Have You Ever Noticed ‘NIMBY’ Is a Slur Used Never Used By Someone Actually From the Community Affected?
I know it’s New Years Eve and I should be wishing everyone a Happy New Year – keeping it light etc. etc. But I wanted to make a comment on something that really bothered me today first.
I loath those who accuse others of being ‘NIMBY’. It is a bizarre, infuriating argument that demonstrates nothing more than the general intolerance of the individual uttering the phrase. There was a piece done by the CBC that interviewed a woman named Colette McLean, a farmer in Harrow Ontario who has done more for her community than many people I know and probably more than all the anonymous eco-bullies that are attacking her in the comment section.
The folks who call other’s NIMBY which stands for Not-in-my-back-yard are rarely affected by the project they support for someone else’s community. They are hypocritical idealists whose actions demonstrate the saying ‘opinions are like assholes – everybody’s got one’ has some merit. They have an inflated opinion of the value of their unaffected, uninformed opinion,when compared with the informed opinion of someone who will be affected. Imagine the kind of arrogance it takes to assume that your uninformed view of how someone should think or live or what should happen to their community, of which you aren’t a part, should supersede a local resident’s own informed view.
Those who oppose something in their community often would oppose it anywhere else based on the proposal they’ve rejected. I know that is the case with Colette, it is certainly the case in Scarborough and within all Wind Concerns Ontario’s forty two groups in twenty seven counties. We want province wide protections for all communities.
In Scarborough we had the Toronto Environmental Alliance, an ineffective, City of Toronto funded ‘pat on the back’ squad for City Council (who provide their funding), organize buses of downtown folks to come out and attack local residents for raising questions about a totally unprecedented project – effectively trying to shut down an Environmental Assessment process for their political masters and funders. None of them lived in the area, none of their ‘backyards’ were affected. They knew so little about our community they didn’t even know how to take the TTC to the meeting location. Instead they rented school buses to shuttle people from the subway and literally mirrored the 116 Morningside bus route – harming the environment in the process by putting more diesel burning vehicles on the road.
Yet the ‘holier than thou hypocrites’ felt they somehow had the right to tell others that we couldn’t expect a fair process, a proper environmental assessment or demand international standards be met. These folks fought an environmental assessment, are funded by the same folks funding Toronto Hydro’s research and used bully tactics to try and stop local democracy. Simply put – they had no stake and felt others who did have a stake should only have a right to the opinion of those who aren’t affected.
We had them outnumbered though (3 to 1 – 900 to 300) even with all their well financed astroturfing our grassroots strength can take them any day of the week on this issue.
In Colette’s case – the people attacking her live in places like British Columbia, Manitoba, Ottawa, Etobicoke – not Harrow Ontario – not anywhere close. Perhaps the uninformed and unaffected who hide behind this insult should recognize how hypocritical it is for them to preach what SHOULD go in other’s backyards while theirs aren’t affected. They haven’t attended a single meeting, they haven’t read the proposal, they haven’t participated in the process – yet they somehow think they know what is best for Colette’s community and neighbours.
Those who seek to attack others and claim that all the local community care about is their own home, or that something is wrong with standing up for their community – should stick to their knitting and do more to shape the look, character and development of their own communities in the way they would like to see them shaped and butt out of decisions affecting others that have no impact on them. What’s more the actions folks take close to home often are calling for broad changes to how things are done across the entire jurisdiction.
I know Colette McLean as I know countless others around Ontario who are fighting these irresponsible projects and yes they care about their communities, but there isn’t anything wrong with that and anyone who thinks there is – needs to have their head checked. The changes they seek to how things are done would help protect all Ontarians and all Ontario communities from harm, not just their own. But it starts with local action and leadership.
The day people stop caring about their communities, and stop trying to shape the destiny of their part of the world is the day industry and government will have total control. To those so-called environmentalists who support rollbacks in environmental assessments and gutting local involvement in planning decisions – I say, you’re rolling back democracy and while it may start with turbines, it won’t stop there. It will continue to natural gas plants which back up wind turbines – as it has already in the Holland Marsh and Mississauga/Oakville area and will continue through the nuclear power plants you despise, dump sites, heavy industrial zoning, urban sprawl proposals, big box stores, intensification projects, demolition of heritage buildings, private for profit use of public commons among other things. All of this because you felt so strongly about what other communities should be doing that you supported silencing members of the affected community so your vision for how they should live could be fulfilled.
