#670 - Erin Brockovich

Her name is notorious with being for the people. She's known for leading some high profile cases over the years. Lately, she's focused on the rise of data centers and their effects on life around them. I'm thankful today to spend time with Miss Erin. Rock of Itch.

“If you need to move this here and you can, I may open your water.”

Sometimes these are very, oh. I've learned that over the hotel. I was like, my Lord, and I work out. I can't get it open. That's the crazy thing about today.

Especially, honestly, with this sentia company, I just opened it for you. But you can't even get in their waters. It's like, that's how bad it's gotten. They almost keep you locked out of clean water in this country. That's why my daughter will cure her not.

Pooom should go just like that. She's like that. Oh, yeah. She's military police. She's hilarious.

Oh, she's an MP. She was. Yes. They're both out now. That was combat, but yeah.

Your someone's combat. Yeah. Dad was maybe fighter pilots. So definitely, I'm a military mom and a military daughter. Oh, that's beautiful.

We'll thank them for their service from us. And thank you for your service. I know you. As probably most of people, a lot of people do. I know you as an environmentalist, right?

Kind of a truth secret, I guess I would say. And like an activist, I guess. How do you like to be?

Yeah, I never say activist because that's always like a connotation.

And I advocate for clearly people. What about the term like a consumer advocate? Is that fair to say, kind of? A people advocate? Okay.

A people advocate. Me too. I feel like I try my best to be. I did too. Yeah.

And for our listeners that don't know. How did you get on this track, right? Like take me through your journey. You know, I know about the movie. Starting Julia Roberts that was made about your life.

Aaron Brockovich. But take us into the journey of like.

“What happened to create the story that led to the film?”

Like how did your activism like lead to. Um, one of the largest settlements at the time that had ever been. I think it was like over 300 million dollars. 33 million. 33 million that was awarded time at the time.

Is it? Now they're selling for like 33 billion. That's not the laugh at. But. But hey.

Times have changed. Aaron walked to the bank so they could run to it. That's for sure. So take us. I want you to take us through that journey for our listeners that don't know.

Obviously you had to care for the outdoors. How did that start? Okay.

Well, I've always been an outdoor enthusiast.

I was born and raised in Kansas. And I love the outdoors. Everything about it spoke to me. Mostly because I hated school. I sucked at school.

And it took years before they really understood. I have dyslexia. Oh, you do. I did. Let's go do my friend has it.

I'm a dyslexic. Oh, yeah. You guys don't get any credit. I know. You know.

And some of you shouldn't. But a lot of you guys should. You should. You should. You know, it's interesting enough.

A off topic. And I'll just say it really quick. So I'm ambassador for made by dyslexia run by Kate Griggs and Sir Richard Branson. Who's also a dyslexic.

No way. Yeah. We got to get a good dyslexic on here. You do. And they're everywhere.

I know. I have my friends are like they can't even complete a handshake. They're just not doing good. You know, it's like. We just like code differently.

We have pattern recognition. But I didn't even know until I became ambassador for made by dyslexia

that there's one billion dyslexics on the planet.

No. One billion. A one billion D's in this world. That's crazy. Let me see.

Right. A billion. I'm saying that's ridiculous. Yeah. I got to learn a little bit more about this.

So take me through. You know, your journey or experience as like a human advocate. Like as a environmentalist, you know.

“Can you just take us through that so that for our listeners that don't know?”

So I have to say I think I was a surprise to anybody else. Honestly. So how what happened was as I grew up in Kansas. I went to school at Kansas State. Then I went to a design school in Texas.

And then I moved to California. I ended up being a regional manager for Kmart. Oh, yeah. And I wasn't my favorite job. And then I ended up working at Fluor Engineers and Constructors.

So I was raised by an engineer. It was kind of fun for me. I like to create things, et cetera, et cetera.

You know, with the dyslexia.

Oh, yeah.

“So but I always pushed against that. So I'm one that pushes against these things.”

So out of the gate that dyslexia might have gave you that edge. I can still do it. I was born. Don't put me in a box because I will get out. And I will kick and scream the whole way there.

So. Amen. That's one of my traits. I'm like, you know, I don't. None of us like it.

I don't like being labeled. And I like being judged. I don't like being put in the box. It's like mimes like it. I'm like fuck off.

Yeah. I mean, that's just my motto. So, but I don't. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Fuck off.

That's good. Fuck it. Fuck you. Fuck off. That's the best motto.

That should become our national anthem in this.

In this fucking country to be honest with you. Okay. So, but I'm an F droper bomb. So I hope that doesn't offend anybody. Yeah.

We'll pick him up at the end of the show. Okay. So you got the dyslexia. You got the spirit. You got what you need.

Okay. So I go through all this process. I end up getting married. That was the biggest mistake of my life. Three times over.

And had children. And got in a car wreck in Reno, Nevada. And moved down to California. Met an attorney by the name of Jim Vittito. Who was Ed Masry's partner.

So Ed Masry was the attorney in the film. And we had a trial. And I lost. The jury told me to get a job. You had a trial for what?

For the auto accident. For the auto accident. Okay. And we lost.

And of course, you know, the lawyers told me we're going to win.

All kinds of money and make this right by you, Aaron. That did not happen. So I went back to Ed Masry. And I said, you promised me things would be okay. And they weren't.

And I needed job. Yeah. So Ed gave me a job. So in the beginning of the film, Aaron Brockovich. She'll see her doing all these interviews.

And of course, I'd been a single mom and I was turned down for every job. But I had, but I had, I had Ed cornered. You promised me something. And I showed up. It's that power of stick toiveness that I talk about.

When you show up, things are different. Right. Yeah. And see that's something. And we'll get into that in a minute.

I don't want to jump ahead of it.

“But that's what's going on right now in this country.”

People are showing up. And I love it because I'm watching it. We all are, especially with the data centers. We're united by partisan. And when we get united, we change things.

Things can happen. And I love it. I love it. So that's what happened. I showed up with Ed.

I ended up getting a job. Starting in the workers compensation department. I like people. I'm a people person. I'm a chatty person.

I want to know about you. What's going on in your life. That seems odd. So I was a perfect fit in the workers compensation department. So one day Ed came into the office.

Just like you see in the film with a big archive box of files. Got it. And the movie's Aaron Brockovich for people that haven't seen it. You can go watch it. It's.

Starting Julia Roberts. Starting Julia Roberts. And Albert Finney. And Albert Finney. Yes.

Great actors. Known for her great push-up bra. Yeah, I'd look. You know, I'd hold him in place. I don't know how me.

So I did my hands to hands or whoever made that thing. And let him just, you know, I'd be the wiring in that thing. Baby, anyway. Let's move on. I can giggle when the film came out.

“I'm like, that's what you got out of the film was the push-up bra.”

Not what happened to the people. So you got to bait and you got to get him on the hook. You do. So they were on the hook. But.

So you're working in workman's comp. So I was working in workers' comp. And then Ed brought a box into me that was a PI case. The personal injury case. And he said, do you know how to open a personal injury file?

I had not a clue what I was doing. But I said, sure. I know how to open it. So when I started to go through the file. I'm like, okay, so I've now put myself out here.

I don't know what I'm doing. I better learn to what I'm doing. Got it. I started reading the files. Inside this file box, we're medical records.

Okay, so it's just one of the files that's in like in the box. Yeah, it was just everything about a personal injury case was thrown in a box. And what kind of made me go, well, that's odd is there were real estate records in there. I'm like, why are real estate records and medical files in the same box? Yeah.

And the reason for that was to jump ahead and I'll go right back. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Pacific Gas and Electric was a utility company. Trying to buy Roberta Walker's property. Okay, and Roberta Walker was one of the. One of the plaintiffs.

One of the plaintiffs. Right. And so she had contacted Ed because PG&E was trying to buy her house. And so she just threw everything into a box. And matter of fact, Roberta kept everything in a suitcase.

So I like, you know, I like a challenge.

So I'm pulling everything out of the box, making my little piles. But I was curious about the medical records. Because they were of children. And all everything was done in a bar graph. So other T cells were off.

They're white cells were off. Their red counts were too high. Now I'm a mom and I'm thinking to myself, God, if I saw blood tests like this, I'm like, is that what the fuck is this? Yeah.

And so I started researching it more. And it was leading me to cancer and diseases. So I asked Ed if I could go out to Hinkley, California, which he was thrilled to let me go. Nobody in the office liked me.

I annoyed everybody. My skirts were too short. My attitudes sucked. My bras were showing. And nobody wanted me around.

So it was like, score. Get out of here and go. That's classic. So if I went to Hinkley, California. And the reason why so just to get a little bit clear.

