[OC] Annual Water Use Comparison between Corn and Data Centers
After seeing a Hank Green video, I wanted an apples-to-apples comparison of water use, U.S. data centers vs irrigated corn. So I converted everything into the same units and plotted the gap.
Do you have access to the economic return/impact for each of these? That would be interesting to plot as a second axis.
SomeSchmidt on
Well that settles it, we’re having data center bread with our chili from now on!
DysClaimer on
I immediately wondered if this was in response to the Hank Green video.
Circuit_Guy on
The “detail” chart reducing precision really confused me for a minute there
100king on
More butter on my popped data center please!Â
xondk on
I wonder how it compares to almond water usage, just out of curiosity.
Evipicc on
But corn provides obesity by injecting corn sugar into everything with government subsidy!
aldwinligaya on
Oh, you actually meant corn.
I thought… the bigger portion is the data centers for “corn”.
motorbit on
bullshit in, bullshit out. unlike corn, datacenters are really bad at using rain water.
sirawesomeson on
This whole argument is absurd, two things can be true and both can be problems worth addressing. Water use in chip manufacturing is a major challenge, water use in power plants requires significant attention and planning, water use in cooling can be significant and potentially change the ecology of the reservoir when the water temperature changes. Evaporative losses in reservoirs are not all the same and each location needs to account for their circumstances.
We also grow an excessive amount of corn that is inefficiently used for ethanol and animal feed. Both are problems that should be and are actively being addressed. Saying that one isn’t a problem because the other should be solved is counter productive.
Magic_Neil on
Corn feeds people, or it feeds animals that feed people. It might even be turned into fuel.
Some datacenters provide critical services and help drive innovation. The datacenters that are going up now? They feed AI shenanigans and crypto BS. There is a LOT of compute in the world, and most of the new stuff is going to foolish endeavors.
I’m a server guy.. I like servers, and I like working on them. I like corn more.
HarlequinKOTF on
Corn is incredibly inefficient yes. That doesn’t make data centers good uses of water. They are *less* water hungry but comparing them directly gallon to gallon isn’t a fair comparison since they aren’t on anywhere near the same scale. Comparing by gallons per acre would be more effective since it would standardize the unit being compared. One data center compared to one field of equivalent size.
Also, I can’t say I like the ai being used to make a graph but appreciate the disclaimer so I can take a spoonful of salt.
Frunk2 on
So you realize most animals are fed predominantly corn right? Is the graphs implication then that data centers should be considered as important as the majority of our meat supply?
RRALink on
Only 17% of US corn production comes from irrigated acres.
Frederf220 on
Which “water”? Potable water? Agricultural water? Rain water? River water? Reservoir water? Gray water? Reclaimed water? Treated water?
ResilientBiscuit on
Now do corn in North Virgina compared to data centers there.
The problem isn’t really the total use of data center water compared to food.
The problem is that data centers tend to get built somewhat close to population centers that are already suffering from drought.
dillond18 on
Irish flag but stretched is all I can see
SurlyCricket on
I’d like to add the beef industry to this chart. The numbers I read were nearly 100/1 but that was like a year ago
PatExMachina on
Anything generated by AI does not belong in this sub. Also post sources. Where is this data comming from?
20 Comments
Tools used: [Energent.AI](http://Energent.AI)
Sources:
[https://www.bluefieldresearch.com/data-center-water-secrecy-hurts-communities-and-the-industry-itself/](https://www.bluefieldresearch.com/data-center-water-secrecy-hurts-communities-and-the-industry-itself/)
[https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/irrigation-water-use](https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/irrigation-water-use)
[https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Online_Resources/Farm_and_Ranch_Irrigation_Survey/fris_2_039_039.pdf](https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Online_Resources/Farm_and_Ranch_Irrigation_Survey/fris_2_039_039.pdf)
Do you have access to the economic return/impact for each of these? That would be interesting to plot as a second axis.
Well that settles it, we’re having data center bread with our chili from now on!
I immediately wondered if this was in response to the Hank Green video.
The “detail” chart reducing precision really confused me for a minute there
More butter on my popped data center please!Â
I wonder how it compares to almond water usage, just out of curiosity.
But corn provides obesity by injecting corn sugar into everything with government subsidy!
Oh, you actually meant corn.
I thought… the bigger portion is the data centers for “corn”.
bullshit in, bullshit out. unlike corn, datacenters are really bad at using rain water.
This whole argument is absurd, two things can be true and both can be problems worth addressing. Water use in chip manufacturing is a major challenge, water use in power plants requires significant attention and planning, water use in cooling can be significant and potentially change the ecology of the reservoir when the water temperature changes. Evaporative losses in reservoirs are not all the same and each location needs to account for their circumstances.
We also grow an excessive amount of corn that is inefficiently used for ethanol and animal feed. Both are problems that should be and are actively being addressed. Saying that one isn’t a problem because the other should be solved is counter productive.
Corn feeds people, or it feeds animals that feed people. It might even be turned into fuel.
Some datacenters provide critical services and help drive innovation. The datacenters that are going up now? They feed AI shenanigans and crypto BS. There is a LOT of compute in the world, and most of the new stuff is going to foolish endeavors.
I’m a server guy.. I like servers, and I like working on them. I like corn more.
Corn is incredibly inefficient yes. That doesn’t make data centers good uses of water. They are *less* water hungry but comparing them directly gallon to gallon isn’t a fair comparison since they aren’t on anywhere near the same scale. Comparing by gallons per acre would be more effective since it would standardize the unit being compared. One data center compared to one field of equivalent size.
Also, I can’t say I like the ai being used to make a graph but appreciate the disclaimer so I can take a spoonful of salt.
So you realize most animals are fed predominantly corn right? Is the graphs implication then that data centers should be considered as important as the majority of our meat supply?
Only 17% of US corn production comes from irrigated acres.
Which “water”? Potable water? Agricultural water? Rain water? River water? Reservoir water? Gray water? Reclaimed water? Treated water?
Now do corn in North Virgina compared to data centers there.
The problem isn’t really the total use of data center water compared to food.
The problem is that data centers tend to get built somewhat close to population centers that are already suffering from drought.
Irish flag but stretched is all I can see
I’d like to add the beef industry to this chart. The numbers I read were nearly 100/1 but that was like a year ago
Anything generated by AI does not belong in this sub. Also post sources. Where is this data comming from?