That this feels like such a representative statement is disheartening. Remember, in a functioning free-market (behold. bow.) negative externalities, like socializing the burden of reduced air quality resulting from for-profit enterprises, are considered inefficient (boo. hiss.) and deleterious. Even people with jobs have to breath air.
Of course there is a cost to everyone and the cost is dirtier air. Articles like this don't mention or strongly deemphasize the fact that everything is a tradeoff and a recession or stagnation of growth has horrific consequences as well. No one sees the jobs and welfare that could have been created if environmental regulations were less onerous.
"We must feed Moloch babies because Moloch requires babies, there is nothing else we could possibly do!"
It is also a regular criticism of data centers that they don’t bring jobs to the area. There are some contractors who come in from externally to build the center and that drives up local rents and shopping bills (influx of high earners mean prices go up to extract that money) temporarily which is bad for residents and then when it’s built they move on?
This is why people won't protest against a refinery or steel plant. Those provide jobs- in some cases for a hundred years.