Vulnerable People and Places Blog

  You’ve probably already heard promises from technology companies about the jobs they’ll create. When companies announce new data center projects, this is their biggest selling point, and supporters of these projects describe these facilities as economic opportunities that will bring employment, investment, and long-term growth. For communities in Oregon and across the country, this promise can sound appealing; however, they are misleading to say the least. Data centers do create jobs, especially during the construction of data centers, which require electricians, contractors, engineers, fiber installers, and utility workers. According to research from Brookings, countries that receive their first large data center see construction employment increase by about 11% over the course of several years. Information-centered jobs such as telecommunications, IT services, and software support can also expand in “hyperscale” facilities such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. However, the pro...

Photo by Patrick Hart Written by Patrick Hart I find it funny in a sardonic manner to think back to my childhood in this capital AI future that my father never got to see. He was a science fiction nerd, and as a result of his enthusiasm for sci-fi, I too came to love it from an early age. Science fiction has existed as an outlet for writers to flex that philosophical muscle and explore the big questions about the human condition in a way that, even as a kid, had me completely engaged. I bring this up because all of those stories in science fiction that deal in AI often deal in the romantic notion of AI gaining sentience and often becoming our worst enemy. Enter the 2020s in the real world and we’re not so much playing god by bringing new life into the world to recognize us as the ultimate threat, we’re creating a replacement for those already struggling to survive in an economy that isn’t set up to support such a drastic change. We won’t burn out fast due to the robot uprising, swathes...

  The internet has become a staple of everyone’s life; this seemingly invisible connection is essential for work, entertainment, file storage, communication, and even education. How does it function? Is the internet magic? Far from it. Most people do not understand how these digital tasks depend on enormous physical buildings called data centers that make tasks like streaming, social media, and even asking artificial intelligence questions feel instant and effortless. These facilities store and process data that powers today's technology-driven society. Data centers are the pillars that support everything people use on a daily basis. Schools rely on them for learning, hospitals use them to manage medical records, businesses depend on cloud storage and online video meetings, and artificial intelligence systems that provide answers to questions on a whim are incapable of functioning without them. As technology develops alongside AI, the need for larger and more powerful data centers ...

 When people think about social change, they usually think about protests, political movements, or major events happening around the world. While those things are important, communication is often the real foundation behind change. The way information is shared can influence how people think, feel, and respond to important issues. A message that is clear, emotional, and relatable will always connect with more people than a message that only throws facts at them. Research in communication studies shows that people respond differently depending on how information is presented. Howard Gardner’s ideas about multiple intelligences explain that not everyone learns or understands information in the same way. Some people connect more with visuals and videos, while others prefer written stories, statistics, or direct examples. This is why blogs, websites, and social media pages that use different forms of communication are usually more effective at reaching larger audiences. If content only...

Society has rapidly progressed into a new era of technology. Billions of people use the internet, search engines, and artificial intelligence every single day. Yet most people are only concerned with the digital input and output, unaware that every click, scroll, and AI prompt also carries a physical cost. The systems powering our online world do not exist in some invisible space. They exist in massive physical facilities known as data centers, consuming enormous amounts of land, water, and energy. While the benefits of these technologies are experienced globally, their impacts are often felt most heavily at the local level. Although data centers existed long before the rise of artificial intelligence, the rapid expansion of AI and large language models has significantly accelerated their growth. Data centers have become the backbone of modern technology, powering everything from cloud storage and social media platforms to search engines and AI systems. Without them, many of the techno...

Photo by Sean Foster on Unsplash Drive through Northeast Portland after dark and you will pass them. Old motorhomes pulled up against the curb. Minivans with the back windows covered in cardboard. Sedans with a sleeping bag bunched against the rear window. They look abandoned. They are not. Someone lives there. Vehicle residency is the fastest-growing form of homelessness in Oregon. The state's 2025 Point-in-Time count found 4,850 people living in cars, RVs, and trucks , a 15.3 percent jump in a single year. National researchers have called it the fastest-growing homeless subpopulation in the country. And the stereotype most people carry about who those residents are turns out to be wrong. Many vehicle residents are working. Some are seniors. A surprising number have been doing this for years, holding down jobs while waiting on a housing market that will not take them back. Last September, OPB profiled Rachelle Lacy-Powell, a 59-year-old who had spent five years living ...

Every single time a message is sent, a video is watched, a Google search is done or even just submitting a simple school assignment online, we are all relying on something that a lot of people never see or have ever heard of: Data centers. These are huge facilities that are the backbone of the modern internet. They are responsible for storing and processing information that keeps a digital world going. According to the International Energy Agency, data centers are essential for networks and even increasing artificial intelligence that shape every everyday life.  Data centers are a facility that is filled with a lot of powerful computer systems. The servers store lots of data including social media content, emails etc.. Even when someone just opens an app or clicks a link these requests are all sent to a data center, they are processed and then returned. This happens billions of times every day all over the world. Without these data centers, the convenience of digital lif...

