NIMBY, CAVE and BANANA Defined

Every generation and every place has had its people who are against progress.

In Los Angeles it's become an epidemic with folks who make emotional, often unreasoned arguments against business and development.

Some of you on the main blog may have used or heard the terms, NIMBY, CAVE and BANANA. Others of you may be wondering what the acronyms mean.

Here are definitions from Wikipedia:

NIMBY (an acronym of Not In My BackYard or, much less frequently, Not In My Blue Yonder) describes the opposition of residents to the nearby location of something they consider undesirable, even if it is generally considered a benefit for many. Examples include: an incinerator, an ethanol plant, a nuclear-power plant, or a prison.

BANANA (an acronym of Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything or possibly Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone) is a term most often used to criticize the ongoing opposition of certain interest groups to land development.

CAVE People (an initialism for Citizens Against Virtually Everything) is a pejorative acronym for citizen activists who regularly oppose any changes within a community. The phenomenon is linked to the so-called NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) phenomenon in which residents oppose a development as being inappropriate for their local area.

By the way - there are actually YIMBYs - pro-development folks who say "Yes! In My Backyard!"