We all need to care about what happens in our communities, and backyards because that is where each of us can have the largest impact. Sure we can have a larger view and should. We should all be demanding proper environmental protection, and an understanding of human impacts on all projects – whether wind turbines or any other significant environmental change before any shovels hit the ground – but above all we as citizens shouldn’t join in with industry and government and turn on those who seek due diligence to protect their communities from harm – especially when we ourselves don’t live there and don’t understand the details or risks. We should never shout down people standing up for these things or their communities.
It is people like Colette McLean who is standing up not just for herself and her family, but her community and communities like hers around Ontario that should be respected and appreciated for their efforts and not attacked by cowards hiding behind anonymous comments on a news story.
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Tags: Colette McLean, Franz Hartmann, Harrow Ontario, NIMBY, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Wind Concerns Ontario, WInd Farm NIMBY
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:33 pm
John:
Everyone who uses the term NIMBY to describe someone forgets that everyone is a NIMBY. We just have to find the subject to be NIMBY about.
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:06 pm
I have accused two groups of being nimbyish.
The Weston Coalition (I know there is another C in there) because I think they WERE being nimbyish. If you don’t want all the train traffic near your backyard, then don’t move next to the train tracks. That train corridor is a vital part of the GTHA and not just weston
The second one is the people in southern Scarborough who bitch about the wind turbines. Would you rather have a nuclear plant? They do good work, specially around Austria(where I saw them last).
I am sure people were complaining about the CN Tower, now a days brings millions of $$$ to the city and province.
Both the ARL and Wind Turbines are going to affect people in the GTHA not just those two neighbourhoods. Just because I don’t live in Weston or southern Scarborough doesn’t mean I should shut the blank up. The GTHA ddoes have a say in it as they will be affected as well by the ARL and wind turbine, I go to the Guildwood neighbourhood AND Weston as well. Does it mean I have less say just because I don’t live in those areas? NO, my company’s office and studio are in southern Scarborough. When we go get lunch, we spend our money in local businesses. I do most of my shopping, activities and more in Scarborough. I have every right to call local the people in S. Scarborough nimbyish (the ones opposed to the wind turbines).
Since I think they are crazy for bitching that it will look bad/ruin the view. The CN Tower ruined the views to some people. They are also going on ME ME ME, what about the rest of the people in the GTHA that would benefit from the Wind Turbines?
Green way to get power vs. Nuclear plant…….hmmm
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:02 am
The well orchestrated circus by Toronto Hydro, City Councillor of Toronto and the Toronto Environment Alliance during and after the anemometer meeting my Guildwood blog was featured in one of the “green” websites in Vancouver, BC and labelled as “NIMBY”. Calling somebody NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) can’t be taken seriously when the person(s) making the accusation lives nowhere near the backyard in question. My concerns are entirely about the environment. How will our shoreline and very fragile geological landscape of our beautiful Bluffs be impacted??
Do we have to destroy our nature to save the environment?
Happy New Year!!
January 4th, 2010 at 9:27 am
I would like to ask how Mr. Glavic understands that wind turbines will be a benefit?? This is the basis of the misunderstanding because people like Mr. Glavic overlook the other side of Industrial wind development which cannot prove that it can lower harmful emissions, reduce the mining and burning of coal, lower or stabilize electricity rates, wean us from foreign oil, nor provide a timely and reliable product needed in a modern society. For these reasons, we should not be misguided by the Wind industry into thinking that these turbines will do anything other than provide a superficial feel good gesture, political move for the McGuinty gov’t to appear environmentally conscious and an opportunity for the “Windies” to make a lot of money off the taxpayer’s back.
Often when I present this fact, many question and say “If not wind, then what?” My only answer is “If not proven effective and efficient, then nothing – except more research in the lab.” I don’t have the new technology answers, but wholly believe wind energy is not only over subsidized, but subsidized to the point of putting our province at risk of a debt load our children will not be able to support for decades to come. ($25 Billion). As for the industries usual rebuttal to this by stating that energy storage is just on the horizon, this concept is far from realizing acceptable efficiencies and would double or treble again, wind energy costs, in their premature deployment.
