[PeDAGoG] [GTA] WEAVING ALTERNATIVES #15: A periodical of the Global Tapestry of Alternatives

[Global Tapestry of Alternatives]

 WEAVING ALTERNATIVES #15: 
A periodical of the Global Tapestry of Alternatives 

THE ENERGY ISSUE: FROM COLONIAL MODERNITY TO DECOLONISING ALTERNATIVES 

DECEMBER 2024 

_The contents of this periodical are also available online on this
webpage [1]._ 

__

Dear readers, 

For too long, discussions about energy have been confined to the realms
of technicians and engineers. The energy we consume and the
infrastructures sustaining its seemingly endless supply--whether fossil
fuels or electricity--have largely remained out of sight and out of mind
for much of modern history. As anthropologist Jaume Franquesa points
out, the invisibility of energy in our industrial societies is striking:
energy infrastructure becomes noticeable only when it fails, despite the
tenfold increase in energy consumption over the past century that has
made it central to our modern experience. This 'silence' within much of
the social sciences, along with the general invisibility of energy, has
had problematic consequences. On one hand, it has left energy
discussions devoid of political and power analyses, reinforcing the
notion that energy belongs in the hands of physicists and engineers and
thus ignoring the power dynamics embedded within it. On the other, it
has influenced how we approach conflicts surrounding energy systems,
infrastructure, and projects, and terms like "energy justice" or "energy
transitions." These struggles often underplay the historical and
political contexts in which the energy transition is being imagined,
designed, and implemented. 

In simple terms, the hegemonic framing of the energy
transition--including variations like the "just energy transition" or
"energy justice" and "energy security"--often reaffirms rather than
challenges the core tenets of capitalist modernity: sustained economic
growth, a narrow and linear definition of progress, and a mentality that
separates and puts culture over nature. The energy transition models
promoted by international organizations such as the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), and others point out that, focus
more on reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels than on addressing the
industrial production and global accumulation systems that cause these
emissions in the first place. Despite numerous reports from these
institutions celebrating record-breaking adoption rates of "renewable"
energy and the growing number of electric vehicles globally, there is no
substantial evidence that a true transition--by their own
definitions--is underway. The increased integration of renewable sources
has yet to meaningfully shift the global dependency on fossil fuels.
Paradoxically, most activists and NGOs continue down this path,
advocating for a global energy transition while often overlooking the
need for a deeper reexamination of how energy is conceptualized. This
oversight reinforces problematic narratives, such as framing Indigenous,
peasant, worker, and other subaltern groups as 'regressive' or 'selfish'
for resisting "renewable energy" projects on their lands, thereby
obscuring the reimposition of colonial dynamics under the green facade
of the transition. Other problematic narratives include the formulation
of 'renewable energy' and renewability itself, which not only obscures
the fossilized dependency of low-carbon infrastructure such as solar and
wind, but also fails to account for the new mining frontiers required to
sustain this process). 

It is no surprise then that energy has become a key driver of landscape
transformation worldwide, reshaping spatial and temporal dimensions
across various geographies. Capitalism's relentless pursuit of perpetual
economic growth, coupled with an increasing demand for energy, has
turned attention toward 'new' extractive frontiers as the era of cheap
energy--characterized by abundant, easily accessible fossil fuels--draws
to a close. This shift signals a threshold marked by a need to sustain
our high-energy modernity with less abundant energy sources (i.e. moving
from fossil fuels to 'renewable energy'). At the same time, billionaires
are promoting visions of colonizing Mars or the Moon, raising questions
about whether ("green") capitalism can survive or even transcend Earth's
planetary limits, while activists and NGOs continue to advocate for a
somewhat empty formulation of a 'just energy transition' that often
translates into a re-formulation of the old colonial notion that was
already embedded in the development enterprise: a perpetual 'need' for
energy that remains unquestionable as the debate centers on alternatives
forms of rather than alternatives to the energy and this hegemonic and
corporate-led form of transition. 

Within the Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA), this discussion has
also remained on the periphery. For years, activists, land defenders,
and grassroots struggles often overlooked energy as a critical point of
contention, relegating it primarily to the domain of state policy and
administration. Recently, some movements have begun to call for the
recognition of energy as a human right, a process that is problematic,
to say the least. This proposal risks resembling a call for "just
colonialism" by encoding colonial structures within the framework of
human rights. Is this the direction we want to pursue? Movements are
justified in questioning this, as it is clearly not the intended goal;
so, what is? The aim, we believe, is to open up discussions on energy's
colonial origins and, from there, develop a new language that enables us
to critically engage with energy itself. This periodical seeks to make
the concept of energy "strange." Put differently, to truly understand
the coloniality of energy, we must first open up the question of what
energy is, how we approach it, and what its deeper implications are. 

