Bill McKibben’s piece is a masterclass in clarity. It reminds us that not all energy use is equal…and some of it is pure waste, by design.
McKibben’s conversation with Grok exposes the absurdity of pouring massive computational power into artificial vanity projects while the planet burns. From a behavioral lens, this is not just misallocation. It is moral misdirection. When energy is used to inflate egos, mine fake currency, or generate synthetic hype, it stops serving society and starts serving entropy.
I saw this firsthand working inside government. The systems that should be protecting public goods were often sidelined by private interests. The incentives were backwards. Efficiency was punished. Extraction was rewarded. And now, we are watching the consequences play out in real time.
McKibben’s framing is sharp: “The real waste is using energy to do things that don’t need doing.” That is the heart of the problem. We are not just failing to transition. We are actively choosing distraction over direction.
Thank you, Bill, for cutting through the noise.
— Johan
Professor of Behavioral Economics and Applied Cognitive Theory
This has occurred to me as well. If AI is capable of a fraction of what is claimed, mass processing of data will quickly be replaced by highly selective processing of data, further refined by more efficient methods for reaching desired outcomes as well as reduced use of energy, until AI actually cuts overall energy needs.
Exciting to see that the Candela hydrofoil ferry is coming to DC. Hoping that all my friends and colleagues in DC take the opportunity to check this innovation in the future of water based #transit. I had the opportunity to meet with the company at their Headquarters in Stockholm after their successful summer trial integrating these ferries into the public ferry system in Stockholm harbor. They are comfortable and smooth rides, living up to their hype as the future of water based zero emissions transit.
The ridiculousness of this is astounding: ".... To beat that means policy as perverse as what we’re seeing—jury-rigging tired gas turbines and refitting ancient coal plants. All to power a technology that…seems increasingly like a bubble?" Not to mention a technology society did not ask for. I am reminded of Naomi Klein in Doppelganger (she might have written that she got it from you, I don't recall exactly, so apologies if I'm misquoting): "This is too ridiculous to take seriously and it's too serious to be ridiculous."
Wow. Thank you for your reporting, Bill. As always.
The news about coral reefs is such a heartbreak. What more wonder will we kill off?
Thank you as always, Bill! The topic of AI destroying work and climate (aside of the scientific good it can do) is a huge concern. I could see regulation, that limits the use for trivial asks (term papers, anyone?) - and obliges all data centers to contribute a fixed amount of energy via their own roof solar or wind, or geothermal (I am allowed to dream, right?)
Old King 👑 COAL was a merry old soul, BUT he's too old to 🥌 to rock and 🥐 roll, and is fixing to lay down 👎 and die 🎲😲😈‼️👋🐻 Humpty TRUMPTY sat on a wall 🧱, you know the rest.
Just ask a PJM residential rate payer how much data centers have affected their utility rates (search “PJM rate hikes”).
State legislators need to pass legislation that will force utilities to create separate tariffs for data center power requirements. These tariffs would prohibit any of the associated costs of powering data centers to be passed on to residential and small business ratepayers. This would include any costs incurred by the utility if the data center is forced into foreclosure.
There are going to be a lot of angry utility ratepayers at these politician's town hall meetings if the politicians continue to support their big money campaign benefactors in privatizing their business profits and socializing their business costs.
Bill mckibben- I am new here to read about all the amazing thoughts.for years I wondered where to find amazing people their opinion about different topics. I love environmental research or issues related content. I always wonder we all know that our mother nature is collapsing,as we are the final consumer so it's last impact is over us but we react as it is not our problem and wait for others to move first.we need to change this mindset then perhaps the situation might change itself
This was great. I will be reading more regularly. Thank you. And great to know Candela is in DC now- I saw clips of it in Stockholm. Quiet, fast, and electric- what's not to like?
There are also concerns that the massive investment in AI (which together with crypto) is shoring up the US markets could result in a bubble of speculative investment like the dot.com bubble or the housing bubble that led to the 2008 financial crash. JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon was in the UK last week talking up the risks of another financial crash and IMF chief, Kristalina Georgieva, on the IMF YouTube channel warned about the continued economic instability on the global markets, pointing at the record gold price as an indicator of investor anxiety.
Cheating on their homework...... I just heard about someone, someone young, having to use their phone to figure out the change for a $14 purchase from a $20 bill.
Bill McKibben’s piece is a masterclass in clarity. It reminds us that not all energy use is equal…and some of it is pure waste, by design.
McKibben’s conversation with Grok exposes the absurdity of pouring massive computational power into artificial vanity projects while the planet burns. From a behavioral lens, this is not just misallocation. It is moral misdirection. When energy is used to inflate egos, mine fake currency, or generate synthetic hype, it stops serving society and starts serving entropy.
