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Feb 2026: AI, tech, and its climate implications

Each month, we break down our topic into four weekly modules. Catch up on previous editions here.​

This week's module: LEARN

• CONNECT | Dream about a future where AI doesn't eat all our resources and actually we use technology for our purposes
• 🎯 LEARN | What are some challenges and impacts of AI we need to get ahead of?
• ACT | How can we create an AI resilient future?
• REFLECT | Art, poetry, and commitments

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Here's what we'll learn today Reader

Here's an inside joke I've been having with myself. Due to my overall disrespect of the trajectory that Artificial Intelligence has been taking, I've been spelling it as "A-L" instead of "A-I" just to be rude. Like oh, sorry, what did you say your name was? Joenathan? Jonatho?

Anyway, I'm sick of Al. He's getting on my nerves. Not really Al's fault; mostly because he's been propped up by like 6 billionaires with bad skin.

So I don't want to give him too much air today. We'll cover:

1. Al & the overall data center problem
2. Al & the emissions they don't want you to see (conspiracyyyyy but also truuuue)
3. People are winning against data centers

• Bonus: A reframe of Al's hunger for natural resources and how it fits into some other huge drivers of climate change and extraction

Pick one or all, and join me to learn some stuff!

As a note, I am mentally unwell from the garbage in the world (yeah yeah, joy etc , but not today sry) and the changeletter will reflect that

Sorry / good luck

Your bite-sized action plan Reader

✅ LEARN three different angles of the AI/sustainability conversation through the following options.

• ​Data centers are scrambling to power the AI boom with natural gas (Grist). This article is WACK. I love Grist for reporting on this but the truth gives me the heebie jeebies and I hate it. Early Big Tech advocates of Al told activists it's ok sweaty ❤️ we're gonna drive the renewable energy boom for our robots but they are instead locking in fossil fuels at this pivotal time when renewables are cheaper than ever. The build-out of new data centers powered by methane gas could "add as much as 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by 2030, equivalent to the annual emissions of around 10 million passenger cars."
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  "Creative" solutions to powering data centers are slated to use dirtier gas than traditional power plants. Which are already dirty as hell.
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  (Also, this is a good time to remind you that "natural" gas is methane gas. That's why at Soapbox, we will always use that term.)
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• Big Tech is DELIBERATELY using Al to help Big Oil extract fossil fuels faster and more efficiently, boosting yields by up to 15%. These "enabled emissions" are barely being talked about. Tech companies are actively signing contracts with oil and gas companies to HELP THEM INTELLIGENTLY EXTRACT FOSSIL FUELS. I cannot even articulate how absolutely seething I am to learn this, and I'm honestly so angry that I can't even summarize it well for you. Microsoft, AWS, and Google Cloud are the worst culprits and you'll have to go check out the Enabled Emissions campaign for more because I am sooooooooo done with these greedy [expletive expletive expletive]
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• However, we're in a historic moment of unified people power against Big Tech, and that's exciting as heck (More Perfect Union & The Hill). Recently, the residents of the state of Indiana defeated Google, stalling their plans to build a data center. Since Google is Google, this story isn't over, but one of the most significant moments of this video clip was a city councilor reporting that he hadn't seen this many people filling up the councils' rooms in his six years serving. Data centers are unifying people in a way many of us haven't seen in our lifetimes, and there is an estimated $64 billion in development successfully stopped by people power.

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​Watch the short video here and share on your socials​

One final note: If we don't have water, we die dead, and there are other things you can worry about and SUCCEED on (spoiler: eat more plants & drive less)! ith all of this Al talk, it's important to remember that there are other hungrier causes of resource extraction that already have decades of organizing momentum. CCorn production in the United States alone is 80x what data centers' water use would be. (If someone else wants to redo the math on these numbers feel free. I couldn't find that many leads and my brain freaking hurts.) So yes, we should pay attention to AI, ESPECIALLY if we're using it to extract more fossil fuels and water. We should alsoooooooo stop factory farming and driving (ethanol from corn -> gas for cars). The latter has so much momentum, and you'll be much more successful in making changes to your daily lives (like eating plant-based and supporting local farmers who use regenerative practices) so if you're feeling anxious about AI's water use, zoom out. Everything is connected, and there are so many roads into hope.

That's it from me today. If the Changeletter felt more chaotic than usual, sorry, but I'm crashing out about the world and I don't have it in me to edit this so good luck and peace be with you.

Stay hydrated (you, not your computer),

Nivi

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​Our entire events calendar for ALL locations + virtual can be found here.