POLITICAL-CONFLICT OVER WASTE-TO-ENERGY SCHEMES - THE CASE OF INCINERATION IN NEW-YORK

The incineration of municipal waste has emerged as one of the fastest- growing non-fossil-fuel sources of energy in developed economies. This alternative source of energy has been actively promoted by a range of interest groups, yet there remains a high level of political oppositi on to incineration. This paper illustrates the diversity and complexit y of political opposition to waste incineration, using the example of New York. It is concluded that the development of waste incineration i nvolves increasing socioeconomic polarization at different spatial sca les and is better conceived as a response to the problems of municipal waste management than an integral component of a sustainable energy p olicy.