The cloud vs. clouded leopard: America's data center backlash on display at Nashville Zoo

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. The Nashville Zoo is fighting a proposed nearby data center. The conflict exemplifies concerns across the country. Zoning policy complicates a dicey situation. In Nashville, Tennessee, folks are worried about the clouded leopards. The cats are a rare and vulnerable species found in countries like Nepal and Bangladesh. Although conservationists are trying to breed them in captivity to ensure their survival, it's been tricky -- the leopards are sensitive to sound. News broke in June that a proposed 69,220-square-foot data center could live on the land just behind the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, which has a breeding program for the animals. Now, Nashvillians are joining communities across the country in fighting incoming data centers. More than 385,000 people have signed a Change.org petition, and the conflict has made national headlines. Even country star and Nashville staple Brad Paisley posted a video, calling the project a "monstrosity" and an "absolute nightmare scenario." The…