--- title: "From No to Know: Changing NIMBY Attitudes Toward Mining" description: Experts detail strategies to overcome NIMBYism and gaining support for responsible mining projects through communication, education, and local engagement. image: https://www.prospectorportal.com/hubfs/MRCHeader%20%281%29.png --- Podcasts # From No to Know: Changing NIMBY Attitudes Toward Mining Experts detail strategies to overcome NIMBYism and gaining support for responsible mining projects through communication, education, and local engagement. [ Prospector ](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/author/prospector) Aug 31, 2023 --- [NIMBY](https://www.britannica.com/topic/NIMBY)ism (Not In My Backyard) is a major challenge facing the mining industry today. At our recent Monthly Mining Roundup livestream, our expert team was joined by [Ryan Sistad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-sistad-39771490/) of [Better In Our Back Yard](https://betterinourbackyard.com/) to discuss strategies for overcoming NIMBYism and building support for responsible mining projects. #### What is NIMBYism? NIMBY is "*a person who objects to the siting of something perceived as unpleasant or hazardous in the area where they live, especially while raising no such objections** to similar developments elsewhere.*" This is not a concept only related to the mining industry, but also logging, oil, and affordable [housing](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nimbyism-explainer-1.6909852).  In mining, factors driving NIMBYism include [environmental](https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/faq/can-we-mitigate-environmental-impacts-mining) concerns, negative industry perceptions, and lack of community involvement. While attitudes differ globally, NIMBYism greatly impacts permitting timelines and can stall projects. [![ProspectorNugget_PollResults (20)](https://www.prospectorportal.com/hubfs/ProspectorNugget_PollResults%20(20).jpg)](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/tag/weekly-nugget) John, Emily, and Ryan shared personal experiences with NIMBYism from across North America and throughout their careers. They highlighted the need for improved public education on modern mining practices and benefits like jobs and economic activity. Showcasing sustainability advances and putting real faces to the industry can shift perceptions. #### Overcoming NIMBYism Several strategies were proposed for combatting NIMBYism: - - - Proactive community [engagement](https://www.stantec.com/en/ideas/topic/energy-resources/3-techniques-to-boost-community-engagement-for-challenging-mining-projects) and mine tours to make mining real for locals - Collaboration between companies on marketing the industry’s [social](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/on-the-rocks-better-in-our-back-yard) value - Emphasizing mining’s role in [domestically supplying](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/the-forgotten-mines-uncovering-the-importance-of-aggregates-with-chris-summers) minerals for clean energy - Encouraging public [participation](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/otr-steve-de-jong-vrify) in project feedback processes - Progress on [ESG ](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/esg-in-mining-allison-coppel)reporting standards across the industry The group stressed avoiding threatening tones against NIMBYism. Respectful [communication](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/geologize-haydon-mort) and early inclusion of stakeholders, like Indigenous groups, is key. #### Global Mining Project Stages & Implications Looking into global industry data on the[ Prospector](https://www.prospectorportal.com/) database shows: - - - 39.7% of projects are in the Grassroots stage - 3% of projects are in the Permitting & Feasibility stage - Less than 1% of projects are in the Construction Stage - 8.5% of projects are current producers [![August Monthly Mining Roundup](https://www.prospectorportal.com/hubfs/August%20Monthly%20Mining%20Roundup.jpg)](https://webapp.prospectormatch.com/#/) NIMBYism is a factor stalling advancement from exploration to production. The group noted that addressing NIMBYism could help portfolio companies acquire funding to develop discoveries. They advocated for major mining companies to increase exploration investment and help juniors shoulder costs. With NIMBYism playing a role in permitting timelines, what does this mean for the future supply chain gap of metals? Prospector data shows that globally, projects currently in the production stage have a Life of Mine estimate of only 15 years. On average, a mine takes [15.7 years](https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/research/discovery-to-production-averages-15-7-years-for-127-mines) to go from discovery to productions. Do we have enough projects in the pipeline, and enough global support of them, to cover the supply gap?  [![August Monthly Mining Roundup (1)](https://www.prospectorportal.com/hubfs/August%20Monthly%20Mining%20Roundup%20(1).jpg)](https://webapp.prospectormatch.com/#/) The panelists and commenters provided insightful perspectives on transforming NIMBYism into community support. While complex, focusing on empathy, engagement, education, and communication with stakeholders may pave the way for responsible mining approval. What solutions do you think could shift attitudes in your region? #### Find mining projects in your backyard using Prospector! [![Start Your Prospector Trial](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/8333928/2c54b161-6c4e-40a2-b56a-054430287a3e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/8333928/2c54b161-6c4e-40a2-b56a-054430287a3e) [Podcasts](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/tag/podcasts) [On Trend](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/tag/on-trend) ## Similar posts Thought Leadership ### [FMF23 - Exploring the Path to a Decarbonized Future](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/fmf23-hydrogen-green-metals) A look into the Hydrogen & Green Metals at FMF23! This discussion focused on targets for alternative energy and its challenges of supply chain... Prospector Feb 15, 2023 Podcasts ### [Changing the Narrative with Candace MacGibbon](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/otr-candace-macgibbon) On the Rocks is celebrating 50 episodes! This week join us in a chat with Candace MacGibbon and dig into changing narrative of the mining industry! Prospector Nov 10, 2022 Podcasts ### [Social Media in Mining with Ryan Sistad](https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/on-the-rocks-better-in-our-back-yard) How does public perception effect the mining industry, & how can social media help change that? Join us in a chat with Ryan Sistad this week On the... Prospector Sep 29, 2022 ### Subscribe to keep your finger on the pulse of the mining industry. Our weekly blog and newsletter, "The Nugget," offers readers an inside look at commodity prices, current events in the mining and commodities industries, and the latest 43-101 Reports published to the Prospector Portal. ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=2416410&fmt=gif) ![](https://ws.zoominfo.com/pixel/61d5b9c48da8870015b6d236) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Prospector", "url" : "https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/author/prospector" }, "dateModified" : "2023-08-31T09:45:00.472Z", "datePublished" : "2023-08-31T09:45:00.000Z", "headline" : "From No to Know: Changing NIMBY Attitudes Toward Mining", "image" : [ "https://www.prospectorportal.com/hubfs/MRCHeader%20%281%29.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://thenugget.prospectorportal.com/from-no-to-know-changing-nimby-attitudes-toward-mining", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.prospectorportal.com/hubfs/Prospector_3D%20Logo_Lockup%20with%20Tagline.png" }, "name" : "Prospector" } } ```