Technology

Drone footage shows scale of revolting 60M-long mountain of waste next to river

Source

Hacker News

Published

Nov 17, 2025

TL;DR

AI Generated

Drone footage reveals a massive illegal waste dump near the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, estimated to be 60m long, 15m wide, and 10m high, with a weight of hundreds of tonnes. The cost of removal surpasses the local council's annual budget. Concerns include environmental risks like waste entering waterways, toxins seeping into water, and the potential for chemical decomposition causing fires. Authorities are investigating the dump, suspected to be the work of criminal gangs, prompting calls for government intervention to address waste crime.

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Maine governor vetoes bill that bans large new data centers — says legislature should’ve exempted one particular well-supported data center

Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have banned new data center projects exceeding 20MW until 2027, citing concerns about their environmental impact and electricity rates. She supported the moratorium but wanted an exemption for a data center in Jay due to its positive local impact. Despite the veto, the legislature may override it, potentially affecting Mills' political standing. She plans to create a council to study data center impacts and signed a bill preventing them from accessing tax incentives. Residents' opposition to data centers due to increased costs and power quality issues is growing.

Tom's Hardware•

6 days ago

$20,000 in 32GB RAM sticks saved from the dumpster are now worth a fortune — seventy-two DDR4-2666 ECC RDIMMs were about to turn into e-waste

An employee rescued 72 DDR4-2666 ECC RDIMMs from being discarded after their company upgraded servers in 2024, valued at over $20,000 now. These RAM sticks were about to become e-waste before being saved. The Reddit poster's father salvaged the components, which are not supported by consumer-grade hardware but require server and HEDT motherboards and specific CPUs. Despite not being usable for personal upgrades, the RAM sticks could fetch a significant sum on the used market due to their high value.

Tom's Hardware•

1 week ago

MIT Technology Review

The noise we make is hurting animals. Can we learn to shut up?

The article discusses how human-made noise, known as anthropogenic noise, is negatively impacting animals by disrupting their communication, causing stress, and affecting their reproductive success. The reduction in noise levels during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted positive changes in animal behavior, emphasizing the need to address noise pollution. Studies have shown that noise can lead to various health issues in humans, such as poor sleep and increased stress. Strategies to reduce noise pollution include redesigning roads, lowering speed limits, planting sound-absorbing vegetation, and transitioning to electric vehicles. Efforts to mitigate noise pollution can have immediate positive effects on both wildlife and human health.

MIT Technology Review•

2 weeks ago

Chemical Origins of Environmental Modifications to MOR Lithographic Chemistry

Researchers at imec presented a study at SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning 2025 focusing on the chemical mechanisms behind environmental modifications in metal oxide resists (MORs) used in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. The study highlights the impact of gases like O₂, CO₂, and H₂O on post-exposure delay (PED) and bake (PEB) processes, which can lead to critical dimension (CD) drift. Through the use of the BEFORCE platform, which integrates EUV exposure, FTIR spectroscopy, and controlled environments, researchers were able to study the effects of different atmospheres on MORs. Findings suggest that O₂ plays a significant role in ligand cleavage and sensitivity enhancement in MORs, potentially reducing EUV doses without sacrificing resolution. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing MOR processes in semiconductor manufacturing.

SemiWiki•

2 months ago