  All, or most, Oregonians are used to that point in the summer where the rivers are a little quieter. When it hasn’t rained a substantial amount in weeks, the riverbeds recede and begin to crack. The kind of mid-summer quiet that feels normal. This is different. This quiet lingers longer than it should. The quiet that stretches beyond the seasons we recognize. It’s the kind of quiet that is deafening like something is off, but we can’t quiet explain why. This lack of water isn’t just about missing the rain; it is something much deeper than that. Something more substantial is shaping the world around us right before our eyes. Rivers don’t just carry water, they shape the landscape, they cool the air, they feed the trees and plants. The rivers play part of the cycle that will replenish the water. But this is different. The landscape isn’t bouncing back the way we are used to. This doesn’t feel temporary anymore. The forests don’t recover like they used to. The ...

    Mt. Hood from the KATU Stacker Butte Camera After record   low   snowfall in Oregon this past winter, the outlook is looking dire. Across the map, the United States is experiencing drought and abnormally dry conditions. Taking a closer look at Oregon, as you can see on the map below, it is at 70.6% drought as of April 28, 2026. If you visit this  link , you can zoom out to see the rest of the country.  Meteorologists expect drought to expand across the country as the season heads into summer.  As more and more data centers are being planned and built in the United States, we   must   take into consideration their immediate and perpetual drain on already strained resources. You can visit this site featuring an interactive map which has compiled data center locations:  Data Center Map USA >>>  https://usdatamap.com/ You can visit this site and view or report any data centers in your area:  https://brockovichdata...

Data centers in Oregon are rapidly expanding into rural and agricultural areas, increasing pressure on land, water, and energy resources. Source: The Oregonian (via Reynolds Center), 2023 We use the internet every day without thinking about what makes it work. Streaming videos, storing files, and using AI all feel instant and invisible. But behind all of this are data centers, which are massive buildings filled with servers that require huge amounts of energy and water to operate. In Oregon, data centers are growing rapidly, often in rural areas where land is cheaper and resources are easier to access. While these facilities support global technology, the impact is felt locally. They consume large amounts of electricity, which can contribute to rising energy costs for residents. They also use millions of gallons of water each day, putting pressure on local water supplies, especially in areas already facing environmental challenges. What makes this issue more complicated is that the be...

Behind every click, stream, and message - Oregon’s data centers keep us connected. For over a century, this land has been defined by the axe, the plow, and the sheer, stubborn will of pioneers. Across the state, in continuing that pioneering spirit, expanding construction sites are turning into sleek, humming facilities that power everything from streaming to banking to emergency services. These are data centers, and whether we notice them or not, they’re shaping the way Oregon connects to the world. At first glance, they might seem out of place. Concrete, steel, and fiber optics replacing open fields and barns, it’s easy to wonder what that means for rural communities. But upon closer inspection, those same communities are seeing new infrastructure, steady tax revenue, and partnerships that fund schools and pave roads. What looks like a tech takeover is often a long‑term investment in stability. Energy is another part of the conversation. Data centers demand power, but they also dri...

                                                                      Homeless tents photo taken by Portland Tribune (2025), Jim Redden The certain stereotype that Portland, Oregon has nowadays didn’t always used to be this bad. The city of Portland used to be beloved by all, and as of recent years, it has gained a certain reputation. It has become dirty, chaotic, filled with homeless people, and with everyone on drugs and illegal substances. No matter the truth of these statements. Portland is still a beautiful city to be around. It should be forgotten and avoided. Citizens of this city want to be safe in the streets they live in. That is why the issue of homelessness needs to be resolved and dealt with soon. ​ Establishing the problem of homelessness is hard to identify. It truly can...

  THE UGLINESS BEHIND DATA CENTERS Danny Helton     In recent years there has been the sudden introduction of Artificial Intelligence. In addition to that sudden rise is the questions surrounding ethics, long-term effects on cognition and environmental impacts. Most troubling is the rise of data centers. These massive structures can be considered a blight upon the land, especially so in rural areas where they don’t blend in so easily.                The preservation of nature is considered to be one of the most important priorities for ensuring a healthy environment. And much of this preservation is by designing architecture to blend into the surrounding environment in a way that feels organic. I was in Europe recently, and the criticism of American cities being giant concrete shoeboxes surrounded by hostile-looking parking lots seemed to ring very true. We have done so much already to encroach up...