The Issue
The numbers show that data centers use massive amounts of energy worldwide and especially in the US. They use this energy to provide virtual space for stored information and for various applications. Without these services, however, you wouldn't be able to have constant access to email, social networks, online shopping and more. You wouldn't have thousands of emails stored back for years in case you need to find information in just one. The need for virtual space is only increasing, and therefore so is the construction rate of data centers.
Is the environmental impact they have worth the cost to the environment? Should the government impose regulations on these facilities to limit their impact?
Explore to find out!