What We’re Reading: The Data Center Backlash Is Uniting Americans

Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here.

Crunching the data

When Kevin O’Leary, a.k.a. Mr. Wonderful of Shark Tank, decided to generate his next windfall by building a massive data center in Utah, he may have thought it would be smooth sailing in a business-friendly Republican state with a governor on his side.

Then came the backlash. According to a story found by Editorial Director Becca Worby, residents across the region revolted, saying the data center threatened the already parched Great Salt Lake. Many vowed to vote against any incumbent who supported the project. The state’s looming elections will be watched as a sign of how opposition to data centers can impact the fates of political leaders who dare to approve projects the voters don’t want.

Becca says:

It’s been fascinating to see how opposition to data centers has become a unifying force. As this article notes, they “have become flash points all over the country, uniting liberals and conservatives, environmentalists and ranchers, small-government crusaders and social justice activists.”

Everything on sail

A year ago we wrote about the potential for carrying cargo by low-carbon sailing ships. This week, DHL, one of the world’s biggest shipping companies, announced it will start using wind-powered boats to ship trans-Atlantic freight starting next year.

Described in a story shared by Executive Editor Will Doig, the three-hulled ships are 220 feet long and can carry 415 metric tons, about five times more than an airplane. And while they’re not quite as speedy as your typical cargo ship, taking around two weeks to cross the ocean, they’re far more sustainable, emitting up to 99 percent less greenhouse gas than air freight, and up to 90 percent less than conventional sea freight.

Will says:

Some solutions are whimsical, and some have the potential to make a real impact. With DHL getting in on the cargo sailing ship game, this one’s starting to look like it might be both.

What else we’re reading

Meet the Dementia Rebels: Diagnosed and Determined to Change People’s Minds, shared by Michaela Haas from the Guardian

Just Six Beavers Riding Horseback to Their New Home, shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby from Instagram

In other news…

We’ve written about how bee hotels help pollinators keep our ecosystems healthy. This month, a reader named Christina sent us an article about a 74-year-old craftsman who has been building bee hotels since 1983. Now that he’s retiring, the final hotels are up for sale. Learn how you can get one, and why hand-crafted bee hotels are more effective than any you could buy in a store.

The post What We’re Reading: The Data Center Backlash Is Uniting Americans appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.