No Dirty Data Centers
Resist the impact and intrusion of data centers in your community.
The NAACP’s “stop dirty data centers” initiative is a community and national effort centered around resisting the impact and intrusion of polluting artificial intelligence centers and cloud computing data centers.
This effort highlights the negative impacts of “dirty data centers” including water contamination and depletion, air pollution, excessive energy usage and decrease in quality of life and resources (especially in marginalized communities).
According to NAACP, 25% of Virginia's energy consumption is linked to data centers. Virginia has already approved 8,910 backup diesel generators for AI data centers across the state.
The air pollution from these generators has severe impacts on human health. Noise pollution is also a major concern, with 82% of Virginia survey respondents expressing anxiety over its impact on local communities.
Stop harmful data centers
The NAACP rolled out recommendations for protecting front line communities through this set of guiding principles.
The campaign’s guiding principles include:
a) communities most affected must lead,
b) accountability must be enforceable, and
c) solidarity builds power.
These guidelines foster a proactive approach for a united front for local leaders, advocates, and organizers to build power, demand transparency, and protect community health through grassroots action and policy advocacy recommendations.
Image credit: Nonprofitquarterly.comGather with a community of friends, neighbors, family members and form a community advisory board! Find out if your neighborhood is next. Engage in research and connect with your local elected officials.
Where to start
Image credit: WashingtonPost.comReal world examples
