Big tech companies are rushing to build massive data centers with little regard for our climate, our communities, or our future. This toolkit aims to empower individuals with information and resources to organize local resistance.
Public meeting about a proposed data center in Indianapolis.
Effective resistance or whack-a-mole
By: Kevin Nichols, Earth Charter Indiana Special Projects Coordinator
Google is building an AI data center in Fort Wayne and it may be too late to entirely stop the project. Regardless, on November 13th more than 300 people attended an IDEM hearing to speak out against a permitting request for an additional 140 diesel generators to power the site. It feels like Indiana is at the epicenter of AI data center construction and Hoosiers from across the political spectrum are saying “not here.”
In the race to build capacity for profitable AI products developers prioritize accelerated build timelines above all else. The biggest names in tech are investing hundreds of billions of dollars to graft their server warehouses over our land and resources. They will not let up until the AI bubble bursts, communities fight back, or policymakers turn against them. Under such circumstances, despair is understandable. And yet, Indiana communities continue to mobilize against these projects, push for county-wide moratoriums on new data centers, and prevent the worst case scenarios from becoming reality.
Earth Charter Indiana Mission
Earth Charter Indiana exists to inspire and advance sustainable, just and peaceful living in Indiana by promoting the values and principles of the Earth Charter. We are excited for what is to come and know that with the community we are fostering will be able to create a more resilient and equitable future for Indiana.
