In the News
More domestic chip-making means more ‘forever chemicals’
“Our insatiable desire for electronic devices and American policymakers’ push for more domestic manufacturing of semiconductors relies on the industry’s access to large amounts of “forever chemicals.”... They’re long-lasting and resistant to heat, corrosion and moisture, making them popular for a variety of products that include nonstick pans, stain-resistant upholstery, firefighting foam — and semiconductor production. Studies, however, have linked PFAS to a variety of diseases, including cancers and reduced immune system response, as well as to contaminated groundwater, air and soil that can lead to a host of health problems.”
October 5, 2023
More In the News
May 5, 2026
Data Centers Have a PFAS ProblemAdvocates raise alarm over Pfas pollution from datacenters amid AI boom
“There are over a thousand PFAS applications in the semiconductor supply chain,” says Judith Barish, coalition director of CHIPS Communities United, an NGO arguing for a more responsible semiconductor industry. “They use a lot of PFAS, and there are also few short-term alternatives for it. The US chemical industry is even citing semiconductor production as a reason not to regulate PFAS.”
November 10, 2025
The Ecological Cost of AI Is Much Higher Than You Think
As the semiconductor industry expands at a breakneck pace in Asia and the United States, it has left behind a long history of extraction and ecological degradation, with no plan to stop the destruction. To the contrary, tech companies have abandoned their sustainability targets in the race to build out the vast, energy-ravenous, carbon-spewing data centers.
October 4, 2025
Advocates raise alarm over Pfas pollution from datacenters amid AI boom
“The US and China are racing to see who can destroy the environment most quickly,” said Lenny Siegel, a member of Chips Communities United, a group working with industry and administration officials to try to implement environmental safeguards. “If we had a sensible approach to these things then someone would have to present some answers before they develop and use these systems.”