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#670 - Erin Brockovich

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

1h 41m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

The guest joins the host to discuss her legendary environmental advocacy work, beginning with the famous Hinkley, California water contamination case involving hexavalent chromium and Pacific Gas and Electric, which inspired the award-winning film starring Julia Roberts. They explore her recent efforts focusing on the rapid rise of AI data centers across the country, detailing how massive tech companies like Meta and Microsoft have used non-disclosure agreements, shell companies, and minor land development classifications to build facilities in secret. The conversation highlights how these facilities consume millions of gallons of water daily, generate severe noise and environmental pollution, and trigger widespread grassroots pushback from local communities, native lands, and concerned citizens fighting to protect their natural resources.

  • Communities dealing with secretive developments should monitor local zoning applications closely, as companies frequently attempt to classify large-scale data centers as minor land developments. 42:05
  • Citizens experiencing environmental threats should collaborate with neighbors and verify local water safety independently, as early warning signs often emerge from community-driven vigilance rather than official agency reports. 12:24
  • Advocate for greater transparency by questioning local officials directly regarding whether they have signed non-disclosure agreements with private developers affecting municipal resources. 36:25

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Intro & Host Announcement

    The host introduces the episode, the sponsor, and the guest Erin Brockovich.

  2. 0:36
    Erin Brockovich’s Early Life

    Erin discusses her upbringing in Kansas, dyslexia, and early career path.

  3. 1:33
    The Hinkley Water Crisis Begins

    Erin recounts how she first learned about PG&E’s contamination of Hinkley’s water supply.

  4. 5:14
    From Workers’ Comp to Investigation

    Erin explains how her job at a workers’ compensation firm led her to investigate the Hinkley case.

  5. 7:11
    Legal Battle and Settlement

    Erin describes the lawsuit, the direct action filing, and the $333 million settlement.

  6. 46:31
    Microsoft’s Transparency Shift

    Erin explains Microsoft’s decision to end NDAs with local governments and its implications.

  7. 48:00
    Future of Data Centers & Jobs

    Erin talks about the job creation myths of data centers versus environmental costs.

  8. 52:17
    Data Centers Threaten Local Ecosystems

    The hosts discuss how data centers consume vast amounts of water and disrupt local environments, sparking community backlash.

  9. 54:00
    Closing & Takeaways

    The host wraps up, thanks Erin, and reminds listeners of key lessons.

  10. 55:51
    Case Study: Maine Governor’s Veto

    The conversation covers Governor Janet Mills’ veto of a statewide moratorium and the debate over a specific data center project in Jay, Maine.

  11. 58:13
    Local Opposition Wins Big Projects

    Examples of local councils and counties successfully blocking or scaling back data center plans illustrate grassroots power.

  12. 59:44
    Conspiracy Theories and Public Perception

    They discuss various conspiracy theories about data centers, including surveillance, military use, and population control.

Highlights

  • 3:41

    Dyslexia and pattern recognitioninsight

    The guest explains that dyslexia involves code differences and strong pattern recognition rather than inability, noting there are one billion dyslexics globally.

  • 10:43

    Discovering the medical evidencestory

    The guest describes finding medical records and bar graphs showing abnormal T-cells and high white blood cell counts in children's blood tests inside a personal injury case file.

  • 19:02

    Hexavalent chromium contaminationdata

    The guest explains that Pacific Gas and Electric used hexavalent chromium, a cheap anti-rust inhibitor, in its gas transmission compressor station and dumped the used water into unlined ponds.

  • 35:41

    Non-disclosure agreements with councilsinsight

    The guest explains that big tech companies put small-town city council members under non-disclosure agreements to keep communities in the dark about proposed data center developments.

  • 51:26

    Water usage and permanent jobsdata

    The host points out that large hyperscale data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water a day while ultimately creating very few permanent jobs.

  • 1:06:50

    Chemistries in closed loop systemsinsight

    The guest notes that closed-loop cooling systems require chemicals to prevent rust and corrosion, leading to potential contamination issues like those seen in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

  • 1:19:23

    Global opposition to data centersdata

    The guest reveals that the data center issue has grown into a global concern, with submissions and opposition coming from eleven different countries.

Quotes

  • “I was born and raised in Kansas and I love the outdoors. Everything about it spoke to me, mostly because I hated school.”
    Unnamed speaker · 3:23
  • “I always pushed against that. So I'm one that pushes against these things.”
    Unnamed speaker · 5:34
  • “I have learned, I always listen and believe the people. And people will show up.”
    Unnamed speaker · 13:13
  • “nation's first statewide moratorium on certain large-scale data center developments.”
    Unnamed speaker · 55:57
  • “A typical medium sized data center consumes about 100 million gallons of water annually.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:05:28
  • “You know, some people say, why don't you have them in Antarctica? Because they need water and they need to be cool.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:11:29
  • “About two thirds of planned US data centers are being built in drought hit areas, which works out to roughly 64%.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:30:27
  • “growing up in Kansas, the most valuable gifts we have, land, air, water, your health. All of that is at stake at once.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:36:10
  • Modify 29:05–29:55

About this episode

Erin Brockovich is an environmentalist and people advocate known for her namesake movie and involvement in high profile lawsuits. She currently runs the Brockovich Data Center Reporting Map. Erin joins Theo to talk about the troubling effects data centers are having on communities, why their demand for water might be a ploy for something bigger, and how people can make real change by uniting. Erin Brockovich: https://www.instagram.com/the_real_erin_brockovich/ Brockovich Data Center Reporting Map: https://www.brockovichdatacenter.com/ ------------------------------------------------- Tour Dates! https://theovon.com/tour New Merch: https://www.theovonstore.com ------------------------------------------------- Sponsored By: Celsius: Go to the Celsius Amazon store to check out all of their flavors. #CELSIUSBrandPartner #CELSIUSLiveFit https://amzn.to/3HbAtPJ Morgan and Morgan: Visit https://forthepeople.com/THEO to see if you might have a case. Morgan and Morgan. America's Largest Injury Law Firm. Modiphy: Get 50% off the last website you’ll ever need at https://modiphy.com/THEO Perplexity AI: Ask anything at https://pplx.ai/theo Watch on Spotify. Spotify subscribers get fewer ads on our episodes. ------------------------------------------------- Music: “Shine” by Bishop Gunn Bishop Gunn - Shine ------------------------------------------------ Submit your funny videos, TikToks, questions and topics you'd like to hear on the podcast to: [email protected] Hit the Hotline: 985-664-9503 Video Hotline for Theo Upload here: https://www.theovon.com/fan-upload Mail stuff to: ATTN: TPW PO BOX 40137 Nashville TN 37204 ------------------------------------------------ Find Theo: Website: https://theovon.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/theovon Facebook: https://facebook.com/theovon Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thispastweekend X: https://twitter.com/theovon YouTube: https://youtube.com/theovon Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheoVonClips Shorts Channel: https://bit.ly/3ClUj8z ------------------------------------------------ Producer: Zach https://www.instagram.com/zachdpowers Producer: Trevyn https://www.instagram.com/trevyn.s/ Producer: Nick https://www.instagram.com/realnickdavis/ Producer: Andrew https://www.instagram.com/bleachmediaofficial/ Producer: Halston https://www.instagram.com/halstonrays/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

0:00
1:41:57

17,526 words · 5 speakers

Topics

  • Environmental Advocacy
  • Data Centers
  • Water Conservation
  • Corporate Transparency
  • Community Activism
  • Public Health
  • Legal Settlements

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated