patatas
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its.small.patatas.ca
patatas
@its.small.patatas.ca
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Dan Shannon

Craftsperson, artist ... journalist too I guess?
writing about data centre stuff: blundervalley.ca
#HamOnt
Signal: @smallpatatas.01
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its.small.patatas.ca
patatas @its.small.patatas.ca · 18d
i love writing, it's the worst
Reposted by patatas
isabellabandaid.bsky.social
As a Hamilton resident I am deeply concerned about the proposed Steelport development on Hamilton’s waterfront, particularly the proposed inclusion of large-scale AI data-centre infrastructure.

#HamOnt
September 16, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Reposted by patatas
dylanmackayphd.bsky.social
This photo should be the basis of a national NDP advertising campaign
September 14, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by patatas
publicwrx.bsky.social
Will an AI Brian Mulroney hologram be delivering a speech as well?
September 14, 2026 at 1:20 AM
its.small.patatas.ca
congrats Liberals on your hard right PM

nationalpost.com/news/politic...
Stephen Harper to deliver closing speech at Carney's Investment Summit
Stephen Harper will deliver the closing speech of Prime Minister Mark Carney's first Canada Investment Summit Tuesday.
nationalpost.com
September 14, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Reposted by patatas
sethdklein.bsky.social
A US-linked network of fake websites is promoting Alberta separatism to AI chatbots.

Amazing investigative work by @nationalobserver.com's @rorywh.bsky.social. Please read: www.nationalobserver.com/2026/09/04/i...
A US-linked network of fake websites is promoting Alberta separatism to AI chatbots
The websites present crude, AI-generated slop disguised as the voice of real Albertans. But they're made in Florida — and they're not even targeting Albertans directly.
www.nationalobserver.com
September 12, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by patatas
ketanjoshi.co
I know this'll ruffle feathers but I agree with this Food/Water watch analysis. Diverting renewable energy away from fossil phase-out and climate adaptation and towards melting graphics card to power chatbots is the formal end of moral purpose for clean technology.
Data Centers With Renewables Aren’t the Answer So all these power plants and “temporary” turbines are raising power prices and polluting our communities. Why don’t we just power data centers with renewables? Many data center companies are pledging to (eventually) do just that. But even if these pledges weren’t just empty greenwashing promises, powering data centers with clean energy is utterly unrealistic. It also threatens the progress of our already dangerously slow energy transition. Continuously powering a 1 GW data center would require nearly 20,000 acres of solar panels or 185,000 acres of onshore wind power. We cannot afford to waste the time, space, or money to build renewables for Big Tech’s profit machines. Already, data center growth is outstripping available renewable energy supply and redirecting renewables from other industries. It’s drawing urgently needed renewables from existing technologies and resources. We need to focus our renewable energy resources toward thos
September 12, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by patatas
annakornbluh.bsky.social
mathematicians in formation!

Fields Medalists:

"The goals of the AI companies+the goals of the mathematical community are severely misaligned, part of broader alignment issues impacting other scientific+creative professions, as well as the whole of society."

mathandai.org?fbclid=IwY2x...
Declaration — Math and AI
Read the declaration and add your name.
mathandai.org
September 12, 2026 at 12:33 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
See also KillTheDC.blundervalley.ca
#HamOnt
September 12, 2026 at 1:01 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
Related, since nearly all of the proposals for US-owned hyperscale datacentres in Alberta would be on-site gas powered: www.nationalobserver.com/2026/09/10/n...
September 10, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by patatas
its.small.patatas.ca
#HamOnt the HCE motion is in the press now. Time to pressure Council, this could stop at least one of the data centres

www.thespec.com/news/council...
New motion to pause data centres released by activist group
New motion comes over a month after city council rejected a widely-popular moratorium bylaw — and just weeks before councillors face voters in the October election.
www.thespec.com
September 9, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Reposted by patatas
its.small.patatas.ca
A data centre developer was investigated due to allegations of unregistered lobbying.

They were cleared of wrongdoing, but the report seems MIGHTY FISHY

#HamOnt

blundervalley.ca/blog/drac-lo...
Questions swirl around Hamilton data centre lobbying investigation
DRAC CEO Michael Schull is cleared of wrongdoing. Blunder Valley dives into the Lobbyist Registrar's report
blundervalley.ca
September 9, 2026 at 6:44 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
A data centre developer was investigated due to allegations of unregistered lobbying.

They were cleared of wrongdoing, but the report seems MIGHTY FISHY

#HamOnt

blundervalley.ca/blog/drac-lo...
Questions swirl around Hamilton data centre lobbying investigation
DRAC CEO Michael Schull is cleared of wrongdoing. Blunder Valley dives into the Lobbyist Registrar's report
blundervalley.ca
September 9, 2026 at 6:44 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
#HamOnt the HCE motion is in the press now. Time to pressure Council, this could stop at least one of the data centres

www.thespec.com/news/council...
New motion to pause data centres released by activist group
New motion comes over a month after city council rejected a widely-popular moratorium bylaw — and just weeks before councillors face voters in the October election.
www.thespec.com
September 9, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Reposted by patatas
its.small.patatas.ca
Ypsilanti township in Michigan killed a data centre by cutting off the water.

