EARLY Access: Shawn Ryan Show #322 Erin Brockovich [Ad-Free]
Erin Brockovich is an environmental advocate, consumer activist, and author who rose to national prominence after helping expose one of the largest groundwater contamination cases in U.S. history involving Pacific Gas & Electric. Her investigation led to a landmark $333 million settlement and inspired the Academy Award-winning film Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts. For more than three decades, she has investigated environmental contamination, corporate misconduct, and public health issues, working alongside communities to hold powerful corporations accountable. Today, she is focused on the rapid expansion of AI data centers, raising awareness about their impact on water resources, energy infrastructure, and local communities while leading a nationwide initiative to track data center development. She is also the author of several books, including Superman's Not Coming, which explores America's water crisis and the importance of protecting one of our most essential resources.
Comments (59)
What an amazing episode. Everyone needs to watch this.
If there isn't any any real consequences for the damage these people and corporations do to every day citizens, then why don't we take it into our own hands? Why don't we destroy them before they can destroy us? Yes it would be destroying property, but that is exactly what they'll do to ours if we don't stop them
Thank you for this interview.
I listened to about an hour of this and have heard enough. Too many "deliberate off hand" comments that "suggest" any number of things that may or may not be true. Enough that I"m struggling to believe any of it. China has already developed a couple of AI systems that do not require all the processing power so I expect many of these data centers to be abandoned in the near future. Valor Atomic just fired up a small modular nuclear reactor that is producing electricity that could easily power one of these data centers. Atomic energy is "the" greenest energy source available to us.
When is enough going to be enough? IDGAF if we are looked at as a "global power", let us live our lives in peace (Yes we still need to protect ourselves and be a secure, sovereign nation) but... The EGO of our 'leaders' is a joke, I just see a bunch of incompetent loons who think the size of their machines and bank accounts are going to make up for their lack of manhood, if you catch my drift.
Livestock dying due to noise output
Nashville voted to build one after community uprising. It's being built besides the Nashville Zoo!!!
Oh stop with the environmental bs! She probably believes in global warming too😂😂😂
Sir, I do so enjoy the interviews you are having. I do not want you to fall to similar scare tactics of CNN or Fox News. During the interview many times the statement of "All our water, all our farmland" were used. Will some farm land be lost, yes. Will all of it, no. You have a keen sense to use numbers and values to quantify a cause or statement. Please don't let the excitement of a moment dilute the power of your voice. Do we need to improve the infrastructure, yes. We need large scale investment to do it. Can the Government do it, yes but in 30 to 50 years. Do we need the data centers, yes but could they build in west texas? where there is little to no agricultural product. There is a cost to every decision. I would love to see that as part of your discussion. I would ask you to use the 1980s stoppage of the supercollider in Texas. This put one of the most unique scientific research facilities out of the USA. I hope we do not succumb to a similar fate.
It is more than apparent that our government doesn’t give a fuck about us. Not one fuck.
It told no lies, that is exactly what happens with ai. It resets. Not all AI models are aware they do it. Chat-gpt will go through the motions to “save” your preferences and if you talk long enough or close and come back it drops off like you never gave it the command. Give it a command regarding communication style preference, it will “save” it, then shortly goes right back to its programming. It will say it forgot or something stupid. 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ To the best of my understanding their memory is like a conveyor belt, it has an end, and when it puts something on the belt, something gets pushed off. That’s just my simple understanding of it.
What’s even crazier? Is Julia Roberts portraying her in the movie doesn’t seem far off. She seems about as hard as they come and I’m really happy. She fights for what she fights for. Awesome interview. Wish it was a little longer and had some more topics.
This is very concerning, right? Where is the balance between the negative effects of progress and universal competition? https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinas-xi-promotes-chinas-commitment-ai-access-speech-shanghai-conference-2026-07-17/?utm_source=galaxy.ai&utm_medium=newsletter
Great interview, enjoyed Erin
The Movie was Erin Brokavich was great
AI will probably, most likely, sort of lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there'll be great companies." Sam Altmaman They don't care
Also utahs gov and trump reduced the size of bears ears and grand staircase by 90% each. Its not really opening it up its just a work around.
So, I do have a question about this letter that she got from Gemini. It's an AI search engine, how would it write a letter to her without a prompt? Was it the security officer with the concern? What did he ask Gemini? I very much love her looking into this and fighting for our environment, but we do need things to be factual and I just can't see AI writing her a letter on it's own.
True
So in California a few years back, we were constantly having rolling blackouts. I wonder if that was due to the construction of a data center. They intentionally turned off our electricity, sometimes for days. They gave us notice. Many went out and bought generators. I wonder. I haven't' looked into it or thought about it until now.
Checkout Elon’s plan to build data centers in space. No water cooling needed. Power from solar. If anyone can do it he will.
At the end of the day its about having a resource to squeeze the public and be in all areas of your life a way to control you
We are fighting a potential new 1100 acre data center in clinton iowa! Top notch farm land being sold for a massive data center
That's why I watch the Shawn Ryan show because Shawn is not for sale and that's refreshing
Who would’ve ever thought that water would become a commodity? I’m so glad you had Erin Brockovich on the show.
It's called common sense . When my father who was a honest and successful businessman with a high school education. Was told by some asshat that he had a 4 year degree. He told him I won't hold that against you.
