Rational Resistance: Homeowner contention against waste incineration in Guangzhou

This article examines the logic and framing of homeowner protests against Waste to Energy (WTE) incineration in Guangzhou. I argue that the concept of “rational resistance” emphasised by homeowner activists represents one way of understanding urban environmental contention in China. Urban homeowners use rational resistance to distinguish themselves from both villagers and the state. Their focus on rationality is a critique of the government’s reliance on technology to resolve the social problem of waste management.