Beth 🌻 Fig & Filament

Ah so fun!!!

Keeping an account means they need to keep the server space to support your account. Pennies if it’s one of us, really expensive when we all stay 😉

“The left” isn’t a monolith. Those of us who are relatively safe should absolutely stay and take up space. But we also need to show up in service of those who are NOT safe under this regime, so they can take a breather. They’ve been doing the work their whole lives, we can take some of the load.

Oh but it’s so pretty!

The fact that I know YOU wrote this, Tian, is the only reason I might try it despite that first line.

First sentence “spun into the very fibers” is an instant urge to put it down for me — I couldn’t get past it feeling like chatGPT wrote this. That uses language that feels like the big computers. (Do real people sometimes write like this? Yes. That’s why the bots do it. But still… it feels generic)

I bought groceries this weekend.

Likely from Mexico: tomatoes, limes, strawberries, raspberries.

Likely from Canada: cucumber, bell pepper, carrots, blueberries.

That’s a normal grocery trip — $31 in produce.

+ 25% tariffs = $39

$8 difference x 52 weeks = $416 in tariffs, or buying less fruit

“Out of paint swatches”

That is what Lowe’s is for.

Ok but hear me out…. I bet that painted grid could be continued to the calendar wall and be an AWESOME basis for a calendar.

Me!!

Plastic needles squeak and stick. Yuck.

Metal needles are slippery — great for fast knitters, not so great for beginners.

Bamboo needles do not squeak yet they ALSO do not drop all your stitches every time you forget how to slip a stitch to start the next row.

Perfect needle for learners.

And there need to be some policy changes about what kind of energy the big computers are allowed to use.

You want to make MASSIVE strides in renewable energy? Restrict nonrenewable energy use data centers and AI, and you’ll be amazed at the progress they make in renewables seemingly overnight.

But it’s a chicken and egg scenario. Would they keep training models so quickly if we didn’t use them so much? Maybe not.

In conclusion, written by me:

Training large-scale AI models is a huge environmental problem. It’s like the companies that dump gallons of toxic waste in our waterways

Using them, while DEFINITELY NOT GOOD for the planet, is the equivalent of using plastic straws in comparison to the training dump

Opportunity for Leadership: California has the opportunity to set an example by requiring tech companies to adopt green energy and sustainable practices in AI operations.

Local Impact of Global Emissions: As a global tech hub, California faces unique challenges from the local environmental effects of data centers and global warming exacerbated by AI energy consumption.

8. California as a Case Study

California, a state frequently affected by wildfires, has been an early adopter of AI in fire prevention and response systems.

Balancing Benefits and Costs: Policymakers, corporations, and researchers must weigh the environmental trade-offs of deploying AI against its potential societal benefits, such as wildfire prevention and climate adaptation.

— Which do we need more: the planet or the robot? —

Transparency: There is a need for greater transparency about the environmental costs of AI projects, encouraging accountability from tech companies.

7. Public Awareness and Ethical Implications

Lifecycle Management: Addressing the environmental impact of the production, use, and disposal of AI hardware is necessary to reduce the technology’s ecological footprint.

Energy-Efficient Algorithms: Researchers need to prioritize the development of algorithms that require less computational power, thereby reducing energy consumption.

Renewable Energy Adoption: Ensuring that data centers and AI infrastructure transition to renewable energy sources is critical to minimizing their environmental impact.

6. Challenges in Sustainability of AI Development

— good to acknowledge —

Corporate Accountability: AI tools can help businesses monitor and reduce their environmental footprint, fostering sustainable practices.

— Go ahead and see if AI can help, but if not, no worries. You tried! Good job! —

Policy and Enforcement: AI systems can aid governments in enforcing environmental policies, tracking illegal deforestation, and monitoring industrial emissions.

5. Advancements in Environmental Governance

— Sounds like the general worker bees are drowning without enough high level support, so they’re leaning on AI to support them instead —

Deforestation and Data Infrastructure: The physical expansion of data centers may lead to localized environmental degradation, including deforestation, which can indirectly worsen wildfire risks.

AI Energy Use and Global Warming: The emissions from large-scale AI operations contribute to global warming, which exacerbates the dry conditions and heatwaves fueling wildfires in regions like California.

4. Indirect Effects of AI on Wildfires

— I’m going to go ahead and say these are more direct than the robot wants to admit —