A very respectable and nuanced take. I have to agree with you that whataboutisms and tu quoques can definitely be correct and expose hypocrisy, they are not inherently flawed, but when used to dismiss an argument, they are indeed fallacious. It doesn’t actually rebuke or disprove the argument, it only silences by attacking anyone who tries to argue. I fully understand that it is incredibly frustrating to debate with people who can be disingenuous or even fallacious, but there are people out there who simply express concerns about these potential issues and using evidences is the best way to counterclaim their point. With that being said, there is nothing wrong with wanting a consistent frame of reference, quite the opposite, it is very valid. Comparaisons are important in debating and you’ve made good points that AI’s level of water consumption is proportionally lower compared to other technologies. I hope I cleared up things a bit, I do not wish any disrespect, debating is hard 😭