TL;DR: Last month at New York Climate Week I leaned heavily into sessions from financial and consulting organizations. In the process, I got a lot of insights into macroeconomic trends, power (in every sense of the word), and of course, AI. I've been covering one topic each week, because hitting all at once could easily be the length of a new book. (If you need a brief recap of the strange way that Climate Week operates, you can find that in the newsletter from 26 September.)
I've already given the recaps of work- and life-relevant topics like AI, power, and economics. But now we're diving into the weird stuff.
Today's topic: rumors, whispers, hearsay, and speculation.
Now, before you say that I shouldn't be repeating the whispers, let me tell you from past experience that they tend to be the most insightful items. While everyone looks around the room like, "did you hear this? That can't possibly be true," they often turn out to be fully realized truths by the following year's event.
Do as they say, not as they do. We know that beef is the most carbon-intensive food source. When you go to climate week events, snacks and meals tend to be entirely plant-based to demonstrate the organization's carbon neutrality. I had to laugh at the boldness of one of the large consulting companies that served roast beef sandwiches at their meeting. That is an impressive toddler-esque level of "you can't make me do anything I don't want to do" energy.
Hand your info to AI to enter. There are several alternative-to-LinkedIn upstarts out there, all of which are powered by AI magic. (Insert little sparkly stars here.) But one event required you to download an AI-powered LinkedIn alternative at the door and connect all of your personal and professional profiles on the fly to get your QR code to enter the event. I declined.
"We only have ourselves to blame." One well-known pundit said that the current situation in the U.S. is "our fault" because the Biden administration didn't suck up to billionaires, which caused them to turn to fascism. I have never heard a pro-techbro argument that sounded so much like an abusive relationship in my life. "Look what you made them do! They didn't want to act like this, but you left them with no choice!"
The data centers aren't for ChatGPT. There was a lot of whispered talk (and I mean a lot) in the corners of the rooms about how the rise of ChatGPT et al doesn't singlehandedly explain the proliferation of hyperscale datacenters. How many datacenters does it really take to create Studio Ghibli-esque pictures of your cat, or write English papers for college? So what would account for that demand? Surveillance and military infrastructure powered by AI.
Pivot to burritos. A company that was long heralded for its good work supporting drone deliveries of medical supplies in remote areas is now pivoting to drone-based food delivery. Because of course they are.
Prepare for rolling blackouts. Given the strain on the overloaded electric grid, we should prepare for the implementation of rolling blackouts starting within the year. And when they begin, people will go out and buy gasoline-powered generators to keep the refrigerator running. Which will generate more emissions. (Cue vicious cycle.)
Notes from others. Some thoughts that appeared in my inbox once I returned home:
- "It didn’t feel like 'Climate Week' so much as New York 'Energy and AI Week.'" - CTVC by Sightline Climate
- "Big tech companies are investing in creative contracts to keep nuclear power on the grid, support new nuclear technologies and add emerging generation options, such as geothermal. Nevertheless, 40 percent of the electricity powering U.S. data centers comes from natural gas, and it will be the biggest contributor of additional capacity between 2025 and 2030, according to the International Energy Agency." - Trellis Group
- "Companies are actively shaping better systems for everyone – they are just looking for new ways to talk about it." - ClimateWeekNYC.org
(*cough cough greenhushing cough cough*)
With that, I bring the Climate Week recap series to a close. As you can tell, it wasn't the most optimistic week of my life, but I've tried to filter through that to bring you news you can use.
It's going to be a bumpy year ahead, kids.