Reference no: EM133273634
Why is it easier for many people to accept an abstract idea of resource extraction or power generation somewhere in the world than it is to see it happening in their own communities? Is it reasonable to imagine that all of our power needs can be met without venturing into anyone's backyard?
Many of us understand that our own progress, prosperity, security, and comfort are all built upon access to energy. We also know that no means of producing energy is entirely without side effects. Burning fossil fuels dumps CO2 into the atmosphere, fracking produces toxic brine, wind turbines disrupt bird migration patterns and ruin the view, nuclear generates radioactive waste and is vulnerable to meltdowns. How do we rationalize our reliance on energy with our desire to live in clean, scenic, non-toxic communities? It isn't easy, and for some of us this results in what is sometimes referred to as NIMBY syndrome - the idea that ugly things like resource exploitation and waste management have to happen somewhere in the world, but we would prefer for that somewhere to be far away from us.
Find an example of the NIMBY mentality in an article online. If possible, try to find something that is happening near you - a proposed nuclear power plant, natural gas fracking, offshore oil drilling, wind farms. If you can't find something near you, find a NIMBY controversy you are interested in or have heard something about.
Once you find an article you would like to share, write 3 sentences summarizing the content.