As they race to capitalize on a craze for #generativeAI, leading tech developers including #Microsoft, #OpenAI and #Google have acknowledged that growing demand for their #AI tools carries hefty costs, from expensive #semiconductors to an increase in #waterconsumption. But they’re often secretive about the specifics. Few people in Iowa knew about its status as a birthplace of #OpenAI’s most advanced #largelanguagemodel, #GPT-4 #watershortage #ClimateCrisis https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-gpt4-iowa-ai-water-consumption-microsoft-f551fde98083d17a7e8d904f8be822c4

> “Most people are not aware of the resource usage underlying ChatGPT,” Ren said. “If you’re not aware of the resource usage, then there’s no way that we can help conserve the resources.”
> Google reported a 20% growth in water use in the same period, which Ren also largely attributes to its AI work.

https://fortune.com/2023/09/09/ai-chatgpt-usage-fuels-spike-in-microsoft-water-consumption/

#ChatGPT #AISalami #WaterWaste #WaterConsumption #GoogleWater #MSWater #BlueGold #FlowForLoveOfWater #MaudeBarlowe

#Microsoft #AI #GenerativeAI #Water #WaterConsumption: "In its latest environmental report, Microsoft disclosed that its global water consumption spiked 34% from 2021 to 2022 (to nearly 1.7 billion gallons, or more than 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools), a sharp increase compared to previous years that outside researchers tie to its AI research.

“It’s fair to say the majority of the growth is due to AI,” including “its heavy investment in generative AI and partnership with OpenAI,” said Shaolei Ren, a researcher at the University of California, Riverside who has been trying to calculate the environmental impact of generative AI products such as ChatGPT.

In a paper due to be published later this year, Ren’s team estimates ChatGPT gulps up 500 milliliters of water (close to what’s in a 16-ounce water bottle) every time you ask it a series of between 5 to 50 prompts or questions. The range varies depending on where its servers are located and the season. The estimate includes indirect water usage that the companies don’t measure — such as to cool power plants that supply the data centers with electricity."

https://fortune.com/2023/09/09/ai-chatgpt-usage-fuels-spike-in-microsoft-water-consumption/

BBC News feature article: "The rise of the 'no-wash' movement"

📰 https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230529-the-people-who-dont-wash-their-clothes

There's a growing cohort of people who believe in washing clothes less – or not at all. Matilda Welin for the BBC talks to the 'no-wash' and 'low-wash' believers.

#fz_links / #environmentalism #hygiene #WaterConsumption #Detergent #CapitalismEcology

More Than Half Of The World’s Lakes Have Shrunk In Past 30 Years, Study Finds
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/19/more-than-half-of-the-worlds-lakes-have-shrunk-in-past-30-years-study-finds <-- shared media article
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https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo2812 <--shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #satellite #remotesensing #water #hydrology #climatechange #management #change #sustainable #food #watersecurity #watermanagement #waterresources #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #earthobservation #waterloss #global #lake #waterstorage #reservoir #sedimentation #waterconsumption #sustainability #sustainable

Average household water consumption decreased by 1% in 2021
https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-dmpwc/domesticmeteredpublicwaterconsumption2021/?utm_source=TW&utm_medium=TW&utm_campaign=DMPWC2021
#CSOIreland #Ireland #Environment #Water #PublicWater #WaterConsumption #EnvironmentalBehaviours #Climate