Our aim with this periodical is to highlight cases that challenge the
technical and hegemonic framing of energy. While several contributions
of this periodical are still dealing with some of the challenges brought
about by capitalist modernity and its colonial formulation of what
energy is, some of the contributions are now focusing on challenging
this hegemonic formulation of energy which insists on reducing it to a
'thing' and to understand it in relational terms, that is, to see
energy, like all entities that make up the world, as not having an
intrinsic, separate existence by itself (Escobar, 2020). Movements and
alternatives around the world are denouncing green extractivism, the use
of energy projects to dispossess communities of their territories, and
the forced "modernization" of their poverty to meet the unrealistic
standards of global decarbonization. Most of these alternatives see the
energy transition for what it truly is--a colonial framework designed to
uphold the same principles that have driven capitalism for the past 500
years. In response, alternatives across the world are reconceptualizing
energy as a key concern and as part of their struggles for autonomy. 

In the first contribution, Soumya Dutta gives us a broad overview of our
current epoch of climate inaction and some of the main challenges that
both the need to address the urgency and yet, to not act hastily in the
face of global climate catastrophe entails. Dutta offers a detailed
contribution of the many ways in which the hegemonic energy transition
has failed, and the enormous challenge that this poses from a global
perspective. His account, however, shows that while there is a
stagnation and an impasse at the highest levels of politics, there is
movement and hope coming from below. 

In a second contribution, Christine Dann narrates a brief albeit rich
history of electrification in New Zealand, clearly revealing its
colonial origins, showing how the New Zealand government took a line
from the Colonizer's Playbook (in this case James Cook) which is still
operational on the formulation of modernity and development, which still
relies on the electrification and now, the rapid rise of other
logistical and artificial intelligence challenges in the country, an
issue that we now face at the global level. Dann clearly shows how the
formulations of the likes of Lenin or Zola about granting energy access
to everyone ought to be challenged in our current state of politics,
placing our bets on a philosophy of enough rather than excess. 

In a third contribution, Pablo Fernádnez writes about his experience
working with the Tosepan Cooperative in the Northortiental Sierra of
Puebla, in Mexico, where Indigenous communities have come together to
reconceptualize their relationship to energy. Fernadez narrates his
experience in the project of Energia para el Yeknemillis (Energy for
good living) showing how the indigenous communities of the region have
come together to reject the imposition of 'death projects' in favor of
'life projects', rooting their alternative vision of a good life into a
relational formulation of energy, rejecting at the same time the
construction of a large sub-electrical station and retaining their
autonomy in the process. 

The contribution is followed by an interview/dialogue between Hamza
Hamouchene, Lebohang Liepollo Pheko, and Yvonne Phyllis in which they
discuss the concept of "green colonialism" and its impact on energy and
climate justice within the Arab region. Through an intersectional lens,
the article examines how colonial and capitalist legacies continue to
shape environmental policies, leading to exploitation and displacement
under the guise of sustainability. Key themes include the region's
historical integration into the global capitalist system, the creation
of "sacrifice zones" for resource extraction, and the impact of "green"
initiatives that replicate old imperial dynamics. The discussion
critiques the concept of a just transition co-opted by neoliberal
agendas and argues for a truly transformative approach that centers
anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and decolonial principles. By
advocating for reparations and recognition of local communities' rights,
the article calls for a reimagining of energy and climate justice
grounded in solidarity and sovereignty. 

Finally, Christine Dann offers a review of two books that reveal some of
the main challenges that the energy transition poses for the immediate
future. On the one hand, the review reveals the continued dependence on
fossil fuels for renewable energy production, while also sheds light on
the impossibility of simply decarbonizing the status quo capitalism. 

Our hope is that this periodical engages with key questions and concerns
that inspire a more relational, convivial, decolonial, and radical
approach to understanding what energy is and how an energy transition
might be imagined, designed, and implemented--far removed from
technocratic and hegemonic formulations of these concepts and processes.
We do not see this periodical as a 'final' word on the issue but rather
as part of an emerging praxis and way of thinking that, like the
Zapatistas, allows us to walk while asking questions. We invite you to
read, participate, and continue exploring these questions with us. 

