scholarly journals ‘The Town is Surrounded:’ From Climate Concerns to life under Wind Turbines in La Ventosa, Mexico

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Dunlap
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Industrial Economy ◽  
Wind Energy Development ◽  
The Town ◽  
Change Mitigation

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec region of southwest Oaxaca, Mexico, known locally as the Istmo, was identified in 2003 as a prime site for wind energy development. Supported by climate change mitigation legislation, a ‘wind rush’ engulfed the Istmo. Now, La Ventosa sits surrounded by high-tension wires and wind turbines, some only 280 meters from homes. This paper argues that new valuations of wind resources based on market mechanisms and anthropogenic climate change laws are intensifying the destructive trajectory of the industrial economy. There are benefits for land owners and political authorities, and what amounts to token civil works projects for the town. But the majority of people interviewed expressed dissatisfaction towards the existence of wind parks surrounding the town. Instead of collective benefits, the wind parks brought different degrees of health concerns, enormous increases in land, rent, food, and electricity prices, as well as insecurity. The findings here demonstrate that wind energy development, encouraged by climate change mitigation policies, is intensifying pre-existing trends towards inequality and poverty in La Ventosa. Meanwhile, the destructive operations of the global industrial economy are renewed, using market-based approaches to mitigating anthropogenic climate change.

scholarly journals Insurrection for land, sea and dignity: resistance and autonomy against wind energy in Álvaro Obregón, Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Dunlap
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Social Divisions ◽  
Sand Bar ◽  
Wind Energy Development ◽  
The Village ◽  
The Town ◽  
Change Mitigation

Providing a glimpse into the reality of wind energy development, the story of Álvaro Obregón is one of resistance. Álvaro Obregón is a primarily Zapotec semi-subsistence community located near the entrance of the Santa Teresa sand bar (Barra), where in 2011 Mareña Renovables initiated the process of building 102 wind turbines. Demonstrating the complicated micro-politics of land acquisition, conflict and unrest, this article argues that climate change mitigation initiatives are sparking land grabs and conflict with the renewed valuation of wind resources. Insurrection against the Mareña Renovables wind project has spawned a long-term conflict, which has created social divisions and a type of low-intensity civil war within the town. This article will chronicle the uprising against the wind company, battles with police, and the town hall takeover, which includes analyzing the conflict taking place between the cabildo comunitario and the constitucionalistas. Subsequent sections examine the different perspectives within the village and how this battle between the Communitarians and the wind company continues today. The article reveals the complications associated with land deals, the conflict generating potential of climate change mitigation practices and, finally, concludes by reflecting on the difficulties of formulating alternatives to development within a conflict situation.

scholarly journals Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Wind Energy

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Barthelmie ◽  
Sara C. Pryor
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Installed Capacity ◽  
Change Mitigation

Global wind resources greatly exceed current electricity demand and the levelized cost of energy from wind turbines has shown precipitous declines. Accordingly, the installed capacity of wind turbines grew at an annualized rate of about 14% during the last two decades and wind turbines now provide ~6–7% of the global electricity supply. This renewable electricity generation source is thus already playing a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. Here we document trends within the industry, examine projections of future installed capacity increases and compute the associated climate change mitigation potential at the global and regional levels. Key countries (the USA, UK and China) and regions (e.g., EU27) have developed ambitious plans to expand wind energy penetration as core aspects of their net-zero emissions strategies. The projected climate change mitigation from wind energy by 2100 ranges from 0.3–0.8 °C depending on the precise socio-economic pathway and wind energy expansion scenario followed. The rapid expansion of annual increments to wind energy installed capacity by approximately two times current rates can greatly delay the passing of the 2 °C warming threshold relative to pre-industrial levels. To achieve the required expansion of this cost-effective, low-carbon energy source, there is a need for electrification of the energy system and for expansion of manufacturing and installation capacity.

scholarly journals Wealth of Wind and Visitors: Tourist Industry Attitudes towards Wind Energy Development in Iceland

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 693
Author(s):  
Anna Dóra Sæþórsdóttir ◽  
Margrét Wendt ◽  
Edita Tverijonaite
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Land Use Conflicts ◽  
Wind Energy Development

The interest in harnessing wind energy keeps increasing globally. Iceland is considering building its first wind farms, but its landscape and nature are not only a resource for renewable energy production; they are also the main attraction for tourists. As wind turbines affect how the landscape is perceived and experienced, it is foreseeable that the construction of wind farms in Iceland will create land use conflicts between the energy sector and the tourism industry. This study sheds light on the impacts of wind farms on nature-based tourism as perceived by the tourism industry. Based on 47 semi-structured interviews with tourism service providers, it revealed that the impacts were perceived as mostly negative, since wind farms decrease the quality of the natural landscape. Furthermore, the study identified that the tourism industry considered the following as key factors for selecting suitable wind farm sites: the visibility of wind turbines, the number of tourists and tourist attractions in the area, the area’s degree of naturalness and the local need for energy. The research highlights the importance of analysing the various stakeholders’ opinions with the aim of mitigating land use conflicts and socioeconomic issues related to wind energy development.

scholarly journals Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’ Climate Change Mitigation Challenges and Exploration of Solar and Wind Energy Resource Potential

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2648
Author(s):  
Fahad Radhi Alharbi ◽  
Denes Csala
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Speed Range ◽  
Wind Energy Resources ◽  
Change Mitigation

Climate change mitigation is one of the most critical challenges of this century. The unprecedented global effects of climate change are wide-ranging, including changing weather patterns that threaten food production, increased risk of catastrophic floods, and rising sea levels. Adapting to these impacts will be more difficult and costly in the future if radical changes are not made now. This review paper evaluates the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ potential for solar and wind energy resources to meet climate change mitigation requirements and assesses the ability of the GCC region to shift towards low-carbon technologies. The review demonstrates that the GCC region is characterized by abundant solar energy resources. The northwestern, southeastern, and western mountains of the region are highlighted as locations for solar energy application. Oman displays the highest onshore wind speed range, 3–6.3 m s⁻1, and has the highest annual solar radiation of up to 2500 kWh/m2. Kuwait has the second highest onshore wind speed range of 4.5–5.5 m s⁻1. The western mountains and northwestern Saudi Arabia have a wind speed range of 3–6 m s⁻1. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the second highest annual solar radiation, 2285 kWh/m2, while Saudi Arabia and the state of Kuwait have equal annual solar radiation at 2200 kWh/m2. This review demonstrates that abundant offshore wind energy resources were observed along the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf, as well as a potential opportunity for wind energy resource development in the Red Sea, which was characterized by high performance. In addition, the GCC countries will not be able to control and address the interrelated issues of climate change in the future if they do not eliminate fossil fuel consumption, adhere to the Paris Agreement, and implement plans to utilize their natural resources to meet these challenges.

Analysis of Environmental Characteristics and Operational Reports of Small and Medium Turbines

2012 ◽  
Vol 178-181 ◽  
pp. 973-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Maria Smaranda Florescu ◽  
Georgeta Bandoc ◽  
Mircea Degeratu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Progressive Reduction ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Reduction Of Emissions ◽  
Change Mitigation ◽  
Correct Size

Application of environmental policies to prevent climate change, mitigation of climate change, the progressive reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases under commitments, encourage reducing energy consumption by using technologies that are efficient and support production of cheap and clean energy sources should be a priority for contemporary society. Given the above goals, the application presented in this article represents a model of how we addressed the question of the correct size of local wind turbines to provide energy coverage of a community. This method involves an analysis of environmental factors, followed by the analysis of wind in the area and continued to calculate the energy potential of the area and capable energy and wind turbines provided consumer choice

scholarly journals Desarrollo energético local en función de la mitigación al cambio climático / Local energy development as a function of climate change mitigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 975-992
Author(s):  
María Rodríguez Gámez ◽  
Antonio Vázquez Pérez ◽  
Carlos Gustavo F. Villacreces Viteri ◽  
Carlos Alejandro Bowen Quiroz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Local Energy ◽  
Change Mitigation
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