Opposition to ethanol plants may be ‘NIMBYism’

OTTAWA – The bloom is off the environmental love affair with ethanol.

Most Canadians – 53 per cent, up from 45 per cent last year – would now oppose construction of a local ethanol plant, according to the Saint Consulting Group’s second annual national survey of responses to various real estate developments.

However, the opposition in part may also may reflect the not-in-my-backyard – or NIMBY – attitude of Canadians, as an even greater proportion would oppose the establishment of a casino or a Wal-Mart.

Still, among energy producing facilities the level of opposition to an ethanol plant is second only to the 75 per cent opposition that would greet plans for a local nuclear plant.

Canada