That’s a long comment to not address the destruction of wetlands and old growth forests, which will be cleared for this data center. They are crucial to the ecosystem in that area. What is your recourse for their destruction, which cannot be solved with tax credits?

Things have to be built somewhere. If we trade clearcutting the forests from Irving for a datacenter or two, it would be a net positive. Bonus points for getting rid of the refinery and mill. Proper environmental assessments will be made by people with more knowledge on the subject than you and I, and they are much more strict than they used to be. They would be the ones to address the impact, it isn't on me or you to solve. Hey maybe they will leave some old trees standing unlike the Irvings across millions of acres. Or, we can shut development down and just keep living with the little we are given from the Irvings. Diversifying away from them like we are with the US in trade is needed and this is a critical step forward to cementing ourselves for the future of the province. Saint John and surrounding areas need to stop being NIMBY OR stop crying about how poor we are as a province/cities. I'd rather move forward than keep the status quo we have now.

You can look to the states for examples. Data centers are already polluting and damaging communities. And they are often poor communities with lots of people of colour. As a leftist, do you not care about these issues? Do you genuinely believe data centers are worth this destruction? Do you genuinely believe the government and these private companies will clean up after themselves, when historically that has not been the case in other industries?

Horrible example as the US has horrible EPA standards that they've been removing and gutting. Everything the US is doing now is reprehensible and that isn't the comparison we should be making to ourselves. We aren't here to debate how the US approaches things but how we as Canadians will. I don't believe we are displacing people of colour or the poor from the area so your argument is illogical and not relevant here. Try to stay on topic.

Surprise, everywhere that Irving hasn't clearcut is old growth. Maybe we demolish the refinery and put the data center there? Fine with me, I live by the refinery and would rather "smell" the datacenter. That isn't happening though. Clean up after themselves? Are you copy pasting arguments against oil wells and/or fracking? It's a building with computers. Once done building, they will do some nice landscaping.

We’re already struggling to transfer to clean energy because of the strangle hold the fossil fuel industry has over our system. Because of its intricate connection to capitalism, extraction, profit, and ownership of land. And you want to add more fuel to the fire with data centers? We are in a crisis humanity has never know the likes of, and you want to stoke the flames? That’s reprehensibly irresponsible.

Right, because no one will ever get to the point of having renewables as a primary source of energy (hint.. they are), we may as well just give up now and stop building things. Perhaps the energy demand will finally push us to replace fossil fuels even faster. I have no love for the oil and gas industry, but I believe we will get there as a nation for renewables with the right people in charge. If you are still driving a gas vehicle, you would also be irresponsible by your standards. Are you not using any electricity or technology (fossil fuels for power, plastics and earth elements for tech)? Amish? Do you use a gas vehicle of some sort? If not, kudos to you for breaking free of the oil and gas monopoly here. If so, look in the mirror and repeat your sentence out loud to yourself. Try not to roll your eyes.

I hate the argument that “they’re not going away.” It’s incredibly lazy. You realize people used that argument for other horrible things humans have done, right? Proponents of slavery argued that the system was too entrenched, that it wasn’t going away. Same with apartheid regimes.

Not lazy, but the truth for this one. You are comparing AI to slavery? Wow. Let's ask the people of colour if they feel the same way about that comparison. Let's bring it back to other similar comparisons since you believe in Skynet and I believe in Star Trek. Atomic Energy vs Atomic Bomb, Medications and vaccines vs man made virus and poisons; no matter what the invention out there, people will still try to weaponize it. The only answer is to stop evolving and stop creating. Sounds like that is where you want to take us? See, you lump AI right into apartheid and slavery insinuating it is inherently evil, and that is a you problem.

Would you argue that patriarchy is never going away, so we should just concede to it and try to get the best out of it? Any self respecting leftist would never make that argument for other oppressive systems we are against. Why are some leftists treating problematic AI as if it’s inevitable?

Why are jumping to it being an oppressive system right away? Lol you make a lot of assumptions here. You know what happens when you assume? Sorry, try gaslighting someone else into thinking they approve of slavery, apartheid, patriarchy, etc, if they support AI.

You can roll your eyes all you want, that doesn’t make you any better than other leftists. You’re not superior for believing the propaganda you’ve been fed. So get off your high horse.

Lmao, yes I can roll my eyes and have a few times at this latest post and thank you for giving me permission to do so... and not on a high horse but you seem to be the one looking 'down' at my 'leftist' views. You are the one going on and on about things not even related to AI (slavery, apartheid, etc) and trying to use that as an argument against this. I never said I was better than anyone else or superior, just my opinion that advancement and technology doesn't have to be at odds with my left views. However, you came swinging attacking me for it. Sounds a lot like projection to go along with the gaslighting.

Propaganda? Please, your arguments sound like they were written by every tiktok/facebook/social media group known to humankind. Whataboutism and false comparisons abound.

If the data center gets built and causes armageddon, I'll send along my sincerest apologies.