systems has developed a robotic fish-killing system that automates the Japanese ike jime method, widely considered the most humane way to harvest fish while preserving meat quality. The refrigerator-sized robot, called Poseidon, uses computer vision to identify fish species and perform the precise brain-spiking technique in just seven seconds, addressing growing demand for humane harvesting and high-quality seafood in the US market. How it works: The Poseidon robot combines ancient Japanese technique with modern AI to revolutionize fish processing on commercial vessels. Fish are inserted into the machine, which uses computer vision to identify the species and anatomical...
read Jul 25, 2025Trump’s AI Action Plan prioritizes speed and upskilling over safety, worker protections
The Trump administration's new AI Action Plan signals a dramatic shift in how America approaches artificial intelligence policy, prioritizing rapid deployment and global dominance over the safety guardrails and worker protections that defined the previous administration's approach. Released as a 28-page policy blueprint, the plan charts an aggressive course toward AI supremacy while largely sidestepping thorny debates over copyright, environmental impact, and algorithmic bias. "America must do more than promote AI within its own borders," the document declares. "The United States must also drive adoption of American AI systems, computing hardware, and standards throughout the world." This ambitious vision comes...
read Jul 24, 2025Greene breaks with Trump on AI order, citing environmental concerns and old school states’ rights
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene broke ranks with President Trump on Thursday to oppose his artificial intelligence executive order, citing concerns about environmental impact and states' rights. The Georgia congresswoman's criticism marks another fracture between Trump and his MAGA base, as she warned the "rushed AI expansion" threatens federalism by withholding federal funding from states that regulate AI. What you should know: Trump's AI executive order aims to accelerate U.S. artificial intelligence development by making it easier to build data centers on federal lands and pressuring states to reduce regulations. The order threatens to withhold federal funding from AI projects...
read Jul 24, 2025Microsoft’s $1.7B waste-to-carbon deal targets 4.9M tons over 12 years
Microsoft has entered a multi-year agreement with Vaulted Deep to inject human and animal waste underground as a carbon offset strategy, targeting 4.9 million metric tons of waste disposal over 12 years. This unconventional approach reflects the tech giant's urgent need to address the mounting carbon emissions from AI workloads and data centers, as traditional offset methods struggle to keep pace with the industry's environmental impact. What you should know: The waste-to-carbon-offset method involves converting organic material into slurry and pumping it more than 5,000 feet underground to prevent decomposition. Vaulted Deep reportedly charges around $350 per ton for carbon...
read Jul 23, 2025Trump suspends environmental reviews to accelerate AI data center construction
Environmental advocates warned Wednesday that the AI data center boom is driving up electricity costs for consumers and increasing pollution, as the Trump administration unveiled executive orders to accelerate data center construction by suspending environmental reviews. The warnings came during an event organized by Senator Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, as the White House released its "America's AI Action Plan," emphasizing the need to "Build, Baby, Build!" AI infrastructure without "radical climate dogma." What they're saying: Environmental attorneys highlighted how data centers are imposing costs on local communities without proper oversight. "Data centers are extremely power hungry and can put...
read Jul 23, 2025Trump suspends environmental reviews to speed AI data center construction
Environmental advocates warned Wednesday that AI data centers are driving up electricity costs for consumers and increasing pollution, as the Trump administration unveiled executive orders to accelerate data center construction by suspending environmental reviews. The concerns highlight a growing tension between AI infrastructure demands and environmental protection, with communities in states like Virginia, Tennessee, and Indiana already experiencing higher utility rates and air quality issues from the power-hungry facilities. What you should know: Data centers require massive amounts of electricity, forcing utilities to build new power plants and transmission lines whose costs are shared by all customers. In Virginia, which...
read Jul 22, 2025AI’s energy demand drives $29B in US utility rate hikes, elicits complaint from UN
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on major tech companies to transition to 100% sustainable energy to power their AI operations, warning that current energy demands could strain global capacity. The appeal comes as US utilities requested a record $29 billion in rate increases during the first half of 2025—double last year's level—largely driven by surging data center energy needs that are being passed on to customers. The big picture: AI's explosive growth is creating an energy crisis that's forcing difficult choices between technological advancement and environmental sustainability. Data center energy consumption is expected to double by 2030 to 945 terawatt-hours,...
