With the AI revolution upon us, it’s easy to see technology and human beings on opposite sides of a spectrum. But for Duncan Griffin, director of sustainability for HDR’s Health Design Practice, technological developments only enhance the possibilities for human healing and comfort. In episode 176 of ASCE Plot Points, Griffin talks integrated sustainable design and why a holistic approach to potential outcomes is essential to infrastructure.
PodBean Development. 2025-03-10. Duncan Griffin On Integrated Sustainable Design. https://plotpoints.asce.org/e/episode-176-duncan-griffin-on-integrated-sustainable-design/ (AI & Environment Resource Hub; record pod-0092; collection snapshot 2026-09-15).
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Increasing investment in artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting a larger discussion around sustainability, from the huge demand for electricity to power data centers to the life cycle emissions of hardware needed to enable this technology. Globally, companies and governments are preparing for significant increases in energy use and raw material extraction to meet demand. On the other hand, evolving technology and breakthroughs in AI optimization could lead to lower emissions than previously anticipated. Join us for a discussion about opportunities to decarbonize AI and learn how leaders in the field are navigating the uncertainty.
youtube.com
Shared topics: Cross-cutting sustainability; Governance and society; Materials and critical minerals; Built environment and infrastructure
This study models the integration of AI data centers and cryptocurrency mining with shared renewable infrastructure to enable climate-neutral digital operations, showing potential for significant CO₂ reductions and advocating for supportive global policy frameworks.
ACS Publications
Shared topics: Cross-cutting sustainability; Governance and society; Materials and critical minerals; Built environment and infrastructure
This episode explores the hidden environmental and geopolitical costs of AI, from rare earth mining to water-intensive data centers, highlighting the need to rethink AI sustainability beyond just carbon footprints.
iHeart
Shared topics: Cross-cutting sustainability; Governance and society; Built environment and infrastructure
Philip Johnston is the co-founder and CEO of Starcloud, the company building data centers in space. In November 2025, Starcloud launched an Nvidia H100 GPU into orbit and trained the first large language model in space. They've since raised $200 million, hit a billion-dollar valuation just 17 months after YC demo day and filed with the FCC to deploy 88,000 more satellites. In this episode, Philip walks us through their wild origin story, the engineering challenges behind the Starcloud-1, why they booked a SpaceX launch before they even knew what they were building and how data centers in space make sense both economically and politically.
