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> NIMBY Environmentalist This is a real thing. Exhibit A is the San Francisco Sierra Club. https://www.thebaycitybeacon.com/politics/the-sierra-club-fights-to

by davidw 8y ago

> NIMBY Environmentalist This is a real thing. Exhibit A is the San Francisco Sierra Club. https://www.thebaycitybeacon.com/politics/the-sierra-club-fights-to-save-a-parking-garage/article_93ff9084-3be7-11e7-a3a8-17f11f24db6e.html https://www.thebaycitybeacon.com/politics/the-sierra-club-fi...

dsfyu404ed 8y ago
As abhorrent as the "San Francisco" multiplier probably makes them you could drop it and the sentence would have the same meaning. The Sierra club won't be happy until humans are not impacting nature because we've left the planet.
- davidw 8y ago
  Eh, they're an organization I'll never give money to because of their anti mountain bike stance, but the national level one is pretty good on most 'urbanism' type issues. They understand that denser living leads to less sprawl, that cars are horrible for the environment, long commutes are bad, and so on. The SF group seems to just stick their fingers in their ears and shout "I'VE GOT MINE GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE LIKE STOCKTON OR MAYBE IOWA".
- vkou 8y ago
  That's about as fair as saying that the fossil fuel lobby won't be happy until every last living thing on Earth cooks in a Venusian Armageddon. Actually, it's a bit less fair then that.
bparsons 8y ago
Usually the opposition to density is just cloaked in environmentalism. When it comes down to it, these are individuals who don't want outsiders moving their community, or new units driving down the explosive growth in property values they have experienced. As usual, it is just greedy people wanting more.
- holy_city 8y ago
  As a carpetbagger in Southern California, I totally understand the resistance to people like myself moving in. It's not greedy to wish you could maintain the same standard of living and advocate for policies that protect it. It may be unrealistic and have huge costs, but it's not malicious. I'd hate it if I moved into my neighborhood 15 years ago in a low density unit or single family home, and now have to deal with nonstop construction, noise, traffic, and general overcrowding as people keep moving in, property taxes/rents go up, and wages stay the same.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- tsss 8y ago
  Or maybe they just don't want more density. You talk like there's only upsides to high-density cities but the people who are living there right now might not be amused about more people, more cramped spaces, more noise and pollution. You can call it greed but it is, as a matter of fact, a downgrade in quality of life for most of the residents.
  - nerfhammer 8y ago
    No one ever called NIMBYs irrational, it's just that when they always win shortages just get worse and worse and worse
  - yeahitslikethat 8y ago
    In order to save humanity we ALL need to downgrade the quality of our lives. That's exactly the point.
    - davidw 8y ago
      What's odd is that tons of Americans spend a whole bundle of money every year to go to Europe, and talk about how great it is. Having lived there for a number of years, it's just different, really, and certainly not "worse" than the US, if you're an adaptable person. Our rental here in the US has a massive front lawn that is a complete waste of land and water - to keep the stupid lawn that no one ever, ever uses green. It has a big back yard too. Our kids like it, but to be honest, I think they preferred the situation in Italy, where we had no yard, but a park close by where they'd often find friends to play with.

by davidw 8y ago

dsfyu404ed 8y ago

As abhorrent as the "San Francisco" multiplier probably makes them you could drop it and the sentence would have the same meaning. The Sierra club won't be happy until humans are not impacting nature because we've left the planet.

davidw 8y ago
Eh, they're an organization I'll never give money to because of their anti mountain bike stance, but the national level one is pretty good on most 'urbanism' type issues. They understand that denser living leads to less sprawl, that cars are horrible for the environment, long commutes are bad, and so on. The SF group seems to just stick their fingers in their ears and shout "I'VE GOT MINE GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE LIKE STOCKTON OR MAYBE IOWA".
vkou 8y ago
That's about as fair as saying that the fossil fuel lobby won't be happy until every last living thing on Earth cooks in a Venusian Armageddon. Actually, it's a bit less fair then that.

bparsons 8y ago

Usually the opposition to density is just cloaked in environmentalism. When it comes down to it, these are individuals who don't want outsiders moving their community, or new units driving down the explosive growth in property values they have experienced. As usual, it is just greedy people wanting more.

holy_city 8y ago
As a carpetbagger in Southern California, I totally understand the resistance to people like myself moving in. It's not greedy to wish you could maintain the same standard of living and advocate for policies that protect it. It may be unrealistic and have huge costs, but it's not malicious. I'd hate it if I moved into my neighborhood 15 years ago in a low density unit or single family home, and now have to deal with nonstop construction, noise, traffic, and general overcrowding as people keep moving in, property taxes/rents go up, and wages stay the same.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
tsss 8y ago
Or maybe they just don't want more density. You talk like there's only upsides to high-density cities but the people who are living there right now might not be amused about more people, more cramped spaces, more noise and pollution. You can call it greed but it is, as a matter of fact, a downgrade in quality of life for most of the residents.
- nerfhammer 8y ago
  No one ever called NIMBYs irrational, it's just that when they always win shortages just get worse and worse and worse
- yeahitslikethat 8y ago
  In order to save humanity we ALL need to downgrade the quality of our lives. That's exactly the point.
  - davidw 8y ago
    What's odd is that tons of Americans spend a whole bundle of money every year to go to Europe, and talk about how great it is. Having lived there for a number of years, it's just different, really, and certainly not "worse" than the US, if you're an adaptable person. Our rental here in the US has a massive front lawn that is a complete waste of land and water - to keep the stupid lawn that no one ever, ever uses green. It has a big back yard too. Our kids like it, but to be honest, I think they preferred the situation in Italy, where we had no yard, but a park close by where they'd often find friends to play with.