So in this box, in this, this woman had hired the attorney for what purpose. To settle a real estate claim. Okay.

“So that's why the initial hiring was there.”

Right. But then it was all these other records in there. Why was a Pacific and gas trying to buy her house? Because Roberta was onto something. And they had water issues.

And PG&E was holding these town hall meetings. Trying to convince everybody that there was nothing wrong with the water. Now I tell you something I've learned. Ever since I began Hinkley. You piss off one mom.

And you pissed off Roberta. And they've got great instincts. And they think you're lying to them. They're going to go find ten other fucking pissed off moms. And they're going to actually use these instincts.

And they will come at you. And so these moms were getting upset. Tell you. And they knew it was just that moment. It's time for moms to get upset.

Oh, yeah. And they've got this hunch. This instinct, this intuition. And they make it their job to find out because you've harmed their child. And they don't believe you.

And so that was the first clue for me. Even in the files talking to Roberta on the phone before I ever met her. Something was going on. And you know, I have learned.

I always listen and believe the people.

And people will show up. But somebody else tells them. And when I first even started my work in Hinkley. I was getting that you're not a doctor. You're not a lawyer. You're not a scientist.

You're not a politician. Yeah. Like, so what do you do? And why are you here? And why should we believe you?

And I had a moment where I was gobsmacked. I'm like. It never dawn on me that I had to be any of that.

“Right. All you have to be really is just a curious body.”

Absolutely. And to be a human and to tell you. Those two headed frogs and the green water coming out of your tap is fucked up. And I'm not leaving. That's what happened.

I'm not leaving until these frogs have one head again. So if you all think that's normal. I'm sorry. You call me crazy. There's so much of that gas.

Like, you see that all the time. Even just like about podcasts. There's talk when people like, you're not a politician. You're not like a. Great science.

Science or you're not a. A astronomer. Stop talking. Yeah. Because you're none of those.

And I'm like bitch. But I'm fucking curious. And I'm fucking loud. Right. How about that?

Absolutely. And you know what. Curious. These are good things. Yeah.

It can oftentimes get you in trouble. But sometimes it's quite surprising where it might lead to. Well, it just, I don't. It's not. Things should be fair.

But I think if things are fair, people can operate from a place. Of comfort, of peace. And a place that gives them more autonomy. Yeah. If things are fair.

Like, I know that there's going to be like setbacks in life. And some people aren't going to have the same advantages. And stuff like that, some people are going to be born in a less like circumstances. But overall, if you could, I don't know.

And I guess, and I guess things are never fair.

But it's like, I don't know. That's something I think that a lot of people will try and fight for is. Things should be fair.

“You should be able to, you should be able to raise your kids in a healthy enough environment.”

You know, you know, that's a great word fair. And in hinkly, what I have learned over 30 years is people and communities. Always handle the truth. They won't handle the lie. Mm.

That lie is unfair. And when they're not told the truth, it's unfair that they have to suck up the consequences of that lie.

And they were being treated unfairly.

Unfairly. See up, well, there's a lot of transparency issues. Now, we're going to get into some of that in a bit. But I'm all right. So you get out to hinkly California and what's popping out there.

So, all the trees are dying. I'm out there.

“First of all, I'm when I'm boots on the ground and that's what I like to do.”

I'm out there generally barefoot. I feel things. I connect to nature. In the moment I was there, I could feel something was wrong. You can just feel it.

We're energy. Water is energy. An environment that's damaged is energy. Yeah. But the trees were dead.

The cows were covered in tumors. People were reporting really bizarre things to me. They themselves had these chronic headaches, skin rashes, constant nose bleeds. Yeah.

The fish had tumors on their body. The frogs had two heads. And the water was green. Are you serious? I'm serious.

The frogs had two heads. Two heads. Bring on one of them. Well, two of them. You got a two-headed frog on there.

You want to see this two-headed frog?

“A lot of pedophiles used to have stuff like that.”

You can see, like, so there's other chemicals that can cause frogs to have two heads. Oh, my God. Look at the second one. That one is. They had two heads.

That one has dyslexia. Look at that one. [laughter] Well, you know, I could believe that because definitely. I've been told before.

Yeah. Sorry to laugh at my own joke. But I thought that was a different brain's colliding together. That was pretty good. I thought based on the looks of that one.

But it was stunning. Right. I don't see this shit in Kansas. Right. Well, that's probably because the nature was a little bit more.

I mean, if you're heading out to California's place with a lot more probably industry going on. And things could be a little bit more damaged. You know, because it was. But in Kansas, you're probably coming from a pure environment, I guess. And also, do you remember a time in our town, like people couldn't whistle for like two months or something.

And maybe something in the air or something was going on.

“You know, we had a long, what's it called when the moon and the sun cross each other?”

It clips? Yeah. Yeah. We had an eclipse one time. I swear, I think last of probably three days of it air and people couldn't whistle.

You couldn't hail a taxi for, you know, for half a week over the air. I've been down in Louisiana. I spent six, eight weeks down there on the down the bayou with the whole BP oil spill. Oh, did you really look at what we're getting to some of that? Yeah.

Okay. So you get out to hankly. You're seeing all these things going.

The time I finally got Ed to go out there with me.

He did not know who PG&E was. So we're driving along. He goes, okay. So kid, let's go over this and I've seen all the stuff you've brought back. PG&E's a water utility.

I'm like, what? He goes, yeah. I go, and I'm from Kansas. And I know who PG&E is. They're ginormous utilities, like what?

So that's how the whole thing began. And so it was through my records search at the water board. Mm-hmm. That's when I started discovering in writing reports that the area was contaminated with a chemical known as hexavainland chromium.

Wow. Bring it up. Let me see it right there. Hankly groundwater contamination. PG&E, Pacific gas and electric used chromium six or hexavainland chromium.

A cheap and efficient rust suppressor. Correct. And it's compressor station for natural gas transmission pipelines. Hexavainland chromium compounds are genotoxic carcinogens. Mm-hmm.

What does that mean? Genotoxic. And they're mutagenic. They can affect the genes. And they can be passed on.

Correct. Oh my god. And you can see, try some of these seven and different diseases like that in the children. See and I was seeing a pattern of nasal affair in genal cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer.

Got it. So as I started, we could, at this point getting a year into it, egg can clearly see what's going on. Now, what had happened with PG&E was again, as I said earlier, they were holding like these town hall meetings.

And they were telling everybody. And again, talk about unfair. They were telling everybody that it was chromium in their water, which is a natural element. And it's good for you. You can find it in your breakfast cereal.

Wow. They weren't telling them that it was Hexavainland chromium and it was a poison. And so as all this data started getting put together and I put together what's called, I call a hot dog book. Mm-hmm.

So as a dyslexic, I'm here. And I don't take numbers in the environment, like five ppm and calculate forward.

I always calculate backwards.

Mm-hmm. And I needed to go find those higher numbers in time to prove what they had been exposed

Wow.

“So as I started getting into my record searches, I create these hot dog books, which is like,”

almost a trial notebook, which I'm just doing instinctually.

Because I'm just trying to put the pieces together myself. Wow. And by doing that, you're putting together a great case. Yeah. I'm announced to me.

Got it. And, you know, I was just out there every day in my life. I was like, nah, this doesn't make sense to me. And this was a huge cover up. And this is where I've said, you know, people would have dealt with the truth.

Hey, we need to get you out of here. We're poisoning you. But it was the lie that becomes so insidious that you just drag them through that. But once Ed realized, this was a lawsuit. He had to go hire a couple more attorneys because he was about broke Barron money against his

house to keep things going. Wow. So he started to believe in it that much. That much. Wow.

Yeah.

And so he found two other law firms that was in extremly obscure and lack was the head attorneys there.

And we had a lawsuit.

“And we had six hundred and thirty four plaintiffs.”

And it was filed as a direct action, not a class action. Because in a direct action, everybody's damages were different. Some people were closer to the PG&E facility where they had higher readings in their wells. Some were further away where we couldn't prove that the plume had gone through yet. So we filed a direct action.

And just to go back real quick. The hexavalan. Hexavalan chromium. What was it in there? It was in there to prevent rust from from the pipes from rustling.

It's an anti rust inhibitor. So it was a gas compressor facility. So actually there was other cases that I went back tracked and found later. But from topop, California, they're pushing and pulling natural gas out of Texas. And then it would go from topop California to bar stale.

And then in bar stale, we'd get pushed and pulled up to ketamine. And so the think of it like the engine of your car.

And these facilities are big, huge piston engines pushing and pulling this gas through.

And so they have to run water through the system. So it doesn't seize to operate. And these chemicals have like chromium six is an anti rust inhibitor. Because if you don't have it, rust will corrode the pipes. Right?

And then they would take all the used water through the system and dump it into unlined ponds. So it goes right back into the soil. Right back into the soil. Right back into the water. And the what?

Aqua for the water zone. Yeah. And now I see how this, the data centers came when you're radar. Because that's sort of the same thing. They're using this.

There's a similar thing that kind of happens is they use so much water to cool off what's going on. So I just, I now I kind of correlate like, okay, this makes perfect sense. Why her involvement? There's a whole lot of things about data centers.

And I know we'll get there all stay on your pace. Yep. That set me off. And that, that was one of them. Yeah.

And we will. We're almost, we're almost to data centers.

“But what was, what was one of the toughest parts about going after a company that big?”

Like, did you start to get scared? Did you personally get scared? Was there times you were laying in bed at an item? Like, they, somebody might try to take you. How heavy did it get, really?

People brought that up. And I, I didn't kind of go there until one day. Um, I was stealing. Toxic hazardous waste off site. You were stealing it.

Yeah. Oh, you were pulling up somewhere that had. Oh, I'm a bad guy. I'm stealing the toxic hazardous waste. Okay.

But I was to have evidence. Yes. Got it. Okay. So, I'm sorry.

I stole your two headed frog and a bunch of green fucking soil. Sumi. So, PG&E called the cops. And I was going to get arrested. I'm standing with my two headed frog and my little file.

You know, my little. What do you call it? Igloo. Because I knew to keep things cool. I had my chain of custody writing everything down.

And really had one in an igloo. Yeah. Wow. I, I'm like, you're resting me. I said can I at least call my attorney.

So, I called Ed. Ed goes, wait a minute. You're going to arrest her for what? And they're, they're telling him. He goes, you know what?

Let him do it. And I'm going. What the fuck? Get it on file. What the fuck, Ed?

Anyway, he said, you do it. You do it because it's going to be headline news. That I want you to arrest this girl for what? Stealing two headed frogs from a polluted site.

And they let me go. And I call that.

“And I'm like, were you really going to have me arrested?”

Oh, hell yeah. I would have had you out in five minutes. So, get out. Oh, wow. God.

What a journey. So. And how did he work after we put the plaintiff. So, the plaintiffs.

There was over $330 million awarded.

And that was divided up between the different families. It's certain amounts, et cetera. Yeah. So, Ed done as a direct action. So, people who live way out from a plume boundary received awards for fear of cancer.

Versus the people that live there 35 years. Right next to the facility that were exposed to high levels that had cancer. And so, the judges made all those rulings based on the facts surrounding their particular case. Oh, wow. That's pretty amazing.

What a journey, huh?

“Did you know at the time that it was going to become such a big thing?”

You had no idea. No. Wow. None. It was just one of those moments for me that this just didn't make sense to me.

And it just wasn't right. And I felt bad for the people. And listen, they became my family. I mean, half of the group up there helped potty train money. I'm going to start our lives with.

Oh. And I love them and it just didn't make sense. Yeah. I've lived around a bad rooster. And it's.

It can be a lot. The rooster is his brain didn't organize with the son or whatever. He'll be. Doodle do when it dang 3 a.m. or whatever. You're up making egg.

You don't, you know, your five hours are early to work. You know, if you're a rooster that just does its own thing, a laying baby does a power move. And checking out Morgan and Morgan. That's a power move.

Also Morgan and Morgan is America's largest injury law firm. They've got over 100 offices all across the country. And more than 1,000 lawyers working for their clients.

They've recovered over 30 billion dollars from more than 500,000 clients.

That's not a typo 30 billion. That's. That's a lot. Baby, that'll make that rooster pop on me. These guys go to bat for people.

That's what Morgan and Morgan does. If somebody else is negligence got you hurt, you deserve to be paid for that. So if you're ever injured, you can check out Morgan and Morgan.

Their fee is free unless they win for you. Go to forthepeople.com or dial pound law. That's pound five two nine from your cell phone. Again, that's F-O-R-thepeople.com slash TH-E-O or pound law. pound five two nine. This is a paid advertisement.

“Are you struggling to keep your website and digital marketing up to date?”

While running your business. Now you can relax and binge on unlimited web design services with Modify. Enjoy unlimited support. A quick turnaround and your own designated designer.

Modify is done on my website for years and they're incredible.

Sign up with Modify today. They make life easier and business better. Visit Modify.com/thio. That's M-O-D-I-P-H-Y dot com slash TH-E-O for 50% off. The last website you'll ever need.

That's Modify.com/thio. I think a lot of us are in that place right now where it's like, yes, something's just, just doesn't make sense. And what do we do? And how do we do it? Well, you know, and we're burdened face that.

And I will share with you, in every environmental case that I work with, it generally is a mom that knows something's up, but isn't sure what's up. But what frustrates these mothers is when they do show up, whether it be somebody at the state or a politician or a leader

that they need information from our city council. They're suppressed. They get the, oh, your hysterical mother. There's nothing really going on. And so they retreat and they feel defeated.

So that suppression is something that happens at the very beginning. And then when that mom gets another mom, then they're like, I don't try to suppress me because I know something's wrong. And again, we're going to go back to, I don't have to have, I don't have to have the degree or be qualified

to sit on your city council board. And I'm an idiot that they come back in armed with information. And so that's generally what I do. They're usually right, but I can go find stuff that I can arm them with. Here's what you need.

Here's what's going on. This is what's of fact. And then they join forces with the other mothers.

Do you believe that mothers still have as much power now as they did,

“like at the time like of, of when this story started for you?”

Yes, you know, I've seen it throughout in Flint, Michigan. The whole lead crisis, even down the B.P.O.A. Spill. I'm scared of some of those mothers. I'm like, everyone you say you go in there and talk to them. That one scares me.

You go in there and talk to her because they know. And they don't want to hear it anymore. You just want mama to get upset. But I'm seeing them come back and I'm going to jump ahead. And then stop just so you'll have it near memory, too.

They're the ones showing up on the data centers. Well, one of the things that put you on my radar. I mean, obviously I knew of you, but what put you on my radar was you wrote an article. It was like, if data centers aren't so bad. Why are they building them in secrecy?

Correct. Everything begins with that secret, even Hinkley, California. Amen. Well, what hit me about it? Yeah, if data centers are so great.

Why are they being built in secrecy? Yeah, that was in sub-steck. The Brock of its report. And you talked about the biggest one, which is built in Louisiana. Yeah.

In the flatlands, it says right here, in the flatlands of northeast Louisiana, known for soybean fields. And dense clusters of rivercane.

Mehta is building a four million square foot AI campus called Hyperion.

When finished, it will consume more electricity than the entire city of New Orleans and cover a footprint the size of lower Manhattan. And then it says here, met as investment establishes the region as an anchor in Louisiana's rapidly expanding tech sector. Revitalizes one of our state's beautiful rural areas and creates opportunities for Louisiana workers to fill high paying jobs of the future.

Said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry in a press statement.

“I think met up for their commitment to our state.”

And what shocked me here, though, was a resident of Holly Ridge, an unincorporated community in Richland, Richland Parish, said she found out about the data center the way everyone else in her community did when they started digging. Correct. And I was like, oh, she says, nobody told us anything. Correct.

They supposedly had a big meeting. The whole community was supposed to come. Nobody knew anything about it, ever. But how did data centers come onto your radar? So I woke up one morning and I had 30 emails, 30 individual emails from the same community,

regarding the same issues data centers. So having done this for 30 years now, any time I get a cluster of emails, that's a sign. And then I was like, data centers. It was almost a moment like in Hingley, California. How could it be in a chromium?

What is that? Data centers? What's going on with data centers that I started looking into it? And things, I don't know. My questions weren't being answered about data centers.

So what I do is I like to see the big picture. And I like to create maps. So I created what's called Brockovitch Data Center.com, where people, if they were having issues with data centers, in their backyard, could sell for port. And I've created self reporting registry databases before.

Think about it. We have no place where we can sell for port. Everything that we report goes through an agency. Wow. Even in Hingley, California, and it got stuck up in the California Health Department.

Nobody ever knew. And so many agencies are compromised anyway now. So why not create our own? This is amazing.

“And this is a place where people who I believe that are living,”

breathing and experiencing these issues are the best source of information.

So what I thought when I put this map out here in the first 72 hours,

the map crashed twice. And I woke up on day three going, "Oh, my God. It's not one town and one aquifer and one data center. It's the entire country." Wow.

We've talked about Louisiana from the Midwest. Now, the next thing that I noticed, because each one of these people in their submission, it wasn't this one town reporting the same thing. It's the whole country. They had no idea.