Parallel to the corn ethanol bubble, I believe our governments have created a gold rush INSTEAD OF a meaningful impetus to an overall solution regarding our future energy needs. The subsidies the wind industry receives, do not reflect the quality of the energy product, it’s proximity to load, transmission congestion constraints, it’s ripple effects on the load balancing resources in our grids, it’s sprawl factor nor the value received for the energy tax dollar compared with other technologies. The industry’s statements, which have induced these subsidies, constitute fraud in my opinion, and until proof of benefit can be quantified and verified (measured), it is beholden on our governments to cease paying hard earned tax dollars to this industry.
At nearly 2/3 of their revenues from sources other than selling electricity at market rates, the wind energy industry survives in complete defiance of free market principles, providing a product of very low value at a very high price, yet able to successfully pedal that product by marketing false promises. Others might call it “the price of progress.” To me, it’s a simple a bunko scheme.
Grid interconnections for wind should be granted only if the generator can meet generation reliability standards, which would force every wind energy facility to add the appropriately sized open cycle natural gas plant into the campus of its projects so that the interconnection can and will meet the same reliability standards of traditional generation facilities. At that point, the wind/gas hybrid facility could truly replace coal burning without over-building an unnecessary and expensive “spot market” for emergency generation. It would also provide a true measure of net emissions savings from the wind component.
Finally, electricity is a MASTER RESOURCE – in that everything we use, consume, buy, sell, import or export has a significant electricity cost buried in it. As electricity rates rise due to green madness, energy intensive industries struggle across the board. The true “net job creation” figures of the industry are negative as shown in several European economics studies. Spain’s recent analysis has shown that for every “green” job into which they invested, 2.2 jobs were lost in other sectors. Whether through rates or tax dollars, keeping our electricity rates as low as possible is the best thing we can do to retain and build industry and commerce in our nation. In a healthy economy, we have more resources with which to protect the environment. A healthy economy keeps us at full employment.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Miroslav – The Environmental Assessment Act would consider your opinion meaningless as you don’t meet the legal definition of the ‘affected public’. Ironically those of you who claim to be environmentalists and push this massively subsidized foreign owned industry seem to oppose due process, local democracy and dissent.
Your view that the affected public aren’t important because you would like dirty trains in one neighbourhood and environmentally damaging turbines in another with no regard for the health of those who live there, is bizarre and unfortunate.
I support the will of communities to shape their destiny. I believe in Environmental Assessments, Environmental Science, the Precautionary Principle and democracy. These are all things the courts have historically upheld and all things your side opposes.
No one is calling for a Nuclear power plant. Demand is down in Ontario and these turbines are totally unnecessary. What’s more – we should have an honest debate about our energy future instead of letting some industry lobby set the agenda and fundamentally alter our province’s financial picture and economic viability in the process.
Or you can just call me NIMBY – ignore the will of thousands who are legally defined as the affected public because you sometimes eat lunch in the area.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Actually, I’ve called the idiots in my neighbourhood who opposed the Wychwood Barns NIMBYs lots of times.
Also, you should probably do a little editing of your headline there.
January 4th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
There are NIMBYs and NIMBY arguments out there and it is fair to call a spade a spade – in your community. But my point remains it isn’t the place for arm chair planners and the unaffected to tell others what should happen to their community while discounting those residents opinion or even right to participate.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
“turbines are totally unnecessary”
Ok, I understand now – the shrillness of this site hinges on this one issue. You’ve jumped the shark with the above quote, right out of the tank.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:01 am
Not Angry – Will there be no power if wind turbines aren’t installed – they are an option and not a very good one if you want consistent or affordable power.
What’s more – no project that does damage to the environment or could should go forward without a public process that is fair, rigourous and legitimate.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:52 am
Thanks for the post – I found it to be intuitive. It was completely eye opening!
April 11th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
wow u have an amazing pespective!!
April 11th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
wonderful u r amazing soooooooo talented with so much brain power i should read your blogs every day!!!!!!
April 11th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
wonderful u r amazing soooooooo talented with so much brain power i should read your blogs every day!!!!!!