‘Pure arrogance’: anger in Finland as Google illegally fells 250,000 trees for datacentre
Company ordered to stop work at two sites in country, which has found itself at forefront of tech firms’ latest push Behind a wire fence lies a vast gaping wound of earth. Before Google’s arrival a few months ago, an estimated quarter of a million trees occupied the 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest near the town of Muhos in rural northern Finland. Now they are all gone. After the tech company…
Google has been accused of illegally felling 250,000 trees in rural northern Finland to build a datacentre near the town of Muhos. The forest, which once housed an estimated quarter of a million trees, was completely destroyed by the tech giant, with even the top soil taken away. The resulting site is now a vast expanse of mud with indented trails, puddles, and mounds of earth, roots, and branches.
Local ecologist Mari Annala, from the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (SLL), expressed her concerns about the environmental damage caused by the clearcutting. The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) recently ordered Google to temporarily halt work on the Muhos site and another location in Otanmäki after failing to complete the required environmental impact assessments before clearcutting the land.
Google's Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, apologized for the clearcutting but claimed the company acted on the best understanding of the legislation at the time. The Muhos and Otanmäki sites are part of a €13bn AI infrastructure project by Google that has sparked controversy, with Donald Trump urging the company to reconsider locating datacenters in the US.
Finland, known for its stable geopolitical position, abundant land, and cool climate, has become a hotspot for datacenters due to its energy-efficient advantages. However, the scandal has led to widespread public outcry and a national reckoning over the country's role in the global rush to build datacenters to support rapid AI development.
With 145 new datacenters in various stages of planning, Finland has found itself at the forefront of this trend. The Finnish government, despite recent spending cuts, has encouraged investment in the sector, with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stating that the data economy brings valuable benefits. However, the recent revelations have raised concerns over the impact of these projects on nearby communities, energy prices for Finnish households, and the country's natural environment.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Technology's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