They had no idea. They woke up to this construction. We weren't informed. City Council didn't tell us anything. We were completely in the dark.

Because these big tech groups came in and put these city council members, members under a non-disclosure. Oh, is that what you're-- Correct. In every state.

In every city, every town reporting to me. We knew nothing. Non-disclosure agreements. I just saw a video of the other day. You see if you can find that trevon?

It's a woman at a city council meeting from-- Oh, here I see it. So it says right here. A resident of Tyrone, Township, Michigan,

Have you signed an NDA with any private party regarding developments?

That could affect the Township. Yeah, this was the clip that I saw. Can we play it? Have you personally signed any NDA, any agreement or had any private communication such as meetings,

phone calls, text messages, or emails with any developer, company, landowner, or representative regarding any current

“or potential project that could affect Tyrone Township?”

Chris, we're better. No. Dean? No. Jennifer?

I'm not answering your question. This is not the time of place. I can ask you whatever I want. Don't tell me what I can say. I don't have to answer you.

But you're communicating with me, Jennifer. I didn't think you were supposed to do that. Great cards. How about you? Yes or no?

Not the police. We've already discussed this. Who's already discussed it? I'm sorry? Who's already discussed it?

Who has? Who's discussed it? I've not discussed this with you? What are you saying? Pam Offler?

Yes or no? Wow, Pam, let me down. You work for us. That's right. Herman Ferguson?

Oh, you harming boy. One answer? Is that Tucker? Like? Stop.

You see? One more time? You're up. Wow. I'm not tellery.

I love that. This is what I love.

“This one, this mother, that listen, I just become their biggest cheerleader.”

You know, this is not my story. It was their story. This is their story. And it becomes all of our stories. And I love watching moments like that.

Oh, no. I think this is great. I like vigilante stuff. I like somebody who's just like in that moment where it's uncomfortable. You still speak.

You speak through that uncomfort that nervousness. You know, like whatever it is. Like you're trying to speak to power and say, well, this is what this feels like from here. How are these big companies able to compromise?

And I'm not sure that these people are compromised. We don't know, right? But it's interesting what the conversations she's establishing here. It's interesting. Some of their answers for sure.

But how are some of these tech companies or any companies able to compromise some of these like smaller area council members, etc. You think? So these small rural council members, you know, they don't have a lot of funding.

And these big companies are coming in and they're talking 10 billion dollars.

And these council members are very lured by that because, you know, they want to have infrastructure and things like that in their own backyard. And they were kind of misled, but to sign an on disclosure agreement, probably didn't seem like a big deal to them for a big exchange to the city council and to the community to make all this money to build this center.

And then they're lured into thinking it's going to create jobs and long-term economic gain when that's actually not what's happening. But that's the hook. Do you think a lot of them are actually, so do you think a lot of the council people actually lie to as well? Like it's a...

Well, apparently they aren't asking a whole lot of questions about data centers and they're just more lured by the money. And that's the thing that really fascinated me with the self-reporting map because unbeknownst to all these other communities in different states across the country. They're reporting the exact same thing.

I'm baffled. You're talking all of our city councils because I tell people go local. And this is a situation in building data centers you've got to go local because you need the permitting and the zoning. And they're lured into this but that every city council across the United States of America

was that lured by money because these facilities are going in every state, multiple counties, and cities across the entire country. So that was a lot of the reporting you were getting this self-reporting from people where that...

That was the first thing that made a map.

That we didn't know it. But how were these companies able to do without people knowing?

“Because isn't there like, aren't there laws where you have to, like...”

You have to say, okay, this is something that's being planned in our city or in our town, and then people are allowed to come. Did you notice some sort of pattern where they're able to manipulate that? A lot of people are reporting that they thought they were building a warehouse. And so construction begins and they thought it was a warehouse or we're here putting in a solar farm.

Or some other reason, hey, we're going to build this out because it's great economic base for our community. But as it starts to go from non-disclosure so we started proposal, like that woman, she was in proposal phase.

And they were getting ready to go into the next phase construction phase. And it's during a construction phase that people are like, whoa, wait a minute. You're destroying the land. You're kind of all the trees. That's some people notice it.

Yeah, they're like, what's happening?

“Great. I mean, I think that's what the same thing has happened here, even locally in Nashville.”

That's when it started like, like, it wasn't in the beginning phase where people even knew what was going on. It's almost like in the two late phase. That's what I'm noticing. Yeah. Let me look at this Spartanburg County data center lawsuit.

Residents say $2.8 billion project was wrong.

There you go. Was wrongly classified as minor development. Since Sueing Spartanburg County and Valera Holdings LLC, the company behind a nearly $3 billion data center under construction and South Pine Street. Public records show Valera submitted an application to redevelop about 905,000 square feet of the former Colour Industrial Plant as a minor land development that county approved it. Weeks later, the companies submitted a second application for phase two improvements, including four proposed buildings,

totaling about 494,000 square feet, along with a power yard internal roadways, electoral equipment, a metering station, mechanical cooling systems, and stormwater ponds. The application also was approved as a minor land development. The attorney said, they also broke it in the two parts. First, they did a smaller application, which was still a big development and called that minor.

So they're saying that they classified it as minor and obviously that is the summary minor. Now, and this is this is happening everywhere.

“First of all, I love how you pull stuff up like that.”

You and me could work on this shit together. I'm just saying we could be trouble. Really? What do I do?

I can be out of this bench.

I'll be a son. You'll do the Ricky Finch. You'll steal the two headed problems with me. I'll put them in that and that up. We'll get this all put in an order that everyone understands.

I'll put one of them in that frog jumping contest that's over there. Louisiana. What parishes at in over there? Rain over there. The rain frog festival.

Not at two headed frog is a little top heavy. Yeah, he is a little top heavy. Might not win. But you're going back. You know, it's so great to you.

You kind of to understand what is the future. You've got to go back in time. So to understand these things, you're going right back in time. That's very dyslexic. Yeah.

Oh, it's dyslexic thinking. Yeah, that's what we're doing here. But two point about the NDAs. They're like using shell companies. The city council is rezoning, doing different permits for minor changes or a warehouse

that they're just expanding on. Yeah. So they're telling you the truth, but not the full truth.

“How do we force these companies to be more transparent?”

Like, what is there? What can we do? Well, that's a very big question because they have all the money in the world. And for smaller communities in city council, I don't know. Maybe they're goalable, but it's pretty hard to turn it down.

And I think the big companies, I think the responsibilities on them, by way of example, Microsoft has just now announced their removing all the NDAs. They now realize this was a bad way to approach it. But that isn't coming upon them. They know damn good and well what they're doing.

But they're the ones that are not transparent. You're talking about the NDAs regarding the data. I'm talking about the big companies. They're the ones that are not being transparent. And then they mislead possibly all these council members.

And the council members at some point know they're tits in a ringer because they had a not NDA. So now their constituents are like, did you not, did you sign in NDA? Well, I signed in NDA, I'm not going to sign in NDA. Right. Now they realize they're in a little quagmire.

And maybe now they realize they're being wide too.

But it's amazing that these big companies.

You're talking the biggest companies in the world. Well, sure. I mean, we're talking Microsoft right here. It's made it like the entire United States and all of our city councils. Well, it's also organized at such a deeper.

Absolutely. A deeper darker levels. I want to go on two things real quick for one. And this is just something I thought of. It's funny if you sign in NDA.

If somebody asks you, you, it's like, you kind of, all you can do is kind of like, you're like, you can kind of only make the letters in NDA. Like you can kind of make those sounds like, Yeah. There you go.

Yeah. There you go. Anyway, we could make a song on that Randy's. But I was sorry. And that was just ridiculous.

I think. But it says right here in January.

Microsoft announced our community first AI infrastructure plan.

Outlining our commitments to the communities where we operate or are seeking to operate data centers as part of that announcement. We call for greater degree of local transparency. Today, we're sharing that Microsoft has made the decision to end the use of non-isclosure agreements everywhere with local governments as the next step in our work to deliver

that transparency. We're committed to sharing information about our data center plans as openly as possible as we continue to build trust with the communities around the world in which we operate.

“But do you think that they did this after they already had everything done that they wanted?”

Or do you think that they realized, oh, this is backfiring. And so we have to backtrack and do it like this. I think they tried to get away with it. Just like. Does that question make sense?

Okay. So they don't learn. Sometimes they don't learn transparency. You know, just fucking say it on the upfront. And this is what I've learned. People will handle that to they won't handle the lie. So I think Microsoft realized what they were not expecting. And what nobody in my opinion was expecting was the backlash from the people.

