The cost of AI is not just what shows up on a utility bill. It’s what accumulates in our bodies, water, land, and soil.
And so far, the growth of the industry has been rooted in the same extractive systems that have long defined petrochemical production in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” — where land, energy, and communities are treated as expendable.
From describing itself as essential innovation to promising well-paying jobs, the AI industry is driving industrial expansion in the Gulf South while the environmental and health burdens fall on Black communities.
In this much-needed piece, Counterstream Co-Founder Shilpi Chhotray speaks with Abre’ Conner and Davante Lewis to expose the artificial intelligence industry’s parallels to oil and gas.
I hope that — even as the news looks grim — you’ll read Chhotray’s piece with a sense of pride and purpose. Knowing how industry works is key to defeating it.
The Latest at Counterstream
Join Counterstream Co-Founder Shilpi Chhotray and Compassion in Crisis Co-Author Kate Weiner in Oakland on May 20!
Join us at 5:30pm PT at Nomadic Books in Oakland, California for a special discussion on building disaster-resilient communities. We’ll cover why community-centered narrative matters before and after disaster. This event is free, but registration is required for a seat, so save yourself one now by registering below!
When Broadcast News Abandons the Climate Beat, Movement Media Steps In
In 2025, corporate broadcast networks aired just eight hours of climate coverage across an entire year—a 35 percent drop from the year before—according to a new analysis by Media Matters for America. For Nonprofit Quarterly, Shilpi Chhotray explains how movement media outlets like Counterstream can fill the gap.
Story Salon Recap: Public Power and the Grid at DC Climate Week!
Our latest Story Salon in Washington, DC brought together frontline leaders and organizers who dove deep into energy justice and the heavy toll hyperscale data centers are taking on our communities.
With energy prices rising in the DC metro area, the need for a just transition to a renewable, community-centered grid becomes increasingly urgent. At the center of the dialogue hosted by Chess Jakobs, Counterstream’s Head of Partnerships, was the shift to public power — moving toward community-owned utilities that prioritize people over profit.
Thank you to everyone who came out to share space with us this Earth Day on April 22, to our Storytellers, and to our partners at Frontline Resource Institute! View the event gallery below.
Movement News
Some of the U.S.’s biggest polluters are now exempt from air quality regulations under Trump
More than 180 facilities in 38 states and Puerto Rico have been given a two-year reprieve from following regulations under the Clean Air Act — and many are coal power plants. Read more
Elon Musk promised to build a water recycling plant to power his xAI data center. Now construction has stalled.
The data center powering Musk’s chatbot is already using methane gas turbines for energy. Residents worry their local water supply is under threat — not just their air. Read more
North Carolinians are fighting back against PFAS
The largest landfill in the state spans more than 1,300 acres, contaminating private water wells used by residents in Sampson County. The Environmental Justice Community Action Network is organizing to change that. Read more
Worth Revisiting
The Water Remembers
Water isn’t only a resource. It’s life. Amy Bowers Cordalis reflects on her Tribe’s win to heal the land.