Is the environmental impact of datacentres finally cutting through?
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EN: The absolute construction 'with + noun/pronoun + participle/prepositional phrase' is used to provide background information, circumstances, or accompanying details related to the main clause.
The company faced severe backlash, with dozens of customers demanding full refunds.
EN: The compound adjective 'Anti-datacentre' uses the prefix 'anti-' attached to a noun. Note that 'moratoria' is the Latin plural form of 'moratorium' (though 'moratoriums' is also used in modern English).
The government announced a two-year moratorium on deep-sea mining exploration.
EN: The present perfect tense 'has intensified' indicates an action or state that started in the past and has continued or escalated up to the present moment, emphasizing current relevance.
Public debate over artificial intelligence has intensified following recent technological breakthroughs.
EN: The phrase 'political spectrum' in American politics refers to the continuum of political beliefs from the progressive/left wing (Democrats) to the conservative/right wing (Republicans). 'Moratoria' (plural of moratorium) are common legal tools used by US state and municipal governments to halt specific developments while studying their environmental or economic impacts.
EN: The infinitive clause 'to enact a temporary ban' is used as an adjectival modifier following an ordinal expression ('the first state'). In English, when nouns or pronouns are modified by ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second), superlatives, or words like 'only', an infinitive phrase (to + verb) is standardly used instead of a relative clause.
She was the youngest scientist to receive the prestigious award.
EN: The phrase 'a landmark decision...' functions as an appositive (同位語) referring back to the entire preceding clause ('New York recently became the first state to enact a temporary ban'). This noun phrase is then further expanded by the restrictive relative clause starting with 'that underscores...'. This structure allows writers to economically add commentary or context to a whole statement.
The company reduced its carbon footprint by 50%, a remarkable achievement that inspired other industry leaders.
EN: The present participle 'mounting' (from 'mount', meaning to increase or accumulate) and 'sprawling' (from 'sprawl', meaning to spread out over a large area) act as participial adjectives modifying 'concerns' and 'digital infrastructure sites' respectively. They convey an ongoing or characteristic state in a vivid, descriptive manner common in formal written English.
There is mounting pressure on the government to address the sprawling urban development.
EN: In US environmental policy, New York often acts as a regulatory trailblazer. State-level moratoria (temporary bans) on industrial or tech projects—such as datacentres or fossil-fuel power plants—frequently set precedents that influence legislation in other progressive states and eventually shape federal policy discussions.
EN: The reduced relative clause 'rarely seen on any single policy issue' modifies the noun phrase 'an unprecedented convergence of political forces'. It is a shortened form of 'which is rarely seen...', where the relative pronoun and auxiliary verb 'which is' are omitted, leaving a past participle ('seen') to act as a post-modifier.
This is a rare phenomenon seldom observed in tropical climates.
EN: The subject 'The growing backlash' consists of the noun 'backlash' modified by the present participle 'growing' acting as an adjective. This structure indicates a dynamic, continuous process of increasing resistance or negative reaction over time.
The rising demand for renewable energy has prompted swift policy shifts.
EN: In American politics, 'bipartisan alignment' or 'convergence of political forces' between progressives (like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and conservatives (like Texas Governor Greg Abbott) is extremely rare. Such unusual alliances are often referred to in political commentary as 'horseshoe theory' in action or 'strange bedfellows', where extreme ends of the political spectrum align on specific local or corporate accountability issues despite having radically different overarching ideologies.
EN: The sentence adverb 'notably' is used to draw special attention to a particular fact or statement. It modifies the entire clause that follows, signaling that the upcoming information is particularly surprising, important, or relevant in the context.
Notably, the company managed to increase its revenue despite the global economic downturn.
EN: The correlative conjunction 'both... and...' is used to join two parallel grammatical elements (here, two adjectives: 'progressive' and 'conservative'). It emphasizes that two things are included equally, taking a plural verb form ('have voiced') when joining two subjects.
Both environmentalists and business leaders agreed on the need for sustainable energy practices.
EN: The collocation 'voice objections to [something/doing something]' is a formal academic and journalistic structure where 'to' acts as a preposition, not an infinitive marker. Therefore, it is followed by a noun phrase ('unchecked datacentre expansion') or a gerund.
Several council members have voiced strong objections to the proposed zoning changes.
