Report circulates widely on social media
2 Sep 12 2:21 PM · 13d ago · 1 post · 1 source · development 2 of 2
The Verge story gains traction on Bluesky, with a widely shared post highlighting the trade-off framing between agricultural and semiconductor water use.
“There's not enough water for everything we want to do with it. .. So what do we have enough water for? What are the uses we most value? Is it cotton or is it microchips?”
Kathryn SorensenKathryn Sorensen Research director, Kyl Center for Water Policy, ASUTSMC Semiconductor manufacturer expanding in ArizonaIntel Semiconductor manufacturer expanding in Arizona
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What people said 24 voices · best of 38 · verbatim
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C
“.. There’s not enough water for everything we want to do with it. .. So what do we have enough water for? What are the uses we most value? Is it cotton or is it microchips?” @theverge.com $TSM @scottlincicome.bsky.social
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Really, the issue in Arizona is not only dwindling Colorado River water, but a massive (and probably unsustainable) growth in population, due to previously cheap real estate, favorable labor laws, and few restraints on building. It was probably predictable that the water would eventually be inadequate, but state and local governments were more…
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It is profoundly idiotic to use Colorado River water for data centers. There is not enough water to supply current human populations levels in the American Southwest. And data centers will draw many billions of gallons from this insufficient supply. It is not remotely sustainable.
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It’s a mess, made even worse by archaic water rights laws that give agriculture senior rights with no incentive to conserve. Lot of it goes towards water intensive crops they just end up exporting abroad anyways, essentially exporting water.
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How about food and clean water access? Eghad.
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Same here. I've been sent down to AZ a few times and I always kinda wonder why it's there.
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K
'drinking water'... 'Humans need water because it is essential for many bodily functions, including regulating temperature, transporting nutrients, and removing waste. Water makes up about 60% of the human body, highlighting its critical role in maintaining health.'💦 also true for animals, plants
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Doesn't a huge chunk of the alfalfa grown on US soil get sent back to Saudi arabia?
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Saudi companies grow alfalfa in Arizona, to be shipped back home to Saudi Arabia. In some areas they use as much groundwater as they want.
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Data centers can drink our water. We cannot drink data.
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Personally, I value drinking it above all the other choices.
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STOP LEASING FARM LANDS TO SAUDI ARABIA FOR THEIR OWN CROPS TO SHIP BACK THEN.
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City of Phoenix: "plant more trees for shade" Also City of Phoenix: "we are raising your water rates"
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Give up the cotton fibre for hemp fibre. We may be able to stretch that water a little farther
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I dunno, but I do know that microchip underwear is really uncomfortable.
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Or is it safe drinking water for a growing population? Flint Michigan Standards. The US doesn’t have any.
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The world is running out of water. These AI centers are going to drink up what’s left!
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water scarcity -> water rivalry -> water war
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The Keystone Pipeline is 2,151 miles long, and transports oil from Alberta, Canada to Texas. Pipelines to transport water from the Pacific to resupply reservoirs in western states is a no-brainer, and would be quite profitable. So why is nobody doing this?
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Arizona and especially Arizona agriculture is doomed. And why in the hell would the US place water dependent chip manufacturing in hot ass drought stricken AZ?
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Cotton or Microchips?!? Perspicacity Incarnate….without water…People die in 3 days. Three! But is it cotton fields or microchips?
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Why is no one looking at desalination in gulf of California and piping it up to phoenix and tucson?
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You left out alfalfa for Saudi owned corporate farms.
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M
You can get free trees from SRP that require little to no watering
All 2 developments of Federal Colorado River cuts squeeze Arizona's… →
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