Data vs. Dairy: Uncovering the Secret Water Hogs of the Modern World

[upbeat music] After last week's episode on AI data centers and how much water they use, you'd be forgiven if you picture a data center like some kind of Mary Poppins steampunk fantasy, or something out of Steamboat Willie, with enormous plumes of steam now and again, shooting up here and there, high into the air between the towering mechanical pistons and massive gears.

How else could they possibly be using 175 to 250 billion gallons of water each year?

Look, I'm not one to try to put a wet blanket on anyone's fetish.

Steampunk data centers, like wow.

Polished wood floors.

You maybe need to get out and touch grass, my friend.

Everybody's wearing goggles.

[laughs] Love it, keep going.

Just say it slower.

The number sounds so big and so scary, we thought it needed some context.

To be clear, this is not to say we don't need to be mindful about every gallon of water we use, but there are industries that use a surprising amount of water to give us common, everyday things.

And in many cases, these use far more water than data centers.

I love our pro-data episode.

We had to prepare separately this week, so I know you have a list and I have a list.

Yes.

And I thought it'd be fun to take turns and look at everyday things we consume and the quantity of water required to produce them.

I just have fish.

That's your whole list?

We, we needed more than one?

[laughs]

I really should've read those pre-production notes, huh?

You, you may, if you wanna talk about fish, that's fine.

You may go first, sir.

I yield to the gentleman who brought the donuts.

Okay.