Everyone knows that data centers have been a controversial topic across the country, and while many would love these buildings to go away or some of the long-term projects to just stop, it seems that won’t be the case. However, in some states where data centers are already in place, some residents have noticed a few changes around them. For instance, some Arizona citizens have recently said that data centers are allegedly raising the temperature around them by four degrees. Naturally, this has caused concern among residents of the state, as it could pose a long-term threat.
The original article comes from Techxplore, which was shared on the Arizona subreddit. According to the article, which gathered information from Arizona State University, data centers appear to be raising temperatures in the area by around 4 degrees Fahrenheit. It also seems that this report was conducted in the Phoenix metro area, which is among the hottest in the state and the country.
While some people see these four degrees as something minuscule, several residents are worried about the long-term effects. Another concern is that some of these data centers are dangerously close to residential areas, meaning homeowners around these buildings could be most affected.
With the information out, the researchers have suggested some solutions to reduce the heat generated by data centers. However, these are just some ideas, and there hasn’t been any official information on how these projects will reduce the thermal footprint, in case temperatures actually rise in the area.
Arizona Citizens React to Data Center’s Heat Pollution
Since data centers are a sensitive topic across the country and several people oppose them, it was only a matter of time before criticism began, especially with recent information about their heat pollution. Some Redditors expressed their concerns in the comments.
“So these projects use our water and heat us up in the desert? At least we are all getting rich, right?“
“Funny how they’re in areas that are already on the line of being in a drought.“
A few others simply expressed their dislike of these buildings, claiming they won’t bring anything good to any city in the US.
“Data centers will be the future abandoned malls.“
Unfortunately for those complaining, it seems that some states are still pushing data center projects, meaning that we could see more of these concerns in the future as citizens try to adapt to them.