EN: In American politics, progressive (typically associated with the left wing of the Democratic Party) and conservative (associated with the Republican Party) lawmakers rarely align on economic or industrial policy. Progressive figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez usually focus on environmental sustainability, carbon emissions, and corporate power, whereas conservative leaders like Texas Governor Greg Abbott typically prioritize energy grid reliability and protecting rural land rights. The fact that both sides oppose unchecked datacentre expansion highlights an unusual political alignment in modern US politics.
EN: The present perfect tense ('have proposed') is used to describe an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past and has direct relevance or consequences in the present context (setting a legislative proposal currently under consideration).
Lawmakers have introduced a new bill to regulate carbon emissions.
EN: The noun 'moratorium' (meaning a temporary prohibition of an activity) is conventionally followed by the preposition 'on' to specify the domain or activity being paused or restricted.
The government imposed a temporary moratorium on offshore oil drilling.
EN: When two singular noun phrases are connected by 'and' to form a compound subject ('Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez'), they require a plural verb ('have proposed').
The Prime Minister and the Finance Minister have agreed on the new budget.
EN: In the US political context, 'Senator' refers to a member of the upper chamber (Senate), while 'Representative' refers to a member of the lower chamber (House of Representatives). Bernie Sanders (independent from Vermont) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat from New York) are prominent leaders of the progressive wing of American politics, known for advocating strong federal regulations on corporate and technological expansion.
EN: Appositive phrases are placed directly after a noun to rename or describe it. Here, 'the far-right governor of Texas' is an appositive set off by commas, providing essential descriptive context for the subject 'Greg Abbott' without altering the core sentence structure.
Tim Cook, the chief executive officer of Apple, announced a new line of products today.
EN: The phrasal verb 'call for' means to publicly demand, request, or advocate for a specific action or requirement. It is frequently followed by a noun phrase or a gerund, making it highly common in formal news reporting and political discourse.
Environmental activists have called for an immediate reduction in industrial carbon emissions.
EN: The present perfect tense ('has called') is used to highlight an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the recent past, emphasizing its current relevance or ongoing impact on the present situation.
The committee has proposed new guidelines to address safety concerns in public transport.
EN: Greg Abbott is the Republican governor of Texas, known for his conservative policies. Texas is a major hub for data centers and technology companies due to low land costs and favorable tax policies. Abbott's call for restrictions in rural areas highlights how the energy and resource demands of AI infrastructure have created unexpected friction even in business-friendly conservative strongholds.
EN: Inverted conditional structure without 'if'. In formal register, 'were it not for' is used as an inverted form of 'if it were not for', indicating a hypothetical counterfactual condition in the present or general state.
Were it not for your timely assistance, we would not be able to meet the deadline.
EN: Mixed/Second conditional main clause with modal 'would be'. 'Would + base verb' expresses a hypothetical present result based on a unreal condition.
Without a solid consensus, such a compromise would be extremely difficult to achieve.
EN: Inversion occurs when a prepositional phrase indicating location or position (e.g., 'At the heart of the controversy') is placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis or textual cohesion, causing the subject and the verb to swap positions (Locative Inversion).
At the top of the mountain stands an ancient temple.
EN: The reduced relative clause using a past participle ('associated with...') modifies the noun phrase 'staggering energy consumption'. It is a shortened form of 'which is associated with...'.
The costs associated with the new project exceeded our budget.
EN: The demonstrative pronoun 'those' is used to avoid repeating the plural noun 'datacentres'. It is followed by a present participle phrase ('powering...'), which acts as a reduced relative clause ('which power...').
The company produces many gadgets, particularly those targeting young professionals.
EN: The participle 'resulting' acts as an adjective describing 'surge', expressing a cause-and-effect relationship where the surge occurs as a direct consequence of the action mentioned prior (demanding enormous quantities of electricity).
The heavy rainfall and the resulting floods forced hundreds of residents to evacuate.
EN: The structure 'have the potential to + infinitive' is used to express capability or likelihood of a future outcome or condition occurring, often in formal or academic contexts.
The new medical treatment has the potential to save thousands of lives each year.
EN: The phrasal verb 'drive up' means to cause prices, costs, or quantities to increase rapidly or significantly.
Increased demand for housing during the summer drove up rental prices dramatically.
EN: Subject-verb inversion occurs when a subject complement (an adjective phrase like 'Equally alarming') is placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis or cohesion. The verb 'are' agrees with the actual plural subject 'concerns' that follows it.
Equally important are the safety measures put in place by the local council.
EN: The subject 'concerns' is modified by two parallel prepositional phrases introduced by 'about': 'about excessive water usage' and '[about] the risk of toxic contamination'. Parallel structure maintains balance when listing multiple concerns.
