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 government meeting in Citrus County, residents went head-to-head with lawyers who touted the benefits of the data centers. About four hours into the debate, one resident, discussing the harmful effects of the low-frequency noise emitted by data centers, noted: “There’s a little donkey right there on the street. The donkey’s name is Eloise. And low-frequency noise is critical to Eloise.” (The story of Eloise was recounted in its entirety just this week, thanks to the dogged reporters of the Tampa Bay Times.) Five hours later, when the planning commission voted down the proposal, one member commented, “I’m concerned for Eloise, because she is kind of the face of this application.” Indeed, visit the area today and you’ll see residents wearing T-shirts with Eloise’s face across their chest; she has b…