And yet Republican candidates and sitting legislators are pushing hard for them. They really don't seem to be reading the room well.
We're seeing the same thing in Canada, too. The typical alignment between corporations and the right wing seems to not be serving them well this time around...
So there's no hope and nothing to be done. Just go build that bunker in the woods and wait out the apocalypse.
I mean, yes but?
Create a system that incentivizes people or groups to pursue profit ahead of environmental concerns and that's what you'll get. POSWID and all that.
Directing anger at Microsoft or a datacenter builder is a very convenient way for those in power to deflect blame away from those who created the system in the first place.
The only real, systemic solve is to fix the incentives through taxation and regulation.
Anything else is futile.
A tale as old as time. Forestry has been doing this forever: clear-cutting where the public can't see it and keeping forests near roads pristine.
Once again: the problem isn't Microsoft or the datacenter builders. It's the governments approving these projects in the first place. Regulation is the only fix. Companies will rape and pillage unless we collectively choose to stop them.
I get that but they also need to be elected unless their goal is to pad their pockets as quickly as possible, now, before they get kicked out of office (which, hey, for some, certainly possible).
Personally, I suspect they're so deep in their own bubbles, and so used to a mindless right wing base that will vote for them no matter what, that they don't see what's going on.