Elon Musk's new AI data center in Memphis is raising serious alarms among residents and environmentalists. Locals worry about the impact the new center will have on the community.
It will be considered the "largest AI data center on the planet," the facility threatens local air and water quality, drawing vast amounts of energy and water from a region that already struggles with pollution and health. Community members feel exploited by Musk's corporate practices that prioritize profit over their well-being.
With little transparency regarding the project's implications, residents fear that the data center will exacerbate existing environmental challenges and health risks. There’s an urgent need for ethical economic development that genuinely benefits all people and puts locals first.
Environmental racism has been a long time issue in America. Vulnerable communities like Memphis, face health concerns that are repeatedly disregarded by big corporations who continue to pollute and contaminate predominantly Black and Brown communities.
The Pew Research Center has recorded that 70% of Americans support U.S. participation in International efforts to combat climate change; yet, there are still major enablers and powerful actors actively reversing climate action efforts despite public opinion.
Memphis has endured a long list of health and environmental concerns. In 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) paid a visit to locals, informing them that Sterilization Services of Tennessee had been emitting a dangerous amount of toxins like ethylene oxide, a gas used to sterilize medical equipment since the 1970’s, and has likely been a large contributor to health risks in the area.
Memphis is currently being exposed to 7 different cancer causing air toxins, placing it in the 95th percentile of cancer risks in comparison to the rest of Tennessee.
