Exploring one of the most pressing challenges to climate action in Ireland

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Dear John,

Did you hear in recent news about the huge increases in energy consumption by data centres? Households decreased their electricity consumption last year. But data centres did the opposite - increasing their electricity consumption by 31 per cent in 2022 from 2021!

These data centres are guzzling huge amounts of fossil fuels and water every day. More and more data centres are applying for gas and energy connections [[link removed]].

Putting Ireland’s climate targets in jeopardy.

It’s time to have a serious conversation about data centres and what they mean for climate action in Ireland. Friends of the Earth, a Stop Climate Chaos member organisation, are hosting a webinar on 26th June, starting at 7pm.

Will you this webinar? Yes I'll register now [[link removed]]

We have become familiar with the argument that data centres are a necessary evil. But are they really? And what is their data being used for? Who is really benefiting from their expansion? Why is this energy guzzling industry being allowed to expand in Ireland at a time when we need to reduce our energy demand?

Can the industry really be made sustainable, or is this another example of greenwashing that will have profound consequences for people and the planet?

Will you join the webinar which will search for answers to these questions? Yes I'll join the webinar [[link removed]]

Friends of the Earth will be joined by researchers, activists and academics Dr Patrick Bresnihan and Dr Patrick Brodie for this webinar. The big questions will be asked, probing for important answers and exploring why and how we need to challenge data centre expansion in Ireland. It promises to be a fascinating evening of discussion!

The webinar will also look beyond the national context and discuss the questions of energy for who and data for what, as well as the dangers of data centre lock-in to our economy. With private tech giants like Amazon possessing over 512 diesel generators in Ireland already, where is the industry headed and how can we address the problem of data centres at its roots?

Register for the webinar [[link removed]] A little more about our webinar’s speakers….

Dr Patrick Bresnihan is a lecturer in the Department of Geography at Maynooth University. He has over fifteen years of experience researching and teaching issues related to environmental governance and green political economy in Ireland and abroad. His research has looked at different but related environmental topics, including agriculture and land-use, data centres and energy, and water pollution and infrastructure. He has published multiple books and academic articles on these topics, as well policy reports, talks and opinion pieces. He was recently a guest on DCU’s Code Red podcast [[link removed]] along with our own Head of Communications, Deirdre.

Dr Patrick Brodie is a media scholar and Assistant Professor/Ad Astra Fellow in the School of Information and Communication Studies at University College Dublin. His research focuses on the environmental impacts of digital infrastructures like data centres, with a particular focus on their role within energy systems, modes of material extraction, and rural development. He has published widely in academic and popular venues, and co-edits the Journal of Environmental Media.

And are you up for some arts and crafts?

Following on from the webinar [[link removed]] on 26th June Friends of the Earth will be hosting an online creative workshop on data centres on 3rd July. You can learn more about this workshop and register for it here [[link removed]].

Friends of the Earth have packs of art materials to help participants make postcards during our workshop on 3rd July. If you'd like a pack posted out to you please register for the workshop [[link removed]] and provide them with your postal address (via the registration form here [[link removed]]) by 26th June at the latest.

I do hope you can join one or both of these events exploring one of the most pressing challenges to climate action in Ireland.

In solidarity,

Sadhbh

Stop Climate Chaos is a coalition of civil society organizations campaigning to ensure Ireland does its fair share to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change.

Stop Climate Chaos

9 Upper Mount Street

Dublin 2 Unsubscribe [link removed]