I saw this firsthand working inside government. The systems that should be protecting public goods were often sidelined by private interests. The incentives were backwards. Efficiency was punished. Extraction was rewarded. And now, we are watching the consequences play out in real time.
McKibben’s framing is sharp: “The real waste is using energy to do things that don’t need doing.” That is the heart of the problem. We are not just failing to transition. We are actively choosing distraction over direction.
Thank you, Bill, for cutting through the noise.
— Johan
Professor of Behavioral Economics and Applied Cognitive Theory
Former Foreign Service Officer
Did you make this comment with an LLM on purpose?
This has occurred to me as well. If AI is capable of a fraction of what is claimed, mass processing of data will quickly be replaced by highly selective processing of data, further refined by more efficient methods for reaching desired outcomes as well as reduced use of energy, until AI actually cuts overall energy needs.
Exciting to see that the Candela hydrofoil ferry is coming to DC. Hoping that all my friends and colleagues in DC take the opportunity to check this innovation in the future of water based #transit. I had the opportunity to meet with the company at their Headquarters in Stockholm after their successful summer trial integrating these ferries into the public ferry system in Stockholm harbor. They are comfortable and smooth rides, living up to their hype as the future of water based zero emissions transit.
The ridiculousness of this is astounding: ".... To beat that means policy as perverse as what we’re seeing—jury-rigging tired gas turbines and refitting ancient coal plants. All to power a technology that…seems increasingly like a bubble?" Not to mention a technology society did not ask for. I am reminded of Naomi Klein in Doppelganger (she might have written that she got it from you, I don't recall exactly, so apologies if I'm misquoting): "This is too ridiculous to take seriously and it's too serious to be ridiculous."
Wow. Thank you for your reporting, Bill. As always.
The news about coral reefs is such a heartbreak. What more wonder will we kill off?
You have one of those wonderful thinking brains! Own your own content!
Thank you as always, Bill! The topic of AI destroying work and climate (aside of the scientific good it can do) is a huge concern. I could see regulation, that limits the use for trivial asks (term papers, anyone?) - and obliges all data centers to contribute a fixed amount of energy via their own roof solar or wind, or geothermal (I am allowed to dream, right?)
Fascinating- a great, informative, thought-provoking read. Thank you.
ChatGPT is not very good. Try Perplexity AI.
Old King 👑 COAL was a merry old soul, BUT he's too old to 🥌 to rock and 🥐 roll, and is fixing to lay down 👎 and die 🎲😲😈‼️👋🐻 Humpty TRUMPTY sat on a wall 🧱, you know the rest.
Just ask a PJM residential rate payer how much data centers have affected their utility rates (search “PJM rate hikes”).
State legislators need to pass legislation that will force utilities to create separate tariffs for data center power requirements. These tariffs would prohibit any of the associated costs of powering data centers to be passed on to residential and small business ratepayers. This would include any costs incurred by the utility if the data center is forced into foreclosure.
There are going to be a lot of angry utility ratepayers at these politician's town hall meetings if the politicians continue to support their big money campaign benefactors in privatizing their business profits and socializing their business costs.
Bill mckibben- I am new here to read about all the amazing thoughts.for years I wondered where to find amazing people their opinion about different topics. I love environmental research or issues related content. I always wonder we all know that our mother nature is collapsing,as we are the final consumer so it's last impact is over us but we react as it is not our problem and wait for others to move first.we need to change this mindset then perhaps the situation might change itself
"Peter Thiel, famous climate-denier who recently suggested Greta Thunberg might be the anti-Christ."
Talk about the pot calling the kettle the anti-Christ.
This was great. I will be reading more regularly. Thank you. And great to know Candela is in DC now- I saw clips of it in Stockholm. Quiet, fast, and electric- what's not to like?
It's not just power use by these data centres, it's also water use.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/09/big-tech-datacentres-water
Of course, money is being invested in research into how to reduce the enormous costs involved with some results.
https://news.utexas.edu/2024/10/22/new-thermal-interface-material-could-cool-down-energy-hungry-data-centers/
The tech billionaires have been given a free hand by Trump to do whatever they want. These are some seriously weird people.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/13/peter-thiel-the-antichrist-and-why-the-world-should-listen
There are also concerns that the massive investment in AI (which together with crypto) is shoring up the US markets could result in a bubble of speculative investment like the dot.com bubble or the housing bubble that led to the 2008 financial crash. JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon was in the UK last week talking up the risks of another financial crash and IMF chief, Kristalina Georgieva, on the IMF YouTube channel warned about the continued economic instability on the global markets, pointing at the record gold price as an indicator of investor anxiety.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/oct/08/imf-chief-warns-uncertainty-is-the-new-normal-in-global-economy
Cheating on their homework...... I just heard about someone, someone young, having to use their phone to figure out the change for a $14 purchase from a $20 bill.
Thanks for the insightful writing, and the recommended substacks too!