I read all the hype about clean tech and AI for good, but when you dig a little deeper, it is just as you described: most data centers are still run on coal and gas, and they consume massive quantities of water. It is a dirty secret. The tech giants talk about renewables, but their growth is so fast that clean energy just can’t keep up. The difference between what they promise and what is the reality is growing
You are also right that, if we would started the transition 20+ years ago, maybe we would be living in a different world now. We are stuck cleaning up a mess we did not make, and no matter how much tech we throw at it, the system is running out of time. On the second problem, you can see that the pattern is old: big companies take, pay little, move profits overseas, and leave the local people with scraps. It is easy for outsiders to say "just don't sell", but when you are facing poverty or a corrupt government, that is not much of a choice
This discussion reminds me of an article in
BBC about how the rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis. Lithium mining companies' activities are causing the death of microorganisms, plants, and others, thereby affecting the food chain of living things in the area. Water levels is dropping in many location because mining companies are using excessive water from a planet that is fighting climate change.
The inhabitants of these areas benefit little or nothing from these explorations, while the owners of these multinational companies and top government officials reap the benefits. Meanwhile, these locals bear the consequences of these mining processes, which are slowly destroying their means of survival.