The landscape of Washington County has been transformed from one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world into a maze of gargantuan data centers. On this episode of Locus Focus we continue the tale of how this high tech noxious weed is spreading across the county, sucking up electricity and water and giving little back in return. While for many the rush to build data centers on vast tracts of farmland seems like fait a complis, this episode's guest Kelsey Shaw Nakama, Policy & Advocacy Director at Tualatin Riverkeeper, looks at the need to be proactive rather than just responding to what's going on. Do we really need all these data centers, and how do we balance economic needs with the beauty and necessity of natural systems?
Kelsey Shaw Nakama is the Policy & Advocacy Director at Tualatin Riverkeepers. She leads efforts to improve water quality, ecosystem sustainability, and the overall health of the Tualatin River watershed.