Will the New Data Centers Speed Up Global Warming?
Interesting Take on the Power Required to Run the New Data Center
Monday, June 3, 2024 by pelaird | Discussion: Life, the Universe and Everything
I watched Nvidia's Computex 2024 Keynote and it made my Blood Run Cold
By John Loeffler techradar 06/03/2024
"There was something that Huang said during the keynote that shocked me into a mild panic. Nvidia's Blackwell cluster, which will come with eight GPUs, pulls down 15kW of power. That's 15,000 watts of power. Divided by eight, that's 1,875 watts per GPU.
"The current-gen Hopper data center chips draw up to 1,000W, so Nvidia Blackwell is nearly doubling the power consumption of these chips. Data center energy usage is already out of control, but Blackwell is going to pour jet fuel on what is already an uncontained wildfire.
"Worse still, Huang said that in the future, he expects to see millions of these kinds of AI processors in use at data centers around the world.
"One million Blackwell GPUs would suck down an astonishing 1.875 gigawatts of power. For context, a typical nuclear power plant only produces 1 gigawatt of power.
"Fossil fuel-burning plants, whether that's natural gas, coal, or oil, produce even less. There's no way to ramp up nuclear capacity in the time it will take to supply these millions of chips, so much, if not all, of that extra power demand is going to come from carbon-emitting sources.
"I always feared that the AI data center boom was likely going to make the looming climate catastrophe inevitable, but there was something about seeing it all presented on a platter with a smile and an excited presentation that struck me as more than just tone-deaf. It was damn near revolting."
Reply #2 Monday, June 3, 2024 8:35 AM
What is actually needed are vast solar farms across North Africa and the Middle East (MENA). almost infinite electricity with next to zero pollution. The region has a significant potential for solar energy, with an estimated 400,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) of generation potential per year. That could support huge data farms as well as about 52% of the region's energy needs...nVidia could easily put its crap in Israel's Negev desert and run its energy needs without North Africa...
Reply #3 Monday, June 3, 2024 9:55 AM
What is actually needed are vast solar farms across North Africa and the Middle East (MENA). almost infinite electricity with next to zero pollution. The region has a significant potential for solar energy, with an estimated 400,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) of generation potential per year. That could support huge data farms as well as about 52% of the region's energy needs...nVidia could easily put its crap in Israel's Negev desert and run its energy needs without North Africa...
1: Not that any Govt, nor the United Nations have the intestinal fortitude to do the simple solution.
2: Ban the Blackwell from being built and/or distributed.
3: What confuses me is this GPU 15X the energy hog of the top one ATM?
4: Is it at least 30X more powerful? If so does the world need this much of an in cress?
5: If it is not then see my second sentence.
Note: What I mean by the 3&4 sentences is that if the Blackwell is not at least 2X the output of the current generation at the same power consumption, then sentence 2 should apply.
Reply #4 Monday, June 3, 2024 10:08 AM
...and not to mention the carbon footprint from mining rare materials and manufacturing of solar panels. It was once said that wind turbines all through the Rocky mountains could power the entire US, but do you see that happening in the next 30 years? I won't be alive, but my kids and their kids will have to deal with our mess.
Reply #6 Monday, June 3, 2024 1:13 PM
My state has 85 solar fields in it right now, my entire town and many others around me are powered by solar and there are even more being installed. They are even experimenting with creating roads that will charge electric vehicles (I own one) while you drive.
Reply #7 Monday, June 3, 2024 1:47 PM
This is really scarry stuff!
Reply #8 Monday, June 3, 2024 2:03 PM
This is perhaps a little bit off topic, but has anyone heard about grounding, where people walk around on bare feet on grassy fields, which grounds them and has healing possibilities? And can this so called grounding be a very subtle hint that there are forms of energy out there that we may not be aware of? We are electrical beings, our minds and nerves have electrical properties, and dare I say it , yes, I do see a "sort of" Star Trek" future in the far off distance. Perhaps quantum mechanics or quantum physics can open those doors?
Reply #9 Monday, June 3, 2024 7:34 PM
My state has 85 solar fields in it right now, my entire town and many others around me are powered by solar and there are even more being installed. They are even experimenting with creating roads that will charge electric vehicles (I own one) while you drive.

That's awesome! Are the solar fields owned by the state government or a private electric company?
Reply #10 Monday, June 3, 2024 7:44 PM
They are companies that worked with the states government initially pelaird.
Reply #11 Monday, June 3, 2024 10:39 PM
This is perhaps a little bit off topic, but has anyone heard about grounding, where people walk around on bare feet on grassy fields, which grounds them and has healing possibilities?
Not to hijack this thread, but no, apart from grounding circuits, no I haven't, and I think it sounds a bit like something from the Journal of Unproven Results.
I can tell you that walking barefoot in grassy fields (minus the sharp rocks/pebbles and surprise lego pieces) feels wonderful, but I know of no rigorous proofs it might cure illnesses beyond Urbanitis - being sick of cities (my neologism...Urbs=City in latin) .
There are possible negatives, though...one can acquire nematode parasites (such as Strongyloides stercoralis) doing that in fields fertilized with infected feces.
Reply #12 Monday, June 3, 2024 11:03 PM
"The Earthing Movie", is a documentary about grounding. And it's on YouTube, free with ads. I do not agree with every claim that is stated in the video, but, I do think there is something to the idea of grounding, IMO. I do agree with you about the risk of parasites. It wouldn't be safe to walk barefoot just anywhere. But I think walking barefoot on the grass, in the back yard, or at a local park somewhere should be alright, assuming the area hasn't been sprayed with some pesticide or something. My main point is that there are forms of energy that we are not using yet, and all we can do is wait and see if future science or knowledge or technology will open the way for us to start using it.
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Reply #1 Monday, June 3, 2024 8:28 AM
This is really scarry stuff!