read Jul 21, 2025AI sonar “AquaEye” helps Texas dive teams find flood victims 80% faster
Dive teams in Central Texas are using AI-powered sonar devices called AquaEye to search for victims in flood recovery operations following deadly floods that killed at least 135 people and left over 100 missing. The handheld devices use artificial intelligence to distinguish between debris and human bodies underwater, with search teams reporting an 80-90 percent reduction in search times compared to traditional methods. Why this matters: Recovery efforts face severe challenges from poor visibility, debris-filled rivers, and ongoing flash flooding along the Guadalupe River, making traditional search methods nearly impossible in conditions with only 6-inch visibility. How it works: The...
read Jul 16, 2025China takes the plunge with $223M wind-powered underwater data center off Shanghai
China has launched construction of a wind-powered underwater data center six miles off the coast of Shanghai, marking a significant expansion of its pioneering approach to ocean-based computing infrastructure. The project represents China's bid to address the massive water consumption challenges facing AI and cloud computing while positioning itself as a global leader in sustainable digital infrastructure. The big picture: China is pulling ahead of other nations in deploying underwater data centers as an alternative cooling solution for AI computing, moving from pilot projects to commercial-scale deployments in less than 30 months. Why this matters: Traditional data centers consume hundreds...
read Jul 11, 2025Rural Georgia woman says Meta’s data center contaminated her well water
A rural Georgia resident has accused Meta's AI data center of contaminating her well water with sediment, claiming the facility's construction disrupted her private water supply located roughly 1,200 feet from the site. The allegation highlights growing concerns about how the massive infrastructure buildout needed to support power-hungry AI models is creating environmental disruptions across communities nationwide. What you should know: Beverly Morris, a retiree living near Meta's data center, says she's now afraid to drink her tap water due to sediment buildup she believes stems from the facility's construction. "I'm afraid to drink the water, but I still cook...
read Jul 11, 2025“Murderbot” author: Today’s AI is years away from true intelligence
Martha Wells, author of the acclaimed Murderbot Diaries series, argues that today's large language models are fundamentally different from true artificial intelligence and warns that we're "light-years away" from genuine machine intelligence. Her perspective comes as the TV adaptation of her books debuts on Apple TV+ to critical acclaim, offering a timely counterpoint to the current AI hype cycle and corporate marketing claims. What you should know: Wells draws a clear distinction between current AI technology and the sentient machine intelligences depicted in science fiction. "A large language model is not a machine intelligence," Wells explains, describing current AI as...
read Jul 10, 2025Google Cloud partners with Additive Catchments for AI-powered river monitoring across UK
Additive Catchments and Google Cloud have announced a strategic partnership to scale AI-powered infrastructure for monitoring and improving river health across the U.K. The collaboration, revealed at the Google Cloud Summit London, centers on Additive's Catchment Monitoring as a Service platform, which provides real-time environmental data and early warnings for regulators, utilities and investors. What you should know: The partnership combines Additive Catchments' environmental expertise with Google Cloud's technical infrastructure to create a comprehensive river monitoring system. The platform leverages Google Cloud technologies, including BigQuery (a data analysis tool), Vertex AI (machine learning software), Earth Engine (satellite data processing), and...
read Jul 1, 2025Senate bill cuts renewable energy tax credits as AI drives power demand
The US Senate passed a budget bill that would eliminate tax credits for wind and solar projects after 2027, potentially jeopardizing hundreds of planned renewable energy projects nationwide. This aggressive rollback comes as artificial intelligence and data centers are driving unprecedented electricity demand, making the timing particularly problematic for grid stability and energy security. What you should know: The Senate bill forces an end to wind and solar tax credits for projects placed in service after 2027, creating immediate uncertainty for the clean energy pipeline. According to energy NGO E2, around $15.5 billion in clean energy investment has already been...
