cool. and watch the entire right wing go mad over “net zero wokery” and “stealth taxes choking our economy to death.” then watch reform win with a landslide and bulldoze the entire net zero agenda and see where we end up.
Comment on UK government suggests deleting files to save water
ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
A small data center has been estimated to use upwards of 25 million liters of water per year if it relies on old-school cooling methods that allow water to evaporate.
So pass a law banning evaporative cooling systems from all industrial and commercial applications, give them 6 months to comply and start handing out fines every day past the deadline.
thr0w4w4y2@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
ayyy@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
The right will always complain no matter what you do, so why bother listening to them and capitulating?
thr0w4w4y2@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
sensibly managing the economy and balancing the need to achieve reduced emissions with the need to maintain a functional economy is not capitulating, and indeed being seen to carefully maintain that balance might be key to election victory in four years time.
Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
“If we try to make the world a better place, the conservatives will use that as a pretext to do what they’re already doing”
There was an onion article about almost exactly that lol. theonion.com/protesters-urged-not-to-give-trump-a…
They’re already saying our plan to tackle climate change is going to hurt the economy. But we know that doing nothing will hurt the economy worse. Being scared of them saying what they’re already saying is weak and cowardly. Toughen up and do the right thing.
SnortsGarlicPowder@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
They aren’t going to win anyway. I’d be shocked if Labour somehow wins.
Does the Labour base voter even like Labour at this point?
fullsquare@awful.systems 2 days ago
straight up not feasible for many serious and necessary facilities like powerplants and refineries, unless you prefer very warm lake or river nearby (which also cools down by evaporation later)
it_depends_man@lemmy.world 2 days ago
It’s very feasible to create the law, collect the fine, and raise the price on energy sources or industrial process that require the cooling.
It’s a formality, you could do it in an afternoon. Costs a bit of ink and a piece of paper.
“But then it gets more expensive!” and “This might push corporations out of the city/country.” is the consequence the people / the government / the country have to have the balls to endure, if they want to stand by things like “having enough water” or “living on earth in the 22nd century”.
fullsquare@awful.systems 2 days ago
Show me how do you want to dissipate 10GWt without evaporative cooling towers, i’ll wait
scratchee@feddit.uk 2 days ago
If evaporative cooling is the only solution then the market will adjust to the new cost by moving power generation towards the coasts or just increase the price, if there are other solutions they’ll become the economically more viable. Either way more water is conserved and you can always balance the cost benefit by adjusting the fine/tax to find a good balance.
ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Necessity is the mother of invention, life uh finds a way.
Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
summitsystems.co.uk/adiabatic-coolers-vs-cooling-towers/
There are many solutions to this problem. Evaporative cooling is just the cheapest. But it’s only cheap because we don’t charge these water users market rates for water. If they’re threatening drinking water or agricultural water we should just charge them for water usage the same as you pay for drinking water at home. That’s fundamentally what they’re taking when they drain the rivers dry. That way they compete directly on the water market instead of bypassing it.
They’ll install adiabatic coolers in no time.
ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
Which is why I mentioned limiting it to data centers as an option
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
They could heat many houses or fill many heat reservoirs instead.
fullsquare@awful.systems 2 days ago
Depending on local climate, season and proximity to cities or industrial customers, this is often done, but you’ll still have to dump lots of heat in the summer when space heating is off
legion02@lemmy.world 2 days ago
You know what you’re right. It’s too hard. I think running out of water is maybe the better option.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
More heat reservoirs.