Strong local networks can stop unwanted dams, airports and other controversial projects
May 15, 2008 by admin
Filed under Community News
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Local communities have greater influence on national issues than many people realize, especially when it comes to opposing controversial facilities, says a Purdue University political scientist.
“Despite the goals of national governments and financial and administrative pressures, communities that are unified and organized can work together to block projects, such as unwanted nuclear power plants, dams, landfills or athletic arenas,” says Daniel P. Aldrich, an assistant professor of political science.
“Many planners often believe that we can solve major problems such as global warming solely through the application of new technologies. While wind farms, nuclear power plants, ethanol distilleries and carbon sequestration pipes may indeed be potential solutions for excess carbon dioxide, these projects must be approved by local communities in order for plans to move forward. In many cases, developers trying to build these plants have been forced back to the drawing board.”
For example, in the 1990s Minnesota state government planners wanting to construct a new landfill were forced instead to begin creative recycling programs when local opposition stymied their plans, Aldrich says.
“This resistance forced them to reconsider their thinking on the issue of waste disposal, and the solution ended up being better for all involved,” he says.
The power of small, rural communities is often overlooked because it is assumed they will have fewer resources for protests and demonstrations, Aldrich says.