Cultures of Energy: Turbines in Oaxaca



Cymene Howe, Rice U


“Ecoauthority and Anthropocenic Reason in Transitions,” paper given at the Cultures of Energy 2nd Annual Spring Research Symposium, April 19–21, 2013


Cymene’s work in Oaxaca. Barricade to block entrance to a long stretch of sand bar.
hope to build largest single phase wind park on this site. 
Barricade breached taking advantage of the Day of the Dead
lesson on how not to do things
either way it’s not so good: good climatological intentional gone bad; or cynical attempt to exploit corruption
each set of actors lay claim to different kinds of moral authority
transitions: multiple scales of engagement
incomplete thinking of interconnectedness
zones of awkward engagement
ecoauthority is developing in this case study in a certain way: in the age of the Anthropocene
decisions designed through idioms that assert ecological pre-eminence
grounding in series of ecological claims
Mexico suffering from carbon atrophy; reduced a vital source of income
>> climate change remediation
isthmus has some of best wind on planet
Isthmenios have rejected national and international attempts to control resources
Campesino movement
Tim Ingold: walking makes a place cultural; culture made through protest in the isthmus
how are these environments to be used and experienced and whose experience takes priority? 
population or those who ameliorate broad threat to biota
people feel they are being dispossessed; over the ocean other more famous displacements (sea level rise, inundation of islands)
subject of climate change very rarely mentioned
nor does clean energy etc
but what does come up is that they feel tricked and forced to bear the brunt of climate change
mud churned up; worry about electricty
focus on different scales
not just global and local but about the conduct of the future
many very widespread rumors about turbines
turbines can suck life force, drain out blood from veins
Latour: industry plus we have failed to love our monsters; perhaps they only need to love these turbine monsters better
Marena Renovables uses ecoauthority too
righteousness of Chinese state around Three Gorges Dam
species: no one can be sacrificed; Gardener, “temporal dispersion”
humanitarian reason: govern precarious life through government entities
Anthropocenic reason operationalized to manage precarious conditions of all life

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