What will be the real cost of data centres? S26 Ep27

What will be the real cost of data centres? S26 Ep27

Author: BEAM Mitchell Environment Group Inc July 16, 2026 Duration: 43:37
This week, EarthChat hosts Mark and Jacqui are talking about the environment impact of data centres. It is generally accepted that they will use significant amounts of energy and water. There will be costs and impacts.AI will require multi-gigawatt power and millions of specialized GPUs. Tech giants are building facilities that stretch over a million square metres. However, what will be the actual costs and benefits to humanity, our environment and social structures with all these developments.

Every Tuesday, the team at the BEAM Mitchell Environment Group Inc sits down for EarthChat, a weekly conversation that digs into the environmental questions that matter locally and resonate globally. Hosted by Vanessa, Peter, Ruth, and Tim, this isn't just a rundown of headlines; it's a thoughtful exploration where science, policy, business, and community action intersect. You'll hear genuine discussions that consider the practical realities and the hopeful solutions for the planet's most pressing issues. Originally broadcast on Seymour FM, each episode of this podcast captures the spirit of those live, midday conversations-whether you catch the Tuesday broadcast or the Saturday repeat. The dialogue is grounded, informed by the group's non-profit perspective, and always aimed at making sense of complex topics. Tuning into EarthChat means joining a community of listeners who are curious, concerned, and ready to engage. It’s a space where environmental news moves beyond commentary and into the realm of tangible, shared understanding. So find the episode that piques your interest, and get ready for a chat that informs and inspires action.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

EarthChat
Podcast Episodes
Australia’s First Treaty is now six months in, S26 Ep23 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:52
Treaties between First Peoples and governments have been signed in many other countries, like New Zealand and Canada, but until October 2025, Australia was the only Commonwealth country without a treaty with its First Pe…
Environmental issues we need to follow S26 Ep21 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:15
This week on EarthChat, we discus a range of environmental issues that affect us here in Mitchell shire as well as those that affect our wider lives. Forecasts of very high humidity in our warming world causing health pr…
Cows, Carbon & Change — Inside the Impossible Dairy S26 Ep20 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:03
This week, Tim chats with Ellen Hunt from the “Impossible Dairy”, which is showing an "udder" approach to dairy farming. What if a small, regenerative dairy could not only produce milk, but also restore soils, retain wat…
What's the truth about renewables? S26 Ep18 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:27
Listen to EarthChat this week. Jacqui Fulton and Mark Lyons are exploring the truth about renewables, working their way through quite a few interesting topics of huge relevance to our times, including: The gap in availab…
Out with Plastics S26 Ep17 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:08
This week on Earth Chat we discuss all the ways to minimise our prolific and destructive use of plastics in our lives. Can we eliminate the use of single use plastics?What is the major damage that they cause and can we l…
The power of co-ops S26 Ep16 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:03
What if regional communities owned their own power instead of multinationals? What if that power came from reliable renewables, instead of fossil fuels controlled by foreign powers and at risk to global geopolitics? What…
Conversations that Matter in these Times, S26 Ep15 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:57
Ruth Yeatman invites Phil Bourne and Russell Fisher to join her to reflect on the interconnected crises threatening humanity and the planet today, primarily driven by climate change, extreme poverty, and geopolitical con…