John,

The rapid expansion of data centers across the United States presents one of the biggest environmental and social challenges of our generation.

Data centers are a drain on our communities. They bring pollution, devour community resources, raise electricity bills — and offer us little in return.

These facilities, driven by the AI and crypto boom — two unregulated industries with their own sets of problems — are expanding in an unsustainable manner for our climate, communities, health, and environment.

Food & Water Watch is looking at how we can take on the data center crisis — and we need your input!

Should Food & Water Watch ramp up our efforts to stop data centers?

We need to hit the brakes on the completely unregulated deployment of massive data center projects that are straining our water resources, spiking our energy bills, and worsening the climate crisis.

A full-scale campaign will mean:

• Mobilizing organizers on the ground in states across the country to work with local communities to stop data centers

• Producing hard-hitting research that exposes the harms of data centers to educate the public and lawmakers – especially its impacts on water, electricity rates, and our climate

• Engaging volunteers through our national volunteer program to pressure members of Congress to take action to stop data centers

• Building a robust national coalition of allied organizations to mount a powerful opposition campaign to stop new data centers

With our winning combination of smart strategy and relentless people power, we’re ready to take on this massive new threat to our communities and water resources, but we need to know that our members are with us.

Food & Water Watch is partnering with communities that are powering the grassroots movement to stop local data center proposals, and we’ve brought together hundreds of organizations to tell Congress to put the brakes on the data center frenzy.

But first and foremost, John, we want your thoughts on focusing our 2026 efforts on stopping new data centers, and what it means to you personally.

Our work has only just begun. In the coming weeks, we will be rolling out a series of research and actions, including ways to get involved and learn more as we escalate this fight in 2026.

Thank you in advance for your input. Knowing where you stand as we ramp up our plans for 2026 will help us prepare for this massive new threat to our planet.

Onwards together,

P.S. Learn more about AI’s threat to our water and climate.