In an area long plagued by air pollution, permitting irregularities have opponents of what’s predicted to be the world’s largest supercomputing facility fearing the world’s richest man is getting special treatment.By Jennifer UgwaThe Shelby County Health Department in Memphis has approved an air quality permit that will allow Elon Musk’s supercomputer facility—Colossus—to continue burning gas, despite more than a year of protests and numerous campaigns by residents and climate activists who opposed what they said was illegal operation of 35 gas-fueled turbines to power the facility.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: August 18, 2025 04:13 PM
Atmospheric CO₂
425.4 ppm
+18.4
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1934.91 ppb
+9.11
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year