Meet Eloise, the Florida donkey taking on the data center boom
Eloise is a 1-year-old mini Jerusalem donkey who lives in Hernando, Florida, a small town in the western part of the state where tourists never venture. She lives a fairly quiet life, sharing the farm with Elsie the cow; goats Honey, Dolly, Roger, Polly, and Dodger; and Tom the turkey. Yet somehow, Eloise has become the face of resistance to data center construction in the area. At a June…
In Hernando, Florida, a small town known for its tourist attractions, a 1-year-old mini Jerusalem donkey named Eloise has emerged as the symbol of resistance against data center development. Despite her peaceful existence alongside other animals, Eloise has become a rallying point for those opposing the construction of data centers in the area.
At a government meeting in Citrus County, Eloise's name was invoked to highlight the potential harm caused by low-frequency noise emitted by data centers. This anecdote helped sway the planning commission, which ultimately rejected the proposal. Eloise’s image is now featured on T-shirts worn by locals as a show of solidarity against data centers.
The importance of animal interests extends beyond Florida. In Nashville, country singer Brad Paisley joined the opposition to a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo. He argued that the facility could negatively impact the animals at the zoo, despite developer assurances. In response, Nashville’s Metro Council authorized the use of eminent domain to prevent the data center’s construction. The case is still in court.
Animal advocates are using similar tactics in other states as well. In Texas, Georgia, and Utah, ranchers have raised concerns about the water consumption of data centers. A cow consumes approximately 35 gallons of water per day, while a data center uses the same amount as 140,000 cows. Conservationists are also worried about habitat fragmentation and forest loss due to extensive land clearing for data centers.
In Alabama, a smaller animal is leading the fight against a proposed AI data center. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society filed a lawsuit to block the development, claiming it would endanger 44,000 animals. The society alleges that the city of Birmingham expedited the approval process by circumventing zoning laws and disregarding the society’s concerns. This is not the first time the humane society has faced a similar situation; they lost a previous site to a different data center developer eight years ago.
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