Take Action: Stop the Data Center Domino Effect

You may have heard about how everyone is connected to the Arctic, but have you really imagined how you might be connected to the Arctic? Migratory birds may be the invisible line that connects us all back to these sacred lands. Take for example the bird called the Bar-Tailed Godwit; this bird is said to be the longest distance flying bird in the world and it is one of 200+ bird species that call the Arctic their home (1). The Bar-Tailed Godwit also named as Turraaturaq in Iñupiat, flies on a continuous journey that takes an estimated 8 to 11 days to return to Australia and New Zealand. These migratory birds are responsible for not only the living ecosystems of the Arctic, but carry responsibility across borders and across seas by aiding in the contribution of the pollination of plants, dispersing of seeds, and cycling of nutrients. The Arctic not only homes these critically important migratory birds, but it is home to caribou migrations, animal dens, and have been the frontlines of climate change for both the Iñupiat and Gwich’in communities who have lived on these lands for millennia. 

Now imagine: The Turraaturaq and the 200+ species of birds returning home to the Arctic with constant blaring noise, blinding lights, disruption of their ecosystems due to continuous traffic from gravel blasts, roads being built to haul gas, and heavy loaded trucks harming their nesting grounds. These Earth-shattering destructions would encompass 715.4 acres all for an artificial intelligence (AI) data center. This is what is currently being threatened in the Arctic by STAK Energy Corporation as they claim that water consumption would be reduced by 90%, citing that Arctic air will allow for enough cooling (2). However - the Arctic is rapidly warming at a rate 4 to 5 times faster than the rest of the world. A huge building stretching over 640 acres generating heat will not have positive impacts on an already warming catastrophe. 

Of the 715.4 acres of state land that’s being proposed for the AI data center by STAK, 640 acres would be used for a gravel pad. The gravel pads intended use is for stabilization, as this proposed data center would be nestled just above permafrost on spongy tundra. To create a 640 acre gravel pad this would require 7.1 million cubic yards of gravel to elevate the building 5 feet off of the tundra for a stable working surface over permafrost (3). This estimate of gravel use for this project is double the consumption of what ConocoPhillips was authorized to use for the Willow project (4). 

Not only would an AI data center negatively impact migratory bird species, impact caribou migrations, and animal dens, but it would also contribute to permafrost melt, risk the exposure of water contamination, and deplete natural resources. With the threat of so many AI data centers, oftentimes we forget to mention the non-tangible destructions that impacts our minds and spirits. AI data centers have been harmful to our cognitive abilities while also challenging what we’re seeing now on our phones to be real or fake. Not giving our consent to the world of AI, especially in already vulnerable communities puts our Elders at even more of a risk navigating this world. Here at Native Movement, we stand firm in the opposition of commercial data centers in Alaska - Alaska lands are not disposable and they are certainly not for sale.

Next Action Steps:

1. Submit your public comment at our link here - comments are due Friday, July 17 by 4:30 PM AKST

2. Know about data centers near you by visiting: https://www.datacentermap.com/

3. Read and share resources that discuss the costs and impacts of data centers to communities through this report made by MediaJustice

4. Visit Honor Earth’s myth vs. fact sheet here

To find more general information about what artificial intelligence, data centers, and the consumption they use please also visit, Climate Justice Alliances website here.

Citations:

1. The Bar-Tailed Godwit aka Turraaturaq and its journey to Alaska, The Audubon (2026).

2. STAK Energy Corporations estimated water consumption, The Northern Center (2026).

3. Estimated gravel use for this STAK's North Slope Data Center proposal, The Anchorage Daily News (2026).

4. STAK Energy's Preliminary Decision, The State of Alaska (2026).