Google is illegaly cutting forest to build data centers

monk_grilla 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Google said in a statement “we understand the concerns” and that it had “fallen short of our own high standards”.

But it wasn't their own high standards, it was a legal obligation that they neglected?

I hope in vain that the powers that be are able to punish them in a way they will actually feel...

jltsiren an hour ago | parent | next [-]

This is an amusing little scandal, but it seems to be only a procedural issue. Assuming that Google has some basic competence, it selected locations where it's ultimately possible to build data centers while complying with all legal requirements.

My guess is that the government will eventually find that all requirements have been satisfied and let the projects move on. But because this is now a controversial issue, someone with the standing will very likely file a complaint. Then the projects will be stuck in administrative courts for a year or two.

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_heimdall a minute ago | parent | next [-]

Its a pretty egregious procedural oversight if you want to chalk it up to that.

For sure this is being politicized, for example claiming that the area was reduced to sand due to an overheated data center market. But to clear the land before doing legally required environmental impact studies is a pretty obvious mistake, and frankly I'm not sure how you'd even have landed on a plan for land clearing before doing said study if its required. How would you know what areas to clear, for example?

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reactordev 35 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

be real, they will just pay off the local officials to pass zoning laws to make it all legal. As they have done across the states.

	▲	jltsiren 14 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		The environmental impact assessment requirement is a national law, and the national government is responsible for approving it. But since elections are coming and the issue has become controversial, the government coalition will happily ignore it and let administrators and judges sort it out. They have bigger things to worry about.

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shadowgovt an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The punishment will almost certainly fall on the subcontractor they contracted this work to who cut corners and should know better about local law.

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titzer an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

> are able to punish them

They will not.

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rnd0 15 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

To no one's surprise Google has gone from 'Do no evil' to 'Do all the evil, develop new levels of evil and then do that as well'

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ncr100 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> Google said in a statement “we understand the concerns” and that it had “fallen short of our own high standards”.

Apple said the same rhetorical non-apology apologetically, recently... about something??

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iamarobot 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I think it was their Siri. Apple Intelligence lags a lot behind competitors, and back during WWDC last year Craig made an announcement about how "Siri had fallen short of expectations".

	▲	ares623 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Executives were the world's first slop slingers even before LLMs. No wonder they got infatuated so easily.

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georgemcbay 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Apple said the same rhetorical non-apology apologetically, recently... about something??

Entirely possible they were advised by the same crisis management firm like FGS Global or Brunswick Group.

There is a whole giant industry around pretending to be sorry effectively.

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andsoitis 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Google’s web page about the Muhos data center referenced in the article: https://datacenters.google/locations/muhos/

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bethekidyouwant 5 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

People sure love to hate datacenters. what we should build instead (or is it where?)

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thayne 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> it would consider enforcement proceedings and a fine

Oh man they are going to consider a fine, that would probably be barely an inconvenience to google.

	▲	titzer an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Fines are just there as a threat to make sure they're not behind on their (checks notes...what are they calling it these days again...oh that's right) PAC contributions.

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mattmaroon 43 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

*illegally

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clumsysmurf an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Seems this is becoming a frequent thing, all over:

"One of America’s Last Chestnut Groves Is About to Be Destroyed for a Data Center"

https://www.gadgetreview.com/one-of-americas-last-chestnut-g...

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cucumber3732842 an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

As someone who's seen how this sausage is made in another jurisdction I assume what's going on here is Google or the builder got some sort of statement from some board to the tune of "oh well because you checked whatever boxes we will exercise our discretionary authority to waive this for you, the exact opposite of what how we'd behave if you were some uppity peasant seeking to develop some petty land". Naturally there are some who don't like this have probably complained to the next authority up who's putting some scrutiny on the situation and whatever approval they were given has been rescinded and now they gotta do it the hard expensive way.

Or it might be one of those cases where the discretionary BS you can be put through is so onerous and capricious that the cheapest way to get it done is to bulldoze first, let the threats fly and use whatever legal maneuvering that gets you to wind up with a more favorable venue (the higher up you go the more friendly to industry permitting authorities tend to become).

	▲	rnd0 10 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		It's better to pay a fine than to ask for permission and get turned down? yeah, probably.

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ljm an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Do no evil, right?

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shadowgovt an hour ago | parent [-]

Don't be evil.

"Do no evil" is a functionally impossible standard. Subtle difference but it matters.

	▲	SlightlyLeftPad 13 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		As an executive of a company, I can think of no reason to remove that as a value unless of course (checks notes) you are condoning and encouraging evil.

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alex1138 an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

There is Ecosia, apparently. I don't recall which trackers (crawlers) it uses

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tombert 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

When should we expect our corporate overlords to block out the sun just to fuck with us? [1]

[1] https://youtu.be/L3LbxDZRgA4