Environmental Perspectives
This perspective argues that nature is valuable primarily because it benefits human beings.
What is anthropocentrism?
Something is valuable in itself
What is intrinsic value?
This is the process of improving a community's economic well-being through jobs, businesses, and infrastructure.
What is economic development?
This is a facility that houses computers, servers, storage systems, and cooling equipment to process and store digital information.
What is a data center?
What company built Colossus?
What is xAI
This perspective argues that animals and plants have moral value simply because they are alive.
What is biocentrism?
Something is valuable because it helps us achieve something else.
What is instrumental value?
This involves taking actions to prevent or reduce harm to animals, plants, ecosystems, clean air, and clean water.
What is environmental protection?
Name at least 2 technologies that rely on data centers
What are
this is approximately how much electricity Colossus uses while running, measured in megawatts.
What is 300
This perspective focuses on the moral importance of entire ecosystems, including rivers, soil, plants, and animals.
What is ecocentrism?
An endangered species deserves protection because it exists. This is an example of this type of value.
What is intrinsic value?
This ethical concept argues that people living today have moral responsibilities toward people who will live in the future.
What is intergenerational justice?
These are TWO arguments in favor of building data centers, involving benefits to local communities and technological progress.
What are job creation and scientific/technological advancement?
How many permanent employees do data centers employ?
What is between 25-150
Who sometimes pays for a data center's electricity bill?
Who are tax payers?
A forest is valuable because it provides lumber, clean water, and medicine. This is an example of this type of value.
What is instrumental value?
This means meeting present needs without preventing future generations from meeting their own needs.
What is sustainability?
What natural resource does data centers use a lot of?
What is water?
xAI, using Colossus, is the AI landlord for which two other AI companies?
What are gemini (google) and Claude (anthropic)?
What is the definition of environmental ethics?
What is the branch of philosophy that studies the moral relationship between humans and the natural world.
This ethical principle states that uncertainty should not automatically be used as a reason to ignore the risk of serious or irreversible harm.
What is the precautionary principle?
A community builds a factory that creates hundreds of jobs but pollutes a river that future generations will depend on. This situation illustrates a conflict between these two concerns.
What are economic development and environmental protection?
Name at least 2 arguments against data centers
What are
What is the illegal form of energy that xAI is using in Memphis that is causing air pollution to increase?
What are gas turbines?