"The issue of who gets water and who doesn’t was highlighted during Taiwan’s two most recent drought crises, in 2021 and 2023, in which semiconductor manufacturers fell into direct competition with Taiwanese farmers. (...) rice farmers in the south were forced to stop planting rice for three years in a row, from 2021 to 2023. “Farmers say they are being sacrificed for [the] semiconductor industry, and I think that’s a fair assessment,” said Po-Jen Hsu."
Water being diverted from growing food to growing profits lays bare the inherently suicidal nature of capitalism.
Truthdig
The Ecological Cost of AI Is Much Higher Than You Think - Truthdig
As the demands of AI grow, each generation of microchips requires more energy, minerals and water to produce, driving a ruinous cycle.
