KEY POINTS
- A petition with almost 55,000 signatures asks Google to abandon a planned data center campus in Thurrock, east of London.
- Wildlife charities, an environmental nonprofit and a motorcycle club object for different reasons, including habitat loss and up to 570,000 tonnes of yearly emissions.
- Thurrock Council expects to rule on the initial planning application early next year, and Google says it will protect biodiversity and offset emissions.
A coalition of conservationists, environmental campaigners and motorcycle racers is trying to stop Google from building a large data center in Thurrock, about 15 miles east of London. WIRED reported that campaigners delivered a letter to Google's UK headquarters in Kings Cross last week, setting out a petition signed by almost 55,000 people.
