Nipun Negi is a young software developer. He wrote this great piece for us on the immense environmental harms caused by Gen AI. I’m honoured to share it here.
You can also download the PDF of his article here: https://dev.stopgenai.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Enivornmental-Damage-Nipun-Negi-StopGenAI.pdf
Introduction
Hey friends! As an environmentalist who cares deeply about our planet’s future, I want
to talk today about something that’s getting a lot of buzz: Generative AI—often called
“GenAI”—and the StopGenAI movement. There’s a lot of excitement about what power-
ful AI can do, but we also need to ask what it’s doing to our environment. . . and weather.
It’s not about resisting new technology, but about acknowledging its overlooked draw-
backs—especially the environmental impact. For example, in Jammu, we used to expe-
rience winter by mid-September, but last year the season only began in mid-December.
Climate change is complex, with many contributing factors, but it’s clear that the growing
energy demands of AI systems—and the carbon emissions from powering them—can also
play a part. Of course, I’m not saying it’s only because of AI; climate is being affected
due to a lot of factors, with GenAI and other advancements in artificial intelligence being
just one reason among many.
What’s the Problem With GenAI?
GenAI isn’t just about chatbots and fancy image generators. It’s a massive, energy-
hungry system that runs on huge data centers scattered around the world. Training and
running these AI models require huge amounts of electricity, pushing our power grids to
the limit.
- Energy Use: Training one large AI model can use as much energy as a small town
does in months! The servers that run GenAI are powered day and night, often using
fossil fuels unless renewables are available. - Water Consumption: Data centers need enormous amounts of water for cool-
ing—up to 300,000 gallons a day—rivaling the use of whole neighborhoods. This
strains local water supplies and affects nearby ecosystems. - Carbon Footprint: Burning fossil fuels for electricity releases tons of carbon
dioxide into the air, causing global warming and climate change—making extreme
weather even worse. - E-Waste: The tech that powers GenAI becomes outdated fast. Broken, outdated
computers pile up as electronic waste, one of the fastest-growing waste streams
worldwide.
A Local Perspective: Jammu’s Changing Winters
For many of us, the reality of climate change feels personal. In Jammu, winters used to
arrive by mid-September, but last year they started only around mid-December. This
shift can be unsettling, and it’s a reminder that climate change is influenced by a wide mix
of factors—industry, transport, energy use, deforestation, as well as the growing energy
footprints of AI. I’m not claiming it’s only because of AI, but it’s one among many
contributors we need to understand as we see dramatic changes in our local weather.
How Does GenAI Affect Weather and Climate?
AI’s environmental impact is real, and it touches weather and climate in several ways: - Climate Change: More carbon emissions mean global temperatures rise. That
leads to wild swings in weather—a heatwave here, a superstorm there, unpredictable
rainfall everywhere. - Local Weather Patterns: Massive data centers can heat up their surroundings.
Sometimes they are built near marginalized neighborhoods, affecting local temper-
atures and reducing air quality. - Water Shortages: Redirecting large amounts of water to cool servers can worsen
droughts—especially as climate change intensifies water scarcity in some regions.
It’s important to recognize that these impacts come on top of many other causes
of climate change, including fossil fuel use, agriculture, land use changes, and natural
processes like El Ni˜no. AI and GenAI are part of the bigger picture, not the whole story.
Is There Any Good News?
Absolutely! Some researchers say that if we use GenAI wisely—for example, to help
monitor emissions, design renewable energy systems, or forecast extreme weather—it
might help us fight climate change and reduce global emissions by billions of tonnes per
year.
Right now, however, only about 12% of those running GenAI are measuring its envi-
ronmental impact. Most big tech companies are still chasing bigger, faster models with
little thought for energy and water consumption.
What Can We Do?
Here are some steps that the StopGenAI movement and caring citizens can take: - Ask Questions: Before we celebrate the next AI breakthrough, demand to know
its carbon footprint and water use. - Support Renewables: Data centers running on wind or solar are far better for
the planet—let’s push big tech to transition. - Use Less, Use Better: Not every website or app needs GenAI. Choose low-impact
tools, and encourage software makers to optimise their models. - Advocate for Standards: Support governments and international organisations
setting real limits and standards for sustainable AI. - Demand Environmental Reporting: Push for transparency—if a company uses
GenAI, they should report its environmental effects.
In Simple Terms
GenAI is like a super-powered computer that consumes vast amounts of energy and cools
itself in enormous “swimming pools” of water—while leaving behind a mountain of e-
waste. If we don’t control its appetite, it could set back our fight against climate change
and make weather patterns even more extreme. But if we guide its use wisely, it could
help us predict disasters and clean up our environmental mess.
Remember, the climate is shifting due to many reasons. The choices we make with
AI and technology simply add to the mix.
Conclusion
We’re at a crossroads. We can let GenAI drive climate and weather chaos, or we can
stop, think, and use it to heal the Earth. The choice—and the responsibility—is ours.
Let’s keep speaking up, stay green, and remember: the environment doesn’t have a “restart”
button!