Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
ROME / WASHINGTON – The United States hosts the highest concentration of data centres in the world, the vast computing facilities needed to power the global internet, cloud services and new artificial intelligence platforms. Yet behind the promise of digital transition lies an environmental and human cost that is becoming ever more unsustainable for local communities.
Light pollution, the constant emission of toxic fumes, the devastation of natural landscapes and the daily consumption of tonnes of water to cool servers have now become everyday realities for those living near these plants, on top of a constant, deafening background noise.
Testimonies: “Like 10,000 diesel generators running all the time”
In a report by journalist Giammarco Sicuro for TG3, the dramatic testimonies of residents living next to the mega-tech sites emerge:
“It’s like having 10,000 diesel generators polluting at the same time. Our neighbours’ children play outside and have already been hospitalised dozens of times with serious breathing difficulties.”
— Testimony from a resident living opposite a data centre
Environmental and health concerns at the heart of the debate
The main impact factors reported by communities and environmental analysts include:
- Water consumption: the use of tonnes of fresh water every day, drawn from local reserves to cool high-energy machinery.
- Air and noise pollution: continuous emissions from backup power systems and emergency generators, accompanied by the constant hum of cooling fans.
- Impact on public health: a rise in hospital admissions and respiratory disorders, particularly among the most vulnerable such as children.
