Data centers are being proposed and developed at an alarming rate — faster than communities can raise concerns, faster than researchers can gather data, and faster than government can solicit input from stakeholders. The political environment in some states ranges from overtly welcoming (e.g. Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick) to covertly welcoming (e.g. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro), with insufficient consideration of the negative impacts to public health, environmen

Fossil fuel emissions include pollutants such as carbon dioxide, commonly abbreviated as CO2, which is bad for the environment because it traps heat and warms the planet. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has been touted as a strategy for mitigating fossil fuel emissions and curbing the effects of climate change, but evidence shows that it can cause more harm than good. The CCUS process involves capturing CO2 directly at the source of emission, such as power p

For a more consolidated presentation of this information to share with concerned stakeholders, check out this fact sheet, which is free to share, print, and distribute. We rarely think about waste beyond disposal. As the saying goes: “Out of sight, out of mind.” But this expression does not apply to residents living near landfills, who continuously endure the nuisance of noise and odors. Plus, landfills pose health hazards for communities at large who may not even be aware of

Language can be deceptive, especially misnomers : words that don’t accurately describe what they refer to. For example, dry cleaning does in fact use liquid solvents, just as pea nuts are actually legumes and koala bears are actually marsupials. Some misnomers may be relatively harmless, but language can also be used to influence perceptions or mislead the public. In those cases, we run the risk of overlooking key issues or making choices based on inaccurate perceptions, so

Data Centers are large facilities containing computer servers used for data storage, data analytics, generative AI, and streaming services. Data centers represent health risks for their neighbors. These risks are especially high from hyperscale data centers powered by fossil fuels, such as those proposed for some parts of Pennsylvania . Listed below are some of the top problems data centers impose on nearby communities. Noise Pollution Data centers cause noise pollution