Microsoft will bury 4.9M tons of “manure” in a secretive deal — all to offset its AI energy demands that drive emissions up by 168%

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Microsoft appears to be charging full speed ahead in the field of generative AI, seamlessly incorporating it throughout their technology infrastructure without any signs of slowing down. Notably, they have significantly increased their endeavors in this domain following a substantial investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

The partnership between this company and OpenAI’s AI technology seems to be facing challenges due to disagreements about the former’s commercial expansion strategies.

Or:

The collaboration between this tech firm and OpenAI’s cutting-edge AI models appears to be under strain, as differences have arisen over the company’s plans for profit-driven growth.

I’m observing that Microsoft seems to be strategically withholding its advantages in an effort to safeguard its own interests, as suggested by recent reports. Interestingly, these reports also indicate that Microsoft might decide to step back from the intense negotiations and let the partnership run its course instead. On the other hand, OpenAI could potentially take legal action, alleging anticompetitive practices in Microsoft’s business dealings.

An alternative report hints that OpenAI might announce the achievement of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) ahead of schedule, thereby ending its partnership with Microsoft before 2030. It appears that Microsoft is striving to reduce its excessive reliance on OpenAI by creating its own cutting-edge models and experimenting with third-party AI in Copilot.

Though it’s advanced significantly in AI development, this progress comes with crucial challenges, such as high carbon emissions that may pose a threat to both the environment and society, unless effective strategies are implemented to control them.

Microsoft is still committed to sustainability

In an effort to strengthen its commitment towards sustainability, Microsoft has entered into an agreement with Vaulted Deep. This partnership introduces a two-pronged approach for waste management, specifically engineered to draw carbon out of the environment. The primary objective is to safeguard surrounding communities from pollution. (Source: Tom’s Hardware)

Microsoft has entered into a partnership with a waste management solutions company that aims to eliminate around 4.9 million metric tons of waste derived from manure, sewage, and agricultural byproducts over the course of the next twelve years, by safely disposing it underground.

The company’s method for reducing carbon emissions stands out among competitors in the industry. They collect organic waste, mix it into a dense sludge, and then pump it approximately 5,000 feet below ground into salt caves.

In other words, by doing this, we keep organic waste from ending up in a landfill where it might degrade and emit carbon dioxide into the surroundings.

It’s currently uncertain exactly how much Microsoft will pay for this deal with Vaulted Deep, but at present, Vaulted Deep charges $350 per ton for its carbon removal services. Using simple mathematics, the potential value of the deal could be around $1.7 billion. However, Julia Reichelstein, CEO of Vaulted Deep, mentions that the cost for these services is anticipated to decrease gradually, implying that the estimated amount above might not accurately represent what Microsoft paid to secure this deal.

It seems that Microsoft continues to amplify its dedication towards sustainability. Just recently, they entered into an agreement with AtmosClear aimed at eradicating approximately 6.75 million metric tons of carbon emissions in April alone.

Following the disclosure of another report, it has been found that Microsoft’s carbon emissions have reached their highest level ever, increasing by a staggering 168%, primarily as a result of the immense energy consumption required for artificial intelligence.

According to Microsoft’s President, Brad Smith:

Moving forward with determination towards our 2030 targets, it’s evident our carbon-neutral ambition is a long race rather than a swift dash. Although our overall emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3) have risen by 23.4% compared to our 2020 benchmark due to expansion-related aspects like AI and cloud services, we are heartened because this rise is minimal considering the 168% surge in energy consumption and 71% income growth experienced during the same timeframe.

Microsoft’s latest agreement with Vaulted Deep underscores their strong dedication to removing more carbon dioxide from the environment than they emit, aiming to offset both current and past emissions by 2030.

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2025-07-21 13:09