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One of the reasons I refuse to use xAI’s models is because of the outsized negative environmental impacts of the methane gas turbines. Now I have to avoid Clau
by quinncom 5mo ago
One of the reasons I refuse to use xAI’s models is because of the outsized negative environmental impacts of the methane gas turbines.
Now I have to avoid Claude too.
- bottlepalm 5mo agoIf you can make up an inconsequential arbitrary rationalization to not use a service then I’m sure you can do the opposite to convince yourself to use it. That’s what virtue signaling is I guess - the action you’re taking is pointless, the only point is to tell everyone you’re taking it therefore feed the narrative forward? The entire economy runs off gas turbines though this is the thing you boycott?
- formvoltron 5mo agogas turbines generally are for peaking. Not for base load. Hopefully Elon lets you into his glass bubble when the s** cooks on the fan.
- data-ottawa 5mo agoSorry, what? Deciding not to spend money with a company you don't like is not pointless. The point is that you're not participating in something that you judge to be wrong. The world is full of things I feel are wrong yet have near zero power to stop. That does not mean I should willingly support those things.
- LeoPanthera 5mo ago[dead]
- quinncom 5mo agoObviously I’m virtue signaling, and I hope instilling a feeling of shame in people who support businesses that contribute to climate change. But more than that, the emissions generated by the Colossus data centers are far worse than typical combined-cycle gas plants or data centers that buy renewable: these turbines emit NOx, fine particulates, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde into a population-dense area. I thought people knew about this already. Post from last year: https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/12/xai-data-center/ https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/12/xai-data-center/
- Footnote7341 5mo agoI'm using grok to help bring awareness to black and brown and latinx communities that live within 100 miles of Colossus 1!
- everfrustrated 5mo agoYou realize natural gas is one of the more environmentally friendly methods of generating power. Lots of work went into moving to natural gas generation to improve the environmental impact for electricity generation. This is nothing like burning coal.
- stuaxo 5mo agoThis natural gas burning is suited too close to where people live.
- everfrustrated 5mo agoYou do understand natural gas burns very clean? People burn it in their houses to cook with it!
- throwaway473825 5mo agoPeople burn coal to heat their houses. That doesn't mean it's healthy. Gas stoves are known to cause asthma.
- dymk 5mo agoMost municipalities ban nat gas in new construction because it’s so unhealthy and unsafe compared to an induction or resistive electric range. No, it doesn’t boil water faster than electric either.
- jLaForest 5mo agoWhile the burning of methane is cleaner, the extraction of methane is a massive source of uncontrolled pollution emissions which is made worse by the fact that methane is 20x worse for greenhouse effect than CO2. Clean methane is another green washing myth to encourage people to keep consuming at much as possible
- scottyah 5mo agoA lot of it is just captured during oil extraction, whereas before it just wasn't captured.