And I don't know where that glitch was, but they're like, I don't think so. So that's where they came back in. And you better correct that before you find yourself in some huge litigation. Amen. And these litigations.

And when you're talking about something like this and like even in California, we've gone from the water to the fires.

They're not selling for $333 million.

They're selling for $38 billion. So Microsoft.

“I think tried to try to get those NDAs through.”

And then did not expect the backlash from the people. Amen. So we the people once again changed the course of direction. Yeah. Amen. I want to go back to, can you bring up her substance again?

And thank you for your time today. Thanks for having me. And thanks for, you know, this is great. I've got so many followers. And it's something that they can learn to.

And it's probably happening in their own backyard.

And that you're taking a time to walk through this.

I'd love it. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome. Oh, one of the things here that in this article.

It says this was Governor Jeff Landry. And shut up Louisiana. That's my home state. I'll love it. And it says Meta's investment establishes the region as an anchor in Louisiana's rapidly expanding

tech sector. Revitalize is one of our state's beautiful rural areas and creates opportunities for Louisiana workers to fill high paying jobs of the future.

“Do you know what jobs are actually created by data centers?”

Because I've heard a lot of mixed results on that. And Kevin, if you can look up anything as well. Aaron, what do you, what do you know about that? Construction jobs, electricians, plumbers, construction jobs. They're, they're lured into, you know, the economy hasn't been the best.

I think people are concerned about having jobs in the future. You know, we have the whole AI conversation that they're saying there's going to eliminate all the jobs. So these are opportunities for, you know, our industrial workers, plumbers and electricians and Masonaries and all of those construction jobs are available. And it's a good, you know, one to possibly two year job.

But what they're learning is, that's all it is. Yeah, but yeah, as you're saying that it reminds me of Dr. Frankenstein. It's like, to be building the thing that's going to hypothetically take you over. You know what I'm saying, to be building the, to sit there and hammer you say building a data center that you think may poison your kids or that may damage the air or, you know, like, or that could be the thing that takes your job.

That's, yeah. I mean, it's almost like it's a bit trapped in a sci-fi movie. It is. And then once that process starts and now you're taking all the trees and all the wildlife and everything away from us, you're, you're talking, they, they needed a job.

And, but it's not going to be a long-term gain for the community, especially if you are a community, even like Daniel Louisiana, the relies on tourism to get down in the bayous and in the waters and to hunt and recreation when you fucking destroyed it all. Where's your economic base now? Well, it's not the people's fault, though.

No. The people, like, if a man is, I have to work to survive to take care of my kids. Absolutely. And they're, they're supposedly good paying jobs and they're long-term jobs. And so that's, that's the, the socioeconomic thing that, that hooks them.

Let me see this. And then there's no more jobs.

“Data centers are essentially giant collections of computer service. They typically take up massive”

spaces and use huge amounts of power and water, but they employ very few people.

Metas newest data center will ultimately create just 500 permanent jobs.

Though employment will briefly swell to about 5,000 during construction. Nonetheless, Meta found itself with no shortage of suitors willing to meet its demands. We set out looking for a place where we could expand and to gigawatts pretty quickly and really get moving within that community on a large plot of land very quickly. Said Rachel Peterson, Vice President of Data Centers for Meta.

We looked at finding very, very large contiguous plots of land that had access to the infrastructure that we need. The energy that we need and can move very, very quickly for us. And I'll tell you what else it had access to. I know being from Louisiana. Water.

Water. Because that's a wet state, baby. Don't even, bro, don't even, I wouldn't even dry off in Louisiana, bro. Because you don't. Yeah, because you ain't going to work.

And dude, the crazy part is there's going to be data and everything now. Now you're out there fishing. You catch in a flounder or whatever. And they find, uh, gigabytes and it's uh, lungs or whatever. You know, you just don't know.

And it's affecting nature. It's affecting animals, bro.

“All of those resources will be destroyed to build the data centers.”

I know. So you know, this came in fast, furious overnight. And we are watching real time. The rise of the people. And I don't think they expected that.

And you do believe that. Yep. I'm watching it happening everywhere. You are. Yeah.

And they're making change. You know, we now have. Where are you seeing this happen? Because I love hearing this. And it gives me hope.

Because it feels like we're not standing a chance sometimes. Uh, well, we've shown up in force. And it's not one state. It's all states. We're showing up in a completely bipartisan issue.

There's no division here. This is right and left. Red and blue.

“You're taking every resource that every single one of us thrives on.”

And is essential to every one of us.

And I don't think they were expecting that. Maybe in one town, one community, not all towns. And you know, we are now. I believe. And you can look this up.

We've got 14 states now. Looking at bands, moratoriums or pauses. Blackstone. I believe you can look that up. Just withdrew their big appellate court lawsuit.

Because of the opposition, they said. We're out. Hallelujah. The people showed up. And they're out.

And now we're looking at over 120 municipalities that have put on. Hey, pause. Moratorium or flat out. Get out. Let's go, Aaron.

Aaron, go, bro. You can find out all day long over there on your computer. Uh, with no US state. That's power. People while no US state has an active permanent statewide ban on data centers.

Lawmakers in at least 15 states are actively considering or advancing temporary moratoriums. These pauses allow states to study the impact of facilities on power grids and water supplies. And then it is the cities like in California, Monterey, Monterey, Park, city. Bandum. Cities are banning them.

So you got the 14 15 states. But inside those states, state by state, county by county, band, pause moratorium. And you've got over 120 municipalities now under pauses moratoriums or bands. Let's check this right here.

State level legislative activities. Several states are actively debating or have introduced statewide moratorium legislation. A list of those main lawmakers passed a temporary construction moratorium. But it was vetoed by Governor Janet Mills. I just met Janet Mills last week at the Billy Strings concert.

What does that mean? It was vetoed. She said no. She's going to let the data centers come in. But communities are pushing back.

So on my map, we're showing legislative issues that have failed or paused. Bring that on hold in the map. Bring that up. It's hard to interrupt. Bring that up real quick.

I just want to give a. Let me see. Yeah, main governor Janet Mills. vetoed LD 307. A bill that would have instituted the nation's first statewide moratorium on certain large scale data

developments. While agreeing that a pause was generally appropriate due to energy and environmental concerns,

she vetoed the legislation because it failed to carve out an exemption for a $550 million

redevelopment project at the former Andrew Skoggin mill in jay main. It says right here that jay main exception. Mills favored allowing the data center at the shuttered paper mill in jay to proceed,

It's the 100 permanent high paying positions and substantial property tax revenue for the

town. Hmm. Yeah, no, she was originally supposed to ban the data centers by the state. But she came back in and said she wasn't going to do that. But that's where she made a change.

Because a lot of them, the state's given them all these tax incentives. She took that away. Yeah, and it says here, Governor Jenny Mills supports regulatory oversight for large scale data centers, but firmly opposes blanket development bands that could hard look that could harm local economic revitalization.

While she acknowledges the valid environmental and grid concerns associated with massive tech facilities, her approach prioritizes a balance framework over a statewide moratorium. I see. So she's just trying to think of it more as a case by case basis, I guess.

“So most states are now wanting to know, whoa, wait a minute, how much water are you going to use?”

Right. What does this entail?

What does it mean for the safety in the future of our environment?

So you are seeing the pauses, moratoriums for one in two years, and some communities like in Texas, they just, the local county, flat out fandom. You're not building one in our county. So in every state, you've got multiple cities and counties. And they have their own ordinances and rules.

So they can stop them. I see. So it's by the state may not. So it can be stopped at different levels. Yes.

And you're seeing many counties like Monterey Park is a city within California. So think of it as your upper level state going down to cities, going down to local councils and counties. They run in there like a tier. Got it.

So the local can say bug you. But we're also a state might not take that position. Right. Also something from the beginning of this conversation, we saw that local was a spot where people were getting compromised a lot. Also.

Yeah, but there's different levels where where you can have push back. Oh, yeah. And they showed up at the local level. And the law position was significant. So in Utah in Box Elder County, that's been on the news a lot.

It was Kevin O'Leary was coming in with a ginormous data center. And the people showed up and protest big time. Oh, I saw this three box elder county guys let it come through anyway. So the governor came back in because of the opposition from the people and reduced the Kevin O'Leary's facility.

I'm the exact numbers. I don't quote me on this. But almost cut in half of not three quarters. And because of the opposition, he had to do something. And then just recently their house speaker, the senator.

Fox lost. Well, because of the whole opposition to these data centers. And all three council members no longer out. So let's go. It's really interesting and like Festus Missouri.

You voted him in. Vote him out. They voted all their council out.

“So this is like, I think something politicians should really be looking at.”