As part of our collective reflection on the topic, we produced a longer
and deepest editorial note titled Unpacking the coloniality of energy,
seeking alternatives from below (Extended editorial note), that can be
considered an article on its own. You can read it in this link [2]. 

In solidarity,  

The 15th GTA Periodical Editorial Team

(Carlos Tornel, Christine Dann, Vasna Ramasar, Shrishtee Bajpai, Franco
Augusto and Mugdha Trifaley) 

UPDATES FROM THE GTA

UPCOMING EVENTS

 	* 
Dialogues on Radical Democracy and Autonomy - Session #2: Voices from
Latin America [3] 

	* Gifts from the Sentient Forest: A Conversation with Åsa Andersson
Martti, Francis Joy and John C. Ryan - More than Human Series Episode 3
[4]

RECENT EVENTS

 	* 
Dialogues on Radical Democracy and Autonomy - Session #1: Voices from
Asia [5] 
 	* A dialogue between the World Assembly of Struggles and the Global
Tapestry of Alternatives on Radical Democracy [6]
 	* Water as a Living Entity: A Conversation with Juana Vera Delgado -
More than Human Series Episode 2 [7]
 	* Webinar on The Geopolitics of Green Colonialism: Global Justice and
Ecosocial Transitions [8]

UPDATES FROM OUR WEAVERS

The Global Tapestry of Alternatives is a "network of networks". Each of
those networks acts in different parts of the planet by identifying and
connecting Alternatives. They are the Weavers. In the following section,
our Weavers, the networks that currently weave the Global Tapestry of
Alternatives, from India, South-East Asia, Colombia, and Mexico shares
updates from their recent activities and actions. 

 [9] 

 [9]Keep reading -> [10] 

‘ENERGY SECURITY’, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND URGENT CLIMATE ACTION

by Soumya Dutta

A critical yet often overlooked question in the energy transition debate
is how much total energy--accounting for materials, services, and other
embedded uses--can a society/community/family sustainably consume. While
there is no consensus, we can consider models like pre-crisis Sri Lanka
or Kerala in India, which achieved high Human Development Index scores
with relatively low per capita energy use. Could a renewable-powered
world, based on such efficient societies, be achievable, and at what
cost? 

Keep reading -> [11] 

STATE POWER, CORPORATE POWER – OR ‘LITTLE POWERS’? A CENTURY OF ENERGY
EXPLOITATION IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

by Christine Dann 

_"The day must come when electricity will be for everyone, as the waters
of the rivers and the wind of heaven. It should not merely be supplied,
but lavished, that men may use it at their will, as the air they
breathe."_ wrote the French novelist Emile Zola in his novel Travail
[Work], published in 1901. This quote is on the cover of the second
edition of the Consumer Guide and Cookery Book, published by the
Municipal Electricity Department [MED] of Christchurch, New Zealand, in
the 1930s. The Preface to that book states: _"Today electricity is
paramount. It is representative of modern life and modern thought, and
as such in time to come, it will be looked on as the force which
typifies our age."_ 

'Our' age? Ninety years later, what force typifies 'our' age? Is
electricity still paramount? Is it possible to trace a line from New
Zealand's first state-owned and operated hydro-electricity station -
opened in 1914 and still supplying power to the citizens of Christchurch
110 years later - to the state encouragement of electricity-hungry data
centres owned and operated by foreign companies, which are currently
being built in New Zealand? 

Keep reading -> [12] 

DIALOGUE OF KNOWLEDGE: YOLCHIKAWKAYEKNEMILIS "ENERGY FOR AND FROM GOOD
LIVING"

by Pablo Fernandez 

Over the past four years (2021-2024), I had the fortune of participating
in a research and advocacy project in the northeastern mountains of
Puebla, Mexico, led by the Fundación Tosepan A.C. and funded by the
National Strategic Program (PRONACE) on Energy and Climate Change of
CONAHCYT. This process transformed my understanding of collective work,
dialogue of knowledge, and the building of community-based solutions. 

The project "Energy for the Yeknemilis (Good Living) of the Northeastern
Sierra of Puebla" arose in response to the need to protect the territory
against destructive megaprojects, such as open-pit mining and the
imposition of hydroelectric plants, which would fragment the land
(Tlali, 2014) and violate the Territorial Ordinance Program of Cuetzalan
(CUPREDER, 2010). 

Keep reading -> [13] 

DISMANTLING GREEN COLONIALISM: ENERGY AND CLIMATE JUSTICE IN THE ARAB
REGION: AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH TO DISMANTLING GREEN COLONIