The internet's hidden carbon footprint
Data Centers are the stuctural backbone of the internet. As more and more are built to meet rapidly increasing demand for clould based storage, concerns are being raised regarding their effects on the envirnonment and climate.
By: Eli Lamport
Oct. 8, 2024
Blacksburg, VA, Sep. 29, 2024 – Data Centers have become ubiquitous even in smaller communities such as Blacksburg. Photo: Eli Lamport
Among the rolling hills and stately homes of Northern Virginia lies a network of about 200 massive warehouse style buildings. Over 70 percent of global internet traffic is routed through these buildings, yet many locals don’t even know they exist. Inside the buildings are seemingly endless rows of servers and other data storage equipment that together make up a Data Center.
Because of the constant growth of the internet as well as the spread of generative artificial intelligence programs, the demand for data storage, and the facilities needed to house this storage is growing rapidly. However, experts warn that the growth of the data center industry is harming the environment, as well as those living in proximity to the centers.
Dr. Marcia Davitt is an adjunct instructor in the department of science, technology, and society (STS) at Virginia Tech. Dr. Davitt explains the strain that data centers place on the power grid. “Each center has thousands of servers, and the expectation is that they are all running, all the time.” A single data center can consume as much energy as 50,000 homes over the course of a year, according to MIT’s Shwartzman College of Computing. Estimates from the Shift Project place the data center industry’s global carbon footprint on par with the aviation industry.
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The negative environmental impact of Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” is exacerbated by the fact that Dominion Power, the primary energy provider for the area produces a mere seven percent of its grid capacity from renewable sources, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. Dr. Davitt adds that “it’s not just carbon emissions, but also an issue of water usage.” Some data centers rely on a constant supply of water to cool the computing infrastructure within.
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Looking deeper into the computing equipment itself reveals further environmental concerns. Every hard drive relies on small, yet very strong magnets to function. These magnets are made from rare earth metals, such as neodymium. Dr. Davitt explains that because these metals are only found in trace amounts, massive amounts of earth must be mined and excavated before the rare earth metals can be isolated. It’s known that there are significant rare earth metal deposits in the United States, but they remain untapped because of these constraints. As a result, China dominates the market. The United States imports over 80 percent of its rare earth metals from China, according to a 2022 report from Versa.
While the environmental issues presented by the data center industry are viewed by some as a neccessary evil, there is work being done to satiate the industry's immense energy appetite. At Virginia Tech’s Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Dr. Jonathan Boryeko is developing new materials that “optimize heat transfer, allowing for lesser cooling requirements.” Dr. Davitt is intrigued by these innovations, but believes they leave the root problem unsolved. “The foundation of the problem is the ever-increasing demand for data and data storage. Until we address that directly, I don’t see things improving.”
Blacksburg, VA, Sept 29, 2024- Dr. Marcia Davitt of Virgnia Tech's department of Science, Technology and Society. Photo: Eli Lamport