Finns Are Seething After Google Illegally Toppled 250,000 Trees for a Data Center
This story was originally published by The Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Behind a wire fence lies a vast gaping wound of earth. Before Google’s arrival a few months ago, an estimated quarter-million trees occupied the 815 acres of forest near the town of Muhos in rural northern Finland. Now they are all […]
A massive swath of trees in rural northern Finland has been decimated by Google for the construction of a data center, leaving behind an area of mud and remnants of machinery. This illegal clear-cutting, involving the removal of over 250,000 trees from a 815-acre forest near the town of Muhos, has left local residents and environmentalists outraged.
Mari Annala, an ecologist from the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, expressed disbelief at the extent of destruction, stating that it was unprecedented in Finland. Google was recently ordered by the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority to halt work at Muhos and another nearby site after failing to complete required environmental assessments.
The company's Finland manager, Antti Järvinen, apologized for the forest clearings but claimed compliance with the legislation. This incident is part of Google's $17 billion AI infrastructure project in the Nordic country, which has faced criticism, including from Donald Trump, who advocated for the centers to be built in the US.
The Finnish government has welcomed the investment, prioritizing the growth of the data economy. However, the environmental impact, including the loss of 150,000 trees at another site, Otanmäki, has sparked widespread concern over the implications for local communities, energy prices, and the country's natural environment.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