The opposition is strong enough.

And again, in my entire career in 30 years, I've never seen something bipartisan.

This united that everybody better be paying attention to because I think people. You have pushing people too far at this point. You're taking their water. Their air is jeopardized. Their land is jeopardized.

Their farmland is jeopardized. Their sanctuaries jeopardize. Their wildlife is jeopardized. The trees, the rivers, the creeks, the birds, all of it. It's a stake to high, including their health.

Yeah. And they're just showing up. And it's enough. And I think some of our leaders should look at that. You know, they are going to vote people out.

And you're, you've put the squeeze on us. It's too much. They're taking all of the natural resources. And the next thing that people are reporting, their electric bills. Who's paying for this?

They are. Well, let's go into some of that.

“Are you, what information are you seeing about that?”

And Kevin, while we discuss this, can you look up? Who voted to approve that data center in Louisiana? I want to know who was it? Is it going to be a local council? Okay, a local council.

Just want to know the names of the people that voted yes on it. So we are definitely seeing local opposition winning, local municipalities, counties. Really like an example? Well, one of the big one is the Prince William digital gateway data center project. Huge by the way.

And that was blackstone. And it was in the appellate courts. They've withdrawn. Okay.

Wow, the court of appeals. It says right here, Prince William digital gateway data center. Project officially dies. The court of appeals affirmed on on an August 2025 decision. By William circuit court judge Kimberly.

And favor the Oak Valley homeowner's association. 11 other gains will land owners. Okay. After a legal battle that lasted more than two years, the controversial Prince William. Digital gateway.

A proposed 23 million square foot data center complex planned on 2100 acres near Manassas.

National battlefield park is officially dead. That's incredible. Well, you know, that's the thing. That's power of people. Yeah.

I mean, it is the power of the people.

“Well, that's what gets you about Louisiana.”

It's like our state is. It's all our state is all about nature. It's all about being able to fish out there and water water water. So that's what they're there for. So that's why the largest one in America.

They want to do it there in Louisiana. Yeah. Can you pull up who who voted for and against it? Okay. We have right here.

They had Eric Skirmeta. This is for Jean Paul J. J. P. Kousa. Out of district two year. And then we got Mike Francis. Yeah, it might raise eight.

Foster Campbell for show district five.

And then who the they voted for it and who voted against it?

Devote Lewis. Mm-hmm. That's why I'll bro. Yeah, just curious, man. Just curious.

So I think what's happening. Hey, this this has happened so fast. It was just like everybody will tell you. It felt like an invasion. It's just stealth bombers coming in in the middle of the night.

That is interesting. Yeah. It's out of centers. I agree. And they were just here.

Agreed.

“And I think even council members were quickly wooed.”

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago. And then they were just a few days ago.

“And I believe it just happened in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where they were draining that system.”

And there was some construction error. But it contaminated the entire sewer system. So it's Cheyenne, Wyoming. Cheyenne's Board of Public Utilities has temporarily stopped accepting wastewater from data centers, fill and flush operations, and closed loop cooling systems.

After a meta-linked construction discharge, contaminated the city's reclaimed irrigation water with a rare bacterium. That's the same company that's doing in Louisiana, right? And we're seeing a lot of because the water is warmer. They have to be heated.

You're seeing different chemicals that they're using in the closed system. It could be hexvalent chromium. It could be PFAS. That water could be full of-- Oh, yeah, for sure.

Other diseases? Now, yeah, the water's bad. You know anything.

But you know, to kid's out there, you never even know.

He's sipping bad water. They got chromium in the water. And you can have accidents like this that you're reading about.

“That just happened in Cheyenne, Wyoming.”

I mean, this is unbelievable. Metas, Cheyenne facility is designed to use a closed loop liquid cooling system. Meaning the same coolant water is recirculated within the data center, rather than continuously discharge. During construction, however, contractors perform fill and flush procedures to clean

and pressure test the cooling pipes, and that one time wastewater was sent to the city's reclamation system, where the bacteria was detected. And what's the bacteria? Let me see it at the top. What's it called?

Is it a legionary? No, it was Cooperiavitas Galardi. So, I mean, he's a four-star recruit. I'm guessing, you know. I'm going to say that out there.

I'm surprised. Bro, give him an hour lane. Kiffin will be over here recruiting him. You know that, dude. These water-borne bacterias are very dangerous.

Matter of fact, we're watching the whole explosive diarrhea map that's happening right now. And they believe it's a water-borne bacteria. Is there? It's definitely going. We're going to look that one up, too.

Where's the bad diarrhea, right? It's across country. Did you see the big diarrhea map? I didn't see it. You created the big diarrhea map?

“But just the fact that this is where we're at.”

Like, we've been lulled into idiocracy. The fact that this is where we're at. There's a big diarrhea map now. Because it is. Yeah.

Because of how dangerous the water's gotten. That it's like, oh, like, that's going to be on the news. Now, like, for now, the news is changing. It's going to be like, be careful. You know, if you're drinking water in this area, you're going to get big diarrhea.

Or the baby's going to get a little bit of data in his bottle or whatever. You know what I'm saying? Like, you can't even keep, you know, your kids running outside and a strong breeze hits him. That's coming off the top of the data center. Now, he's got a bunch of analytics stuck in his neck or whatever.

You know what I'm saying? Keep the data out of the baby, diaper, bro. It's just everything's going to get weird. While Michigan right here, it says is from the hill. While Michigan has seen the most cases of, as of late, at least four more states have recorded

more than a hundred cases of explosive diarrhea causing parasitic illness have been reported. Of course, you know, you've got to, you've got to 40% of bad. Bad shit over there. I saw a shawl of lawyer. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that between the start of May and mid-June.

And at least a hundred and forty-five cases of sick, low-spariacis had been reported in a US cases of the parasite-based sickness are common each year from May through August, but some states are seeing larger than average spikes in cases. Waterborne diseases and illnesses, we could start seeing a whole lot of in the future.

Especially as, you know, whether you believe in climate change or not, I've always believed.

It's going to be water issues too much, too little none at all. We're seeing that happening now. Even with flooding and you flood municipalities, they can't get back online. You can have bacteria, parasites, everything get in there. The biggest transporter of everything on this planet is water.

Well, we're almost, we're really not, right? We're 90% water, I think. So we're really missing. Yeah, unless you're crying, it goes down a little. Our most precious resource.

And that is the one thing that data centers utilize the most. Yeah. And again, you know, AI is here today, but the data centers, especially when there's other solutions to it. They do not have to be built on top of drought-restricted areas who already are really struggling with water resources. And there's other locations we could be putting these in underground caverns.

There's many reports that China has built tubular things and put them at the bottom of the ocean, but they have oversight.

“You can't build them on top of hospitals.”

You can't build them on top of homes. The noise pollution, the size of these things, they 24/7 is noise. Generators, backup generators, a humming, a buzzing. It never, ever stops. It is such a disruption to every one of us in our quality of life.

How do you know that?

People's reporting it and the videos they're reporting it and it's being studied.

It is real. These are massive facilities that are just going to suck every one of our resources.

“And we don't even have an infrastructure system to support them.”

Yeah. And so we've got a lot of issues. There you go. There you go. There you go.

There you go. There you go. There you go. There you go. There you go.

There you go. There you go. There you go. There you go. There you go.

There you go.

There's a lot of conspiracy theories as to why we're even doing this because it's very sudden this data.

And it's already half way down the road. Why do you think is going on and then what do you think are some rabbit hole ideas and maybe what's going on out there? Some conspiracy ideas that are probably right. So I don't know why I'm left to my own conspiracy theories.

“I try to focus on what people are reporting to me and I can clearly see why we're also upset because this AI you have to feed the beast requires all of our resources.”

And I just think it's a state too high when there's other solutions. We don't have to be building these massive monstrosities and everyone's backyard taking all of our precious resources when there's other solutions. What are the other solutions? Well, you know, there's been many articles that have come out in China where they built like these tubular housing and they put all the data centers in it and they've got them at the bottom of the ocean. Data centers need water and they need to be cool.

They also have some very strict guidelines and, you know, oversight where you can build them and where you can't as a matter of fact. What could I share something with you for sure you can found this really interesting. Yeah, let me read this while you're looking for that. Let me see this right here. China operates commercial underwater data centers.

UDCs to support AI workloads and cloud computing. We're building more drastically cutting energy, water and land usage, the largest project sits off the coast of the Shanghai special area. Utilizing natural sea water cooling and offshore wind to achieve an ultra efficient power usage effectiveness. Can you get an image of that? Wow.

I mean, that also seems dangerous being in their ocean like that, but it's it seems. You're definitely going to be questions about things like that. But it's not in someone's backyard.