read Jun 27, 2025Google’s carbon emissions surge 51% as AI drives energy demand
Google's carbon emissions have surged 51% since 2019 as artificial intelligence drives massive increases in datacenter energy consumption, derailing the tech giant's climate commitments. The company reported a 27% year-over-year increase in electricity consumption, with AI's power demands growing faster than Google can deploy clean energy solutions to offset them. The big picture: AI's explosive growth is creating an unprecedented energy challenge for tech companies, with datacenters projected to consume as much electricity as Japan by 2026. The International Energy Agency estimates datacenter electricity consumption could double from 2022 levels to 1,000TWh by 2026, roughly equivalent to Japan's total electricity...
read Jun 27, 2025EV-to-AI: Redwood Materials repurposes electric vehicle batteries to power data centers
Redwood Materials has launched Redwood Energy, a new business division that repurposes used electric vehicle batteries to power AI data centers through renewable-powered microgrids. The company unveiled its first 64 megawatt-hour microgrid in Nevada, which uses solar panels and recycled EV batteries to supply over 99% of the electricity needed for Crusoe's adjacent 2,000-GPU AI facility—demonstrating a potentially faster and cheaper alternative to traditional grid-connected power plants. What you should know: Rather than immediately recycling EV batteries, Redwood Materials now tests them for reuse in energy storage systems before they reach end-of-life. Many batteries retain more than half their capacity...
read Jun 26, 2025AI cameras catch drivers littering in Yorkshire, England’s £4M cleanup fight
East Riding of Yorkshire Council, a local government authority in northern England, has launched a 12-week pilot program using AI-powered CCTV cameras to catch drivers who litter on roadways. The trial, conducted with technology company Litter Cam, represents a new approach to combating littering that costs the council approximately £4 million annually to clean up. How it works: The AI system combines computer vision with automated license plate recognition to identify and record littering incidents in real-time. A camera positioned on the A164 near Willerby Roundabout uses AI software to detect when drivers dump trash from their vehicles. The system...
read Jun 26, 2025US power grids hit record demand as AI and extreme heat collide
Electricity grids across the United States are hitting record-breaking demand levels as extreme heat waves collide with growing power consumption from AI data centers and air conditioning. PJM Interconnection, the nation's largest grid operator serving 65 million people, exceeded its summer forecast of 154 gigawatts just days into the season, averaging over 160 GW on Monday alone. The big picture: Climate change is driving temperatures higher while electricity demand simultaneously swells from data centers powering AI applications, creating a perfect storm for grid operators nationwide. PJM forecasts show summer peak demand could reach nearly 210 GW by 2035, well beyond...
read Jun 25, 2025MIT uses AI to document warming Gulf of Maine ecosystems
MIT researchers have launched LOBSTgER, an innovative project that combines artificial intelligence with underwater photography to document marine life in the rapidly warming Gulf of Maine. The initiative uses generative AI models trained exclusively on curated underwater photographs to create scientifically accurate imagery that could revolutionize how environmental stories are told and help raise awareness about vulnerable ocean ecosystems. What you should know: LOBSTgER stands for Learning Oceanic Bioecological Systems Through Generative Representations and represents a collaboration between underwater photographer Keith Ellenbogen and MIT mechanical engineering PhD student Andreas Mentzelopoulos. The project focuses on the Gulf of Maine, one of...
read Jun 24, 2025Google to launch 50+ AI satellites for 15-minute wildfire detection
Google has partnered with nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance and satellite manufacturer Muon Space to launch Fire Sat, a constellation of specialized wildfire-tracking satellites that will use AI to detect fires in their earliest stages. The initiative aims to deploy 50+ satellites by 2029, capturing images of fire-prone areas every 15 minutes and processing the data through Google's machine learning systems to distinguish actual fires from false positives like hot roofs or reflected sunlight. What you should know: Fire Sat represents Google's ambitious entry into space-based wildfire monitoring, combining satellite technology with AI processing to transform early fire detection. The first...
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