<p>AI is often framed as the future of progress, but what fuels this revolution? Behind every data centre, semiconductor, and AI model lies a hidden world of resource extraction, geopolitical power struggles, and environmental destruction. In this episode, we dig into the raw materials powering AI—from rare earth mining to data centres sucking up water in drought-prone regions. Experts <strong>Tom Özden-Schilling</strong> and <strong>Tamara Kneese</strong> reveal the true cost of AI’s rapid expansion—its human and ecological toll—and why the conversation on sustainability must move beyond carbon footprints to the messy realities of global supply chains.</p><p><strong>You can read the transcript for this episode ⁠</strong><a href="https://cdn.sanity.io/files/urj6jz1n/production/099beae7e52412b33114bcfbabbcd97cc3d04106.pdf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Speakers</strong></p><p><strong>Dr. Tom Özden-Schilling</strong></p><p>Tom Özden-Schilling is Presidential Young Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the <a href="https://discovery.nus.edu.sg/23768-tom-%C3%B6zdenschilling" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">National University of Singapore</a>. His first book, <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/the-ends-of-research" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">The Ends of Research: Indigenous and Settler Science after the War in the Woods</a>, is an ethnography of environmental deregulation in western Canada, and its effects on Indigenous and settler researchers’ struggles to maintain long-term forestry experiments and sovereignty projects. Tom’s current project examines the social costs of green energy transitions through the emergence of new critical minerals research and development initiatives in the United States, Malaysia, and Australia. Before joining NUS, Tom was Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University.</p><p><strong>Dr. Tamara Kneese</strong></p><p>Dr. Tamara Kneese directs <a href="https://datasociety.net/research/climate-technology-and-justice/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Data &amp; Society Research Institute&#39;s Climate, Technology, and Justice</a> programme. Previously, she led Data &amp; Society&#39;s <a href="https://datasociety.net/algorithmic-impact-methods-lab/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Algorithmic Impact Methods Lab</a> (AIMLab). Before joining D&amp;S, she was lead researcher at Green Software Foundation, director of developer engagement on the Green Software team at Intel, and assistant professor of Media Studies and director of Gender and Sexualities Studies at the University of San Francisco. She is the author of <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300248272/death-glitch/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Death Glitch: How Techno-Solutionism Fails Us in This Life and Beyond</a> (Yale University Press, 2023). Tamara holds a PhD in Media, Culture and Communication from NYU.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Check out the </strong><a href="https://codegreenasia.notion.site/CODE-GREEN-Library-e7538e1f547c479a8bf78d426eec36c6" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Code Green glossary</strong></a><strong> for more terms.</strong></p><p>This podcast series is accompanied by a monthly newsletter - sign up for updates<a href="https://codegreenasia.substack.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠here⁠⁠</a>. For more about this project, visit our website<a href="https://codegreen.asia" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠codegreen.asia</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Show Notes</strong></p><p><a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151085/mountain-pass-rare-earth-mine" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/king/media-releases/australias-first-rare-earths-processing-plant-opens-kalgoorlie" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Australia&#39;s first rare earths processing plant opens in Kalgoorlie</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/19/nvidia-tech-ai-superchip-artificial-intelligence-humanoid-robots" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Nvidia: what’s so good about the tech firm’s new AI superchip? </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/value-creation-in-the-metaverse" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Value creation in the metaverse </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://time.com/6193004/crypto-climate-impact-facts/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Crypto&#39;s Climate Impact: 8 Claims, Fact-Checked</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2024/executive-summary" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>IEA Electricity 2024 Report</strong></a><strong> </strong></p><p><a href="https://blog.ethereum.org/2021/05/18/country-power-no-more" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Ethereum&#39;s energy usage will soon decrease by ~99.95%</strong></a><strong>  </strong></p><p><a href="https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/granbury-residents-sue-local-bitcoin-mine-over-health-threatening-noise-pollution" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Granbury Residents Sue Local Bitcoin Mine Over Health-Threatening Noise Pollution </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://magazine.scienceforthepeople.org/vol25-2-bleeding-earth/boom-and-bust-the-fight-over-bitcoin-mining-in-new-york-state/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Boom and Bust: The Fight over Bitcoin Mining in New York State</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.techpolicy.press/measuring-ais-environmental-impacts-requires-empirical-research-and-standards/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Measuring AI’s Environmental Impacts Requires Empirical Research and Standards </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/sustainability/a-new-front-in-the-water-wars-your-internet-use" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>A New Front in the Water Wars: Your Internet Use</strong></a><strong> </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.eas.caltech.edu/news/air-pollution-and-the-public-health-costs-of-ai" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Air Pollution and the Public Health Costs of AI </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/features/611297/manufacturing-workers-semiconductor-computer-chip-birth-defect" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>The women who made America’s microchips and the children who paid for it </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2018/11/26/controversial-rare-earths-plant-in-fight-for-survival-in-malaysia" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Controversial rare earths plant in fight for survival in Malaysia</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/biden-is-scrambling-for-minerals-this-u-s-cobalt-mine-just-closed/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Biden is scrambling for minerals. This U.S. cobalt mine just closed </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://culanth.org/fieldsights/series/the-pilbara-crisis-resource-frontiers-in-western-australia" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>The Pilbara Crisis: Resource Frontiers in Western Australia </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.digitalfutureslab.in/news/the-data-annotation-industry-in-the-global-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><strong>The Data Annotation Industry in the Global South</strong></a></p><p><strong>AI Governance in Malaysia Report | </strong><a href="https://www.krinstitute.org/assets/contentMS/img/template/editor/KRI%20AIIG%20Report%20Final_v4.7%20[upload].pdf" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Khazanah Research Institute </strong></a></p><p><a href="https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>EU Artificial Intelligence Act</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://biz.loudoun.gov/key-business-sectors/data-centers/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><strong>Data Centre Alley</strong></a><strong>  </strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Credits</strong></p><p><strong>Audio Editing: </strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/creatorstudiogoa/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Creator Studio Goa by Winfluence Media</a></p><p><strong>Production Support:</strong> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivranjanarathore/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Shivranjana Rathore</a>,  <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredith-stinger/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Meredith Stinger</a></p><p><strong>Cover Design:</strong> <a href="https://www.pastelstew.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Nayantara Surendranath</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Attributions</strong></p><p><strong>Intro and Outro</strong>:<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-retro-sounds-145816/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠Retro Sounds⁠⁠</a>,<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/alban_gogh-28413822/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠Alban_Gogh⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>Transitions</strong> -<a href="https://pixabay.com/music/beats-meditative-background-music-for-short-vlog-videos-30-seconds-155717/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠Meditative Background Music⁠⁠</a>,<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/white_records-32584949/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠⁠white_records⁠</a><br></p>