ΙV. Reading Comprehension When you picture the tech industry, you probably think of things that don’t exist in physical space, such as the apps and internet browser on your phone. But the infrastructure required to store all this information consumes massive amounts of energy. Despite its name, the infrastructure used by the “cloud” accounts for more global greenhouse emissions than commercial flights. In 2018, for instance, the 5 billion YouTube hits for the viral song Despacito used the same amount of energy it would take to heat 40,000 US homes annually. Large language models such as ChatGPT are some of the most energy-guzzling technologies of all. Research suggests, for instance, that about 700,000 liters of water could have been used to cool the machines that trained ChatGPT-3 at Microsoft’s data facilities. The industry’s environmental impact is a major concern, yet the companies that produce such models have stayed remarkably quiet about the amount of energy they consume – probably because they don’t want to spark our caution. Moreover, when significant energy resources are allocated to tech-related endeavors, it can lead to energy shortages for essential needs such as residential power supply. Recent data from the UK shows that the country’s electricity network is holding back affordable housing projects. In addition, while minerals such as lithium and cobalt are most commonly associated with batteries in the motor sector, they are also crucial for the batteries used in data centers. The extraction process often involves significant water usage and can lead to pollution, undermining water security. In grappling with the intersection of technological advancement and environmental sustainability, policymakers are facing the challenge of cultivating less extractive business models. Moreover, the approach should eschew outdated top-down methods in favour of flexible strategies that integrate knowledge at all levels, from local to global. Only by adopting a holistic perspective can we effectively mitigate the significant environmental impacts of the tech industry.