特朗普政府撤销拜登时代对发电厂汞和其他有毒污染物限制的消息在整个环保界引起了震动。这项被称为 "汞和空气有毒物质标准"（MATS）的限制措施被废除时，正值美国因新建人工智能数据中心而导致电力需求增加之际。.
位于罗恩县瓦特巴湖畔的金斯敦化石发电厂是一座 1.4 千兆瓦的燃煤发电厂。它在波光粼粼的湖面上冒着滚滚浓烟，向人们展示了煤电厂对环境造成的严重影响。MATS 的废除将像这样的发电厂置于激烈的环境对话的中心。.
刚刚被废弃的限制措施在遏制煤电厂污染方面发挥了重要作用，美国约有一半的汞排放来自煤电厂。汞是一种强效神经毒素，其危害有据可查。大量接触汞会导致儿童出生缺陷和学习障碍。它还会损害我们肾脏和神经系统的功能。.
The Trump administration’s deregulation spree, as some describe it, aims to make it easier for construction and operation, especially under the increasing energy demand. However, these new rules may come at a high cost, potentially jeopardizing health and environmental protection efforts.
The scrapping of such crucial environmental protections raises an important question: Can we achieve technological advancement and economic growth without compromising our planet’s health? With the repeal of MATS, power plants, especially those using coal, may have fewer restrictions on their operations. Still, at the same time, they could be churning out more hazardous pollutants which can be detrimental to not only human health but also the biodiversity that surrounds these plants.
随着我们日益增长的数字基础设施对电力需求的推动，汞等有毒元素的释放已成为亟待解决的问题。取消限制的决定要求我们在造成不可逆转的损害之前，重新致力于清洁能源和可持续发展的实践。.
