UK Agencies Urge Residents to Delete Emails and Photos to Save Water

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AUG 13

Above: Foxton Locks closed to through-boats as drought conditions impact the Grand Union Canal on Aug. 13, 2025. Image copyright: Joe Giddens/PA Images/Getty Images

story last updated AUG 14

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

England's severe drought demands urgent action from everyone. This includes embracing unconventional conservation methods with data centers requiring vast amounts of water for cooling. Simple digital habits like clearing emails can contribute meaningfully to collective water-saving efforts during this crisis.

UK Government

Government-critical narrative

Telling people to delete emails is misguided theater that distracts from real solutions. Once data is stored, stored emails and photos generate minimal heat. Given that the U.K. has committed to turbocharging growth through AI, this type of messaging is unhelpful and misguided.

Tom's Hardware

Metaculus Prediction

There's an 80% chance that before 2032, we will see an event precipitated by an AI malfunction that causes at least 100 deaths and/or at least $1 billion in 2021 U.S. dollars in economic damage, according to the Metaculus prediction community.