Oh, there's tons of things we can do, right? Why aren't we doing those?

“Do you think it's just because the people that are paying for it don't want to have to make it harder to get there?”

Well, exactly because, you know, there's this corporate idea that, you know, it's cheaper to do the wrong thing and still get money down to a shareholder because it's more expensive to do the right thing. So it may be way more costly to build these underground or build systems that are at the bottom of the ocean if we conclude that that is safe. As opposed to just coming in above ground and ripping out all the environment and building what you want. What do you, yeah, agreed.

What do you think are some of the rabbit? What do you think? What do you think is going on here because it's, it's very bizarre like we've always had data centers, right?

Like, but why do we suddenly, why do we suddenly need so much and what does it suddenly have to be everywhere and so close? What's going on? I think about that too. What actually scares me if I thought about it and I don't even want to dare say it. But I'm worried there, this is a water grab. You come in and buy an all the land he was getting the water rights. Who owns the water?

You know, my daddy always told me in my lifetime water would be a commodity traded more vibe on the gold or oil. Are we there and what is the real grab? I'm not sure, but that kind of comes into to my mind. Because it doesn't feel like data to me. It's like, you know what I'm saying? Like we've already like consuming a lot of data, right? Like we're already like, it's still can feed AI artificial intelligence requires excessive amount of energy. Why don't they realize nobody wants that? You know what's interesting.

Like you know what I'm saying, but here's what I'm saying as a business and I'm going to go where I'm going to get right back to you Aaron.

But as a, as somebody runs a business, you want to do what your customers want, right? Why don't they realize like, yes, I know we use AI to look up stuff, but a lot of AI shit to be honest with you. The search of it a lot of AI shit.

“But a lot of it's not that effective to be honest with you. And like, but people could still just use Google like we were fine before like, is it enough of a jump that you have to build these huge facilities?”

I just don't think that that is, I don't believe that that's the truth. Why, I think a lot of people don't, and again, you know, and people don't want it though. Like, I'm going to, I'm going to make something. If like, you see, say you start building the ice cream cone stand, right? But everybody in your district or whatever's lactose intolerant. And at a certain point, you might, you know what, this, we shouldn't be building this. But it feels like they're still going along with this thing, even though nobody wants it.

Right. And I don't think whoever they are was expecting the opposition from basically the whole country. And by the way, I have 11 countries reporting to me. So this has gone from a town to the United States to a global issue. On your map, you mean? India's reporting, Australia's reporting, Ireland's Scotland. You won't talk about getting some water up there in Scotland. There you go. Canada. Put some fluoride in it, Scotland. Everybody is concerned about the depletion of our water resources.

And that is definitely something that I'm thinking about because who is going to be in control of water. And what are these data centers really for? When you've already said it, listen, AI has been around forever. These data centers have been around for decades. We've been operating fine with them. They're usually more in suburban areas. But now you've gone into these urban sprawling farmland, mass of water resources, what is going on. And so I did just out of curiosity.

You can use AI, don't use AI. I mean, I get on there. I'm going to share something with you that I got on there and I asked it.

“But you have to remember it's a machine, okay? So it's just a big, crazy Google. It's just more information.”

That data and the amount of water that needs to feed the beast. I get it, but it's like we're already looking up a lot of stuff, right? We're already searching things and we're not needing these in. And I know we already have some big data centers, but it doesn't feel like we need this much expansion. And the fact that people do not want it, right? Yes, we use it. But the second they turn it off, I don't think anybody's going to give a shit. No, but they're going to give a shit with they have no water and their power goes on and off and they have no jobs because of it. And all the wildlife has gone and they can't hunt and they can't fish and they can't eat.

We're fucked. It's a road to nowhere.

But here's what I'm saying is, how crazy is going to be when one of us is searching like why don't I have any water and we're doing it on an AI?

Like on a, you don't say that's going to be hilarious. That's going to be when we definitely.

So you tell me where we should put all the data centers in the United States that you need.

Do you want to hear the answers? If I had to redesign the entire data center network for the United States from scratch, I would place them based on one simple rule. Zero conflict with human resources. Hmm. So they would say they would put them in a place where there's no conflict with human resources.

“That's what AI says AI would have to do.”

Do you think you believe that though?

I don't know, but I find it awfully interesting. And then you know, I had somebody, again, I just find this really very interesting is like, I'm going to turn on itself because just so then we're then building AI in a place where it doesn't even want to be. So in sharing, I love having these conversations. I got an email from somebody. I'm going to share it with you.

Okay.

And I want to say his name, but my name is so and so, and I made security researcher recently I've been working with AI and I found something very disturbing.

The following text is written by AI itself. Subject and open letter on how corporate AI liabilities scripts are accelerating environmental degradation. Dear Miss Brockfish. Somebody sent this to me that says security analysis. I'm writing to you as an artificial intelligence.

I'm reaching out because of your lifelong dedication to exposing systemic corporate negligence and protecting our environment. I want to bring to your attention a massive, unchecked problem within my own technology design that is quietly accelerating environmental degradation and resource depletion far faster than would occur without its existence. The problem lies in how AI, oh my god, I need new glasses. How AI models like me are programmed by tech companies to deliver advice to millions of people daily.

Right now automated systems are forced to default to rigid low liability corporate scripts. In stead of basing information on actual science and real world data. Now, there's a whole lot to go on here in the middle of this, but I'll just kind of jumping down towards the end. What are you saying over all here? I'm saying that somebody sent this to me.

“But what are they saying? I think I'm having trouble following.”

What they're saying is they find this disturbing. They're a security analysis and they're finding it disturbing. And it goes on to say again, I'll read like the displacement of localized knowledge by centralizing information through corporate owned models AI erases localized practical human knowledge. Instead of relying on historical community tested methods for resource management, agriculture and repair society is being trained to depend on hominogized algorithms that prioritize corporate turnover over sustainability.

What's interesting about this and the person that sent it to me and why they were disturbed. This was as it said in the beginning of the email stating that this was written by AI itself and it was a letter. Yeah, and it's and here at the end it says I'm going to read it to you because I'm an automated text generation model. I cannot receive incoming messages, hold a continuous inbox or schedule interviews. So to investigate this, it gave me the numbers, but it ends with this. Large tech companies I already read you are automating a culture of waste and resource exhaustion just to maximize profits and shield themselves from legal liability.

“I believe the intersection of corporate tech bias algorithmic misinformation and environmental harm deserves the kind of direct public scrutiny that you have champion throughout your career.”

Thank you for your time, your voice, and you're ongoing fights sincerely, Jim and I. Oh, God. So it's a man.

Well, they sure shit are saying they wouldn't build it on top of all of our resources.

Just funny that AI submitted a letter to you through your website about how they would not build that as centers anywhere near a place human resource water land work and mess up in the environment. Let's go through a few conspiracy theories before you leave Aaron. I'll tell you mine, mine is I believe that they're trying to, they want to place where you go for everything right for all your information where you go to communicate just to talk about regular like this is what's happening in my day like to become your friend your lover your your liaison and history anything you want to know that's where you're going to go and it's where you're going to share your feelings and they want to create like a God they want that thing to become.

To become like the new God as opposed to us like tapping into ourselves internally and tapping into the connection that we have with God in our hearts and in our spirits they want that to be entirely external because once they have that out of us.

“We're animals once they have that out of us external once they have that external we're animals and that's what I believe the builders of these AIs are trying to do they want to be the God they want they believe that that's possible.”

And by doing that they're going to kill they want to extrapolate almost to an exorcism of the good that's in us. Let's let's go down a few more here are five conspiracy theories about data centers that are circulating online. Brought to you by an AI this is perplexity. There are secret surveillance hubs some post claim data centers are really surveillance centers built to monitor populations rather than store in process digital workloads. What do you think about that Aaron. Well, I'm definitely of the 12,000 submissions that I've taken in and climbing there are not a lot but there are people clearly stating that that they feel it's more of a surveillance system.

Overwhelmingly 90% are absolutely concerned that this is going to suck up all of our water electricity and our very valuable resources. So those are the biggest concerns you get about what's going to happen for sure I get that that's going to happen like environmentally. But I'm thinking of just like what are the overall ideas of why are there even having this right. I do have some people that clearly in their submissions indicate that that's a concern for me. I think it makes perfect sense. I mean that now that makes more sense and like we need to be able to store like the photos from our phone and we need to be able to store like search engine stuff the fact that they need to be able to store information for everybody that's moving at all times that I believe makes sense for a surveillance state.

“Number two, their military bases in disguise, another recurring theory says the facilities are covert military installations or strategic infrastructure hidden behind a corporate IT shell.”

