Energy in Mexico

Having been given a free airline ticket to Puerto Vallarta I am enjoying the warmth of the air, water and the culture. My Spanish is improving; yet there’s lots of room for improvement!

Being an ‘energy guy’ I find myself being curious in seeing how this culture uses energy. There are lots of signs of the North American wasteful ways –the many private motor vehicles crowding the narrow roads, buildings using air-conditioning when the temperature is a comfortable 26, and others. Despite such influences, they have a vastly public superior bus system –one that is amply used. While this is likely due to many Mexicans having lower incomes, it also means that they live more responsibly and sustainably.

One personal disappointment is the absence of solar water heating systems, even in the seasonal tourist accommodations. Our winter is their sunny, dry, period. This is when tourists flock to this beautiful area. With the ample sun at a time when the tourist accommodations are full, why such an extensive use of propane heaters? Solar collectors don’t have to be expensive –even the use of black ABS pipe and a simple pump can easily bring the temperature of their ground-water (roughly 20 degrees C) to the required 35 - 40 degress using the sun’s energy found at this latitude. Such systems would likely satisfy everyone's needs all year long. Instead, they rely on propane heaters. Easy to install. Known equipment. And this solution keeps everyone dependent on the fossil fuel industry!

Here, though, the fossil fuel industry is prevented from having as much control as it tends to have in Canada. Mexicans don’t need double-paned windows and space heating. In this way they will be in a much better situation when fossil fuels resume their upward climb.

Another difference between them and Canadians is perhaps an even more profound one: here they still live in community, not the isolated, lonely, individualised lives of us North Americans. When huge changes sweep across the planet they will be far more resilient and able to help each other through those changes than will we.

Perhaps we need to rethink "wealth," as it appears that they may be better off than are we.