What's not in my backyard?

Originally, the term was created by Emilie Travel Livezey, a writer for the Christian Science Monitor, but was only made popular by Nicholas Ridley. Ridley was the environmental secretary for England. His original intent was to use it in a negative fashion as he mocked the people constantly objecting to new industry; however, he in time also came to object to new buildings that were going to affect his home.

The NIMBY movement no longer just argues the damages that a waste plant will do; now, it's fighting against renewable energy, like solar power and wind farms. Although they are being built to make new renewable energy sources, the damage the actual creation of these farms can do can also make people cautious.

Large wind and solar power farms cause damage to the land due to the wires for transmission of the power. This can cause damage to wildlife and plant life. Due to this and the noise of wind farms, many people are blocking the building of these sites. The challenge is that, although the renewable energy sites may cause damage, things like gasoline, electricity, and crude oil can cause longer-lasting environmental effects.

Due to their objections, many sites have either been canceled altogether, or are bogged down in legal red tape. This prolongs the dependence on other forms of power, which also have a negative impact on the environment, making this a catch-22 in many respects.

The acronym NIMBY stands for Not In My Backyard. It is used to refer to people who oppose large developments in their own communities, especially if they support them in other neighborhoods.