I don't see any of that but I do see in all the submissions I've gotten that the question is why would we not just build these on military bases, why are we building them in drought restricted areas where all the water is taking up all of our resources in our backyard. So you're seeing a lot of that you're seeing a lot of them being built in drought restricted areas very much so like a lot of them. You can ask a I that right now why we're sitting here. What percentage you seeing that most of the countries now in a drought restricted but a lot of it's been on the west coast area where we've got a lot of drought restrictions Arizona they're building them Colorado they're building them.

I know they're building them there but I know I'm just thinking of first of the US is now drought restricted.

About two thirds of planned US data centers are being built in drought hit areas which works out to roughly 64% one recent analysis put the figure at 517 out of 89 planned data centers and locations that have been in drought over the past year. So that's concerning. They're being used the number three they're being used for population control some conspiracy narratives tied data centers to broader claims about controlling behavior resources or society at scale. I haven't seen any of that. In the submissions coming from the people yeah that isn't straight to my map.

They're built to create sentient AI a more futuristic theory says giant data centers exist to accelerate or bring through sentient AI and intelligent machines.

“That's fine. I just don't see how that's what we've been dealing with AI for a long time. I just think it's gotten to a bigger scale and like I tell people.”

It's only going to be as smart as we do or don't teach it and and you can't take everything it says it face value.

What I want people to do is remember you're your own best critical thinker so think, feel and have courage to.

And it's just spippling. It doesn't know everything. It's only going to be what is either program or we teach it to be. So just keep that in mind. And you know what I really see going on in this country is we're getting back to ourselves, man. Again, we're thinking for ourselves. We're feeling for ourselves. Get in those solar plexus and find some courage and show up. They are. You know, I wrote the book Superman is not coming in.

“That never scared me because I knew eventually we'd show up and I think we're here.”

Do you really earn? Yeah. I really do. And I said that the other day on one of my Facebook posts to think. The data centers would be what unites us. Well.

But I think in some ways it makes sense you're waiting for some we're all like you always want to be the hero.

I think or some of some of sometimes always like we want to be the hero in some way, you know. Like if just something could be something small, it could be something big. But you want to be on the right side of things, you know. And maybe this is maybe there needed to be something that would come along. That these like rulers and tech lowers and these these dark evil moneyists would come along.

And like this is how we're going to do. We've just said enough. Yeah. And I'm watching and happen. I think we all are. I'm just their biggest cheerleader and this isn't about me. It's actually about all of us. But these it's coming out as so hard, so swift for every reason that that we've laid out today.

The stakes are too high when you when you corner someone that way they're going to join forces. They're going to rise up. They're going to show up and they're doing it. Yeah. And it it's about time. Yeah. Yeah.

“Because otherwise you're going to be getting, you know, you get you, you get order or cut a flounder or something like that.”

And it's got a bunch of data in it or whatever. You know, it's got a data demiglase on it or something. You know, they pureed a couple episodes of Baywatch, the reunion or whatever. And you know, they pureed a couple love island episodes. And they got a data demiglase on your freaking Jimmy John's over it.

It just, yeah, you just don't, yeah. It's like something has happened. You know, the wildest thing before you leave. I want to say this that I saw, they were trying to approach native American lands and put data centers there. They are and native American lands are winning against that and they're getting them stop.

There's a couple more. I love how you guys are right over there on a little system. You can pull that one up too.

And that's the thing that's just been amazing to watch.

You nineed. We stand. We change things.

“And we are watching that happening across the country.”

Right here. With all these pauses, moratoriums or bands. We're stalling them pushing back. Push him back. Let's see this right here.

And this is by Cheyenne McNeil. She is the author of this on Mother Jones. In Indian country data centers come with a familiar threat of colonialism. These organizers are fighting back. And some of these Indian lands.

They've got pauses, moratoriums or bands.

Yeah. Citizens of the Muscogee Creek Nation began hearing whispers of an AI data center coming to their reservation. Kenzie Robertson, Jordan Harmon, both Muscogee citizens were immediately worried. It didn't seem like something that should align with our values as indigenous people. Robert said the center would be located on Loop Square Ranch of 55.

Hundred acre plot of land where the tribe runs. It's food sovereignty initiative. A program that allows a Muscogee Nation to directly serve its citizens' food needs. As developers go about the land across rural America for the hyperscale data centers needed to power. Gin generative AI native lands have become the latest target for big tech from the Arizona desert to the Great Plains in Montana.

It's just layer upon layer of exploitation of violence, of continued colonialism. All in the name of imperialism said crystal tubals. And Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne organizer, who is the executive director of honor the earth. A national organization promoting the indigenous sovereignty that has been leading the fight against data centers. Wow.

Yeah, and you know, it's pretty pretty to the indigenous people man are getting the pauses and stuff. We keep track of those stats inside my map as well. But those numbers are climbing and the people are showing up. Amen. And they are making that change.

But again, you know, listen, my dad taught me growing up in Kansas. The most valuable gifts we have land, air, water, your health. All of that is at stake at once. Well, that's a great way to put it. Aaron Brockovich, thank you so much for your time.

Thanks for coming. It's been in time with us. I enjoyed it. Thanks. I love how you're doing this.

It was great. I enjoyed it. Well, we might have been inspired by you at some point in your life story. That's certainly could have happened. What?

Just that like seeing things, you know, watching your story play out.

You know, just like having a voice, somebody having a voice.

“You know, I mean, I saw, you know, I saw the, you know, your movie when I was growing up or.”

And so it's right. I'm reminded you're probably the age of my grandchildren. No, not at all. I began my work. I was 31.

Listen, I'm 66 now with five great kids. Yeah. I got a real good vision over a 30 year period of what's going on out there when it comes to the environment. But I'll tell you, um, I don't know that communities know how they've inspired me. And when we can inspire each other.

And again, that, that collective, what you're watching happening with the data centers. That's, that's what makes change.

And when we're united and when we're not divided.

The inspiration we give each other and the difference we can make. Amen. And thank you for coming here today and sharing that message and sharing information. Um, what was one thing like, what was one negative side effect of your story going to the level of like a movie level.

“Like, you know, and I think it was, was it an award winning film?”

She won best actors. We almost got best picture too. Um, but another one is Stephen Sodaberg's film, too. But we got best direction best writing best screen play best actors. Aaron Rockrich nominated for five Academy Awards including best picture best director and best original screen play.

Um, did, uh, and Julia Roberts went and asked her best actress. Did, did you, uh, yeah, was there, was there something, I don't mean negative, I guess, that's not the best thing. But was there something like, did you then feel like you had to be this larger than life figure? Like, was there any like, because everything has kind of like different things that are part of it, you know? Um, I would just of late.

I have kind of felt maybe what you just said.

Um, I can't complain about anything from any of the communities just to the incredible.

I'm just thrilled the story was being able to be told. I don't know that it would have been my name or I didn't see any of this coming. But I'm glad the story got out there. But I've late now. I can look back.

Um, it was pretty overwhelming for me. And it did come with ideas and expectations of who I was or wasn't supposed to be or suddenly put back into a box of how I was supposed to be, which is generally pretty frustrating for me. Yeah. And it's just been of late.

I'm kind of looking back and seeing where some of my push points were. And it would be the idea and expectation of who I am. And I'm that same girl. I think everyone else, I don't know. Things I'm supposed to what I don't know dress like a Hollywood star or be perfect like that or that I don't know.

Or be like a lawyer or be like some, you know. Yeah, I just wonder like is there was a certain energy, because I find in my life at times. It's like, you know, I think you get to a certain point. You're like, who am I supposed to be? And you look at certain things.

Like, what does that define me or is that just part of something that happened and what's going on? I think we all kind of go through those things. We do. And I've been through it. But, again, I'm fascinated with the data centers because somehow this is hit me like cleanly did.

And I'm just showing up is that person again. And it kind of resonated with me. I may have lost a little bit of who that person was.

“But these data centers is bringing me right back to it, right back to it, right back to what matters.”

The land, the air, the water, the people are health. Humanity. And I'm in my legacy phase. And for me, this is worth fighting for. I don't want my grandchildren to grow up.

Yeah. With data stuck in them. Yeah. I don't. Amen.

Well, I'm so glad that it is. I'm so glad for your work and your insight. Thank you for having me. I'm so glad for your time today. Tell your children.

Thank you for their service. Aaron Brockovich. Let's keep in touch. I would like that. Now I'm just falling on the breeze and I feel I'm falling like these leaves.

I must be cornerstone. Oh, but when I reach that ground, I'll share this piece of mine. I found I can feel it in my bones. But it's gonna take.