The NIMBY Phenomenon

“The NIMBY Phenomenon” is where individuals who acknowledge renewable projects’ necessity and benefits in the abstract resist them once they enter the development phase, i.e., real and close to home. Looking at the anti-wind turbine discourse, it is, at its core, another one of aesthetics. The underlying cause of this resistance lies in a distortion of the familiar landscape and disruption in the sense of continuity that we all desire. The question arises of how to bridge the aesthetic gap between the inevitable future and the inertia of the past. Something low-stakes, agreeable, and established is required, which makes the garden gnome the perfect candidate.