Anyway, #HamOnt could do something kinda similar 👀

hamilton.stopthedatacentre.ca/motion
HCE draft motion · Stop the Datacentre
Hamilton City Council shareholder powers over Hamilton Community Energy — draft motion and supporting documents.
hamilton.stopthedatacentre.ca
September 6, 2026 at 3:47 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
Ypsilanti township in Michigan killed a data centre by cutting off the water.

Anyway, #HamOnt could do something kinda similar 👀

hamilton.stopthedatacentre.ca/motion
HCE draft motion · Stop the Datacentre
Hamilton City Council shareholder powers over Hamilton Community Energy — draft motion and supporting documents.
hamilton.stopthedatacentre.ca
September 6, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by patatas
dannyvegito.bsky.social
[guy who can’t fully remember that Gramsci quote] it’s Monster Time
January 13, 2026 at 5:14 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
New on Blunder Valley:

Canada's AI data centre push isn't about sovereignty, and the feds know it

blundervalley.ca/blog/the-fak...
Canada's AI data centre push isn't about sovereignty, and the feds know it
While the Canadian government talks tough on U.S. relations, our dependence on U.S. tech giants grows
blundervalley.ca
September 5, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Reposted by patatas
its.small.patatas.ca
#HamOnt needs to dream bigger and demand better

www.thespec.com/opinion/cont...
Hamilton needs to dream bigger and demand better
As Hamilton introduces incentives for developers, the implications of AI data centres on local health and infrastructure need to come under scrutiny.
www.thespec.com
September 4, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by patatas
jameswsthomson.com
This kind of report should be accompanied by a press conference—not with some low-level bureaucrat, but with the prime minister. Flanked by all of his ministers. In prime time, with technical briefings.

This report says we're facing unimaginable disaster, yet we didn't even get a briefing.
nationalobserver.com Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 12d
Environmental groups say there’s a reason why the federal government quietly released its latest climate report, which finds that average temperatures in Canada are set to go up by at least 3.5 C by the end of the century.
Carney government accused of burying climate report warning of worsening impacts
The report, which analyzes the impacts of climate change in Canada, was posted to a government website with no fanfare on Thursday evening ahead of the Labour Day long weekend.
www.nationalobserver.com
September 4, 2026 at 7:48 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
Ok not permanent yet — but extended for another 5 months.

Man, our environmentalist PM keeps doing favours for O&G, so weird

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
September 4, 2026 at 3:49 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
#HamOnt needs to dream bigger and demand better

www.thespec.com/opinion/cont...
Hamilton needs to dream bigger and demand better
As Hamilton introduces incentives for developers, the implications of AI data centres on local health and infrastructure need to come under scrutiny.
www.thespec.com
September 4, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by patatas
nicktsergas.ca
Another government agrees that rules are needed for AI datacentres — a new type of facility which did not exist in Canada five years ago..

And that government releases a set of voluntary principals signed off on by Big Tech.
September 3, 2026 at 4:49 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
one of my favourite pieces of Canadian tech regulation trivia is that Palantir signed the feds' non-binding "commitment to support the Government of Canada's effort in leading the way on ethical AI"

Lockheed-Martin is listed as "not yet" a signatory. For shame!

www.canada.ca/en/governmen...
List of interested Artificial Intelligence (AI) suppliers - Canada.ca
www.canada.ca
September 3, 2026 at 4:41 PM
its.small.patatas.ca
i love writing, it's the worst
August 29, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by patatas
its.small.patatas.ca
Hey #HamOnt, data centres stand to get some *huge* municipal tax breaks from the City:

1/2
The City of Hamilton could give a 13 YEAR TAX BREAK to datacentre developers Hamilton's ERASE Program: The city gives out massive tax breaks to companies that develop on contaminated industrial sites. If you own a house, and you build something that makes your property value go up (like an extension), you pay more municipal taxes. The City's ERASE program could let data centre developers pay no new taxes for 13 years on redeveloped properties. https://tinyurl.com/hamilton-erase This tax break is meant to encourage development that create jobs, reduce pollution, and beautify the city. But AI datacentres don't do that. Datacentres are not job creators. Datacentre-lovers always promise lots of long-term jobs. But a $750 million, 90-megawatt data centre near Calgary will employ just 38 people, according to the Globe & Mail (and the company). shortlink: https://tinyurl.com/globe-dc-jobs
August 28, 2026 at 1:28 AM