Fintan McDonnell on Muck Rack

Fintan McDonnell

Verified
London
As seen in: Context, Thomson Reuters Foundation, ETTelecom, Reuters Japan, Flipboard, SBS, SBS News, Gulf Times
Covers:  Politics, Environment, Technology, Economics
Journalist/video producer @contextnewsroom / @TRF. Formerly @insightSBS and @SBSNews. Opinions my own

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Fintan McDonnell’s Biography

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Video journalist @Contextnewsroom (Thomson Reuters Foundation). Formerly Video Lead at @SBSNews. Tips to Fintan.McDonnell@thomsonreuters.com

Fintan McDonnell’s Journalist Portfolio

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AI needs a lot of power and water. Can Mexico afford it? | Context by TRF

AI needs a lot of power and water. Can Mexico afford it? | Context by TRF

Locals in Queretaro say they've been left in the dark as their home becomes 'data centre valley'

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Inside the Arctic vault where data lasts 'forever' | Context by TRF

Inside the Arctic vault where data lasts 'forever' | Context by TRF

We visited an Arctic coal mine, where one company claims it can store your digital files for thousands of yea…

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Forget jobs. AI is coming for your water | Context by TRF

Forget jobs. AI is coming for your water | Context by TRF

A conversation with Chat GPT can consume a bottle of water. So why is big tech setting up AI in some of the w…

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What happens when a country runs out of water? | Context

What happens when a country runs out of water? | Context

Lebanon's water is running dry. What does life look like in Bekaa Valley living with less?

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We stored this dog photo in DNA | Context

We stored this dog photo in DNA | Context

We're creating so much data that soon we'll be running out of space to store it. Can DNA help us shrink our d…

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Thirsty data centres spring up in water-poor Mexican town | Context by TRF

Thirsty data centres spring up in water-poor Mexican town | Context by TRF

The Mexican state of Querétaro struggles with a two-year drought while drawing investment for water-hungry da…

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Articles

AI needs a lot of power and water. Can Mexico afford it?

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By Fintan McDonnell Verified
| Context Verified
It might not look like it, but Queretaro is fast becoming Mexico’s data centre hub. The state plays host to 12 data centres, some owned and operated by the world’s biggest tech companies. But the promise of investment and jobs comes at a cost — to those who live nearby. We spent months digging through public records, interviewing officials and spending time with residents to map out the impact these data centres are having.
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Resistance blooms in Mexico's data centre valley

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By Diana Baptista Verified, Fintan McDonnell Verified
| Context Verified
What’s the context? Community resistance grows in Mexico as locals feel the environmental impact of the data centre boom and empty promises. Homemaker Rita Zeferino lives in Mexico's semi-desert state of Querétaro, where a data centre boom promoted by the government has left residents facing strict water rationing and power cuts. The state is prone to drought, and residents say the needs of data centres are worsening water shortages and straining the electricity grid.
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AI data boom in Mexico fuels rise in dirty energy

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By Diana Baptista Verified, Fintan McDonnell Verified
| ETTelecom Verified
By Diana Baptista and Fintan McDonnell QUERETARO, Mexico: Mexico is attracting ever ‍more sprawling data centers but a shortage of renewable energy means Big Tech is pumping oil, firing up gas generators and using diesel to fuel the global boom in artificial intelligence (AI). The shortfall in green power - despite pledges by industry and government to grow capacity - has overloaded the country's existing power infrastructure ⁠and exacerbated local pollution.
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