EN: The verb 'crystallise' (or 'crystallize') is used metaphorically here to mean 'to become clear, definite, or fixed in form'. It describes abstract concepts like ideas, plans, or awareness taking on a concrete shape.
After hours of discussion, our plans for the new project finally began to crystallise.
EN: The present perfect structure 'has only recently begun' combines the present perfect tense with the adverbial phrase 'only recently' to emphasize that an action or process started very lately and has direct relevance to the present moment.
The company has only recently begun to adopt sustainable energy practices.
EN: The past participle phrase 'conducted in May' acts as a reduced relative clause (short for 'which was conducted in May'), post-modifying the noun phrase 'A major poll'.
The study published last week highlights the risks of climate change.
EN: The idiom 'X out of Y' is used to express proportions or ratios (e.g., 'seven out of ten'). The adjective 'striking' acts as an emphasizing modifier indicating a surprising or notable statistic.
Nine out of ten doctors recommend getting a seasonal flu shot.
EN: The verb 'oppose' is a transitive verb that directly takes a noun phrase object ('the construction of...'). Unlike 'object to', it does not take the preposition 'to'.
Many residents oppose the proposed high-speed rail project.
EN: In the United States, the phrase 'NIMBY' (Not In My Back Yard) often describes local opposition to major infrastructure projects like datacentres, power plants, or landfills. While people may support technological progress in theory, concerns about local electric grid capacity, water usage, and noise pollution drive widespread resistance when facilities are proposed in their own communities.
EN: The present participle clause 'suggesting that...' acts as an adverbial clause of result (or a sentential relative modification). It modifies the entire preceding main clause, indicating a natural consequence or logical interpretation of the reported fact.
The company reported record profits, indicating that the new marketing strategy was a success.
EN: The verb 'resonate' followed by the prepositional phrase 'on a ... level' is an advanced metaphorical idiom meaning to evoke a strong, meaningful emotional response or personal agreement at a specific depth.
The story of overcoming adversity resonates on a deeply emotional level with readers worldwide.
EN: Inversion in conditional clauses with 'should': When 'should' is placed at the beginning of a sentence, it creates a formal conditional clause equivalent to 'If... should'. It expresses a real or possible future condition with a slightly more hesitant or formal tone.
Should inflation continue to rise, the central bank may increase interest rates further.
EN: The object complement structure 'find + object + object complement (participle)': In this structure, 'themselves' acts as the object, and 'compelled' (a past participle) functions as the object complement, indicating that the subjects realize they are in a state of being forced or driven to do something.
After months of negotiations, the executives found themselves trapped in a dead-end dispute.
EN: 'Impose + noun + on/upon': A formal transitive verb structure meaning to officially establish a law, tax, or restriction, which takes the preposition 'on' or 'upon' to specify the target receiving the restriction.
The government decided to impose stricter tariffs on imported steel.
EN: The term 'physical footprint' in the tech industry refers to tangible assets like data centers, server farms, and offices, contrasting with digital or cloud-based software operations. As AI expands rapidly, the massive energy and water demands of these real-world facilities have sparked intense debates over environmental sustainability and local power grid capacity across the U.S.
EN: When 'Not only' is placed at the beginning of a clause for emphasis, subject-auxiliary inversion occurs in that clause. The second clause is typically introduced by 'but (also)' without inversion.
Not only did the policy reduce carbon emissions, but it also stimulated economic growth.
EN: The collocation 'raise questions about' is commonly used in formal and academic English to express that a situation or topic prompts doubt, concern, or the need for critical examination.
The sudden change in leadership raised serious questions about the company's stability.
EN: The abstract noun 'embrace' can be used transitively with prepositional complementation ('embrace of something') to denote the enthusiastic or uncritical acceptance of an idea, technology, or doctrine.
Her uncritical embrace of new managerial theories met with skepticism from senior staff.
EN: This sentence reflects a critical shift in public discourse surrounding Big Tech and green energy. Historically, Silicon Valley's technological expansion was widely viewed with optimism as a driver of economic growth. However, the immense power and water consumption of AI datacentres have sparked a growing skepticism toward technological determinism, creating an unexpected common ground between environmentalists (concerned with climate change) and conservatives (concerned with rural land rights and energy costs).
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
The range of political attitudes and beliefs, from far-left to far-right.
An agreement or cooperation between two opposing political parties.
To force a price, cost, or value to increase rapidly.
The physical area or amount of land occupied by buildings, infrastructure, or operations.