@eeb_europe: Google cleared approximately 250,000 trees across 330 hectares of forest near Muhos, northern Finland, to build a datacentre, reportedly without completing the required environmental impact assessments beforehand. The incident has sparked public outrage and raised concerns about Finland’s role in the global expansion of AI infrastructure. Google’s Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, apologised for the deforestation but said the company acted according to its understanding of the law at the time. With around 145 datacentre projects at various stages of planning across Finland, the controversy highlights the environmental costs of the AI boom, including its impact on forests and local ecosystems. The article explores these concerns through the perspectives of a Nordic correspondent and ecologist Mari Annala. #datacenters