Show Notes
Amy Sharma, PhD, is Executive Director of Science for Georgia, a nonprofit that bridges the gap between scientists and the public through training, outreach, and advocating for the responsible use of science in public policy. Currently she is working with a coalition of coalitions focused on mitigating the negative impacts of the data center expansion on the health, wellbeing, water, energy, and the environment. Her career spans industry, academia, and government—including VP of Product at Prediko (acquired by United Technologies Corp), leadership roles at GTRI, faculty at the University of Western Australia, a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Science Foundation, and a microprocessor designer for IBM. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and enjoys jobs with overly long titles, translating technical ideas for non-scientists, science stand-up comedy, and sewing.
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Timestamp - 00:00:00 – Intro & welcome 00:01:53 – Subscribe / show info (YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts) 00:02:46 – Guest introduction & topic framing 00:04:08 – Amy describes Science for Georgia 00:05:40 – Amy's career path to the role 00:06:55 – What is a data center? 00:08:57 – Will data centers be here forever? 00:11:10 – Obsolescence & adaptive reuse of data center buildings 00:13:23 – Is it true economic development? 00:15:53 – Complementary businesses nearby? 00:16:19 – The AOC brown water story 00:20:50 – Water scarcity, drought, and ethics 00:23:47 – Noise concerns near residences 00:26:27 – Distance from residential areas & mitigations 00:27:23 – Communities getting it right? Model ordinances 00:30:59 – Riverkeeper partnership 00:32:14 – Strategic locations: power and water access 00:34:32 – GMA (Georgia Municipal Association) partnership 00:36:33 – UGA and Science for Georgia's role as an information resource 00:39:11 – Website info (scienceforgeorgia.org) 00:39:52 – Closing thoughts: transparency and getting involved locally 00:41:17 – Final question on safe distance 00:41:37 – Follow-up: safe distance answer revealed (1–6 mile buffer) 00:43:16 – Final reflections: trade-offs and zoning 00:44:22 – Sign-off / Bible verse and outro
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