POTTSTOWN, PA — The environmental questions surrounding artificial intelligence and data centers are coming to a community conversation in Pottstown, where three local authors will explore what expanding technology infrastructure could mean for green spaces, energy use and development.
The Uplifting Voices Project will host “Technology and the Environment: From Data Centers to Disaster Culture” on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the UU Fellowship of Pottstown. The free program is part of the nonprofit organization’s speaker series, now entering its second year.
The discussion comes as data centers become a more prominent local issue and communities grapple with the resources required to support rapidly expanding AI technology. Organizers plan to examine those questions through literature, publishing, environmental law and the study of disasters.
Environmental attorney and author Patrick Reilly will bring a speculative perspective to the conversation. His award-winning science fiction novel, “Ice’s End,” imagines a world a century into the future shaped by water scarcity and capitalism.
Josh Dale, a local author and editor-in-chief of Thirty West Publishing House, will focus on AI’s implications for publishing, including the ethical and environmental questions emerging alongside the technology.
Headlining the evening will be author and English professor Robert Ficociello. His academic work, “American Disaster Culture,” examines society’s relationship with natural disasters, while his new children’s book, “Lucia and Marcus Go to Space,” highlights female scientists.
Together, the speakers will consider a central question posed by organizers: If AI is here to stay, how should communities come to terms with its environmental cost?
Event Details
- What: “Technology and the Environment: From Data Centers to Disaster Culture”
- When: Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
- Where: UU Fellowship of Pottstown, 1565 S. Keim Street, Pottstown, PA
- Cost/Tickets: Free and open to the public; no registration required
- More Info: Follow The Uplifting Voices Project on social media for information and updates
The program will include presentations from all three authors, followed by an audience Q&A and open discussion. Books will be available for purchase, and food and refreshments will be served after the presentations.
The format is designed to give attendees an opportunity not only to hear from the speakers but also to participate in a broader community discussion about technology’s relationship with the environment.
The Uplifting Voices Project’s ongoing speaker series brings authors and community voices together to examine issues affecting the region. This installment turns its attention to a technology that is becoming increasingly intertwined with questions about land, energy and the future of local green spaces.
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