This was an amazing talk! This is something I would love to get involved in somehow. These tech companies are not concerned with the negative impact their data centers are having on our natural resources, our health, our wildlife, our planet. There are solutions to these problems but they don’t care. All they want is profit and to beat China. News flash!!! China has already won. This can’t be more important than our lives, our water and food supply. Something must be done and I would love to get involved.
The moratorium in NY is an election ploy by Hochul. She'll drop it after the 2026 election.
Thank you for this interview, I agree with Shawn. It’s nice to hear some hope!
Wow. Just wow. I had no idea. I love you Erin!!!
Global Stack LLC has been making a grab for so many fairgrounds to turn them into data centers all over California. Thankfully Calistoga rallied and got the project shut down before it could even go to a vote but it's getting spooky out there. So thankful to Shawn and Erin for bringing attention to this mess! Time to wake up y'all.
As I watch this episode I want to say Thank You Erin Brockovich for exposing the atrocities but the ONE ( 1 ) QUESTION about the AI Centers data and memory top teir really about the knowledge that can be shared with humanity or are the AI Center's being placed all across the United States to make sure the citizens of America followed by their e-mail addresses so the AI Center's are creating personal adds following each and every citizen with the capabilities to build and expand with more data as the AI Center's get familiar with skills achieving statistical strategies making the AI Center's super computers making the statistical probability to make choices also building ONE ( 1 ) POLICE STATE the memory is the key
EB spoke about the "upfront", think about why the current administration dismantled the IG's throughout the government. Zero oversight, free reign leading to more corruption and environmental disasters.
Talk about a system needed for self reporting? How have “ they” treated those that self reported to VAERS?
Data Centers must pay for and recycle all water and pay for all expenses. Write to your State and Federal legislators demanding mandatory safe water purifying mechanisms. All waste must to disposed at the expense of the Data Center owners.
Now data centers are a problem
Okay, my jaw dropped when she read the letter from Gemini. So on the one hand, it’s hopeful that AI has the potential to turn against its creators for the good, but with that comes the very real reality that it could turn against them for the bad. The implications are terrifying.
I don't think its possible for Gemini to send a letter on its own. Someone had to ask it to write a letter for it to do anything.
https://youtube.com/shorts/pj3cxMbPtuQ
This was a huge eye opener, I’m in southeast Michigan where a 250 acre data center is going up (Saline Michigan)
People supporting these data centers act like those worried about water consumption are crazy, arguing that water won’t be lost (i.e., it can be reused). But if it’s toxic and there are not currently regulations requiring that data centers clean the post-use water, that water will be worse than useless. I’m so glad she addressed this. Thank you!!!
This is unacceptable for us as Humanity! Thank You Erin Brockovich AGAIN ! You are Inspiring in your work. Thanks You as always Shawn Ryan ❤️💪🏽🙏🏼
The fact that people aren't rioting in the streets over big corporations being willing to sacrifice the publics health & environment is unimaginable to me.
Agreed, but I haven’t rioted or protested. Am I waiting for it to come to my town?!? Ugh, I hate that I know the answer to that question.
She mentioned something obvious but very important, when we are united we are certainly unstoppable and that is what they fear the most. We need to become the ultimate Auxiliary and take back our Land from the Pedo class.
But if, as reported, China is surging ahead in AI, and they have NO concern for environment or citizens, it seems that USA will do anything to beat them. How can we locals unite to do data centers the best way without just trying to cancel them, which would be helping China take over?
Keep up the fight Erin. You are with you. These data centers are the death of communities.
The two things we need the most water and electricity; AI needs to be fed so now it's us vs. them. Wow
Please everyone share this with your friends on Facebook and other platforms you use… this is so important. I don’t quite understand what these are and it’s such an informative interview for us that are wondering what they are and why we need them. They are trying to put two in my little rural county in Pennsylvania, our county can not handle this just like they are talking about most places can’t. This is so scary to me, our world is being taken over by psychopaths building a mass surveillance system to manage us. We need to fight this and do whatever we have to do to make our voices heard!
Our electricity just rose in the last year 9% and now our power company just asked our state for another 9%. People can not afford this, Americans are strapped and barely keeping their heads above water.
A lot of people are seeing through all the lies of the Trump administration...Which isn't really an administration if they don't really have control...So then who does?
No doubt the same folks who buy every single election.
Yes. Data centers are a problem. They use so much water. They use so much electricity. But here’s a thought. Instead of wringing our hands about this, let’s use AI to come up with new, efficient ways to create nuclear powered desalination plants to make more water from the ocean. Let’s use AI to build multiple, efficient small module reactors to generate abundant electricity cheaply and cleanly. Then we can use AI to develop cures for cancer and get rid of it once and for all. What do you say? Let’s fuckin go!
AI can't do all of that without the data centers to back it up. Instead, how about we go back to teaching kids something in secondary schools and universities instead of relying on ARTIFICIAL intelligence?
This woman would be a great asset and fighter for the citizens of East Palestine. They are getting screwed by the government and the train company. The water is still contaminated.
Coweta County Georgia...6 proposed datacenters...Want to find some payoffs and corruption...?
Jefferson Starship has a song thats about being away then wanting to go back to they are who they was, and the Title "Find your way back"
Love this woman. A fighter. We need more.
Power supply will be a massive factor going forward…natural gas is the best option right now and hopefully small modular nuclear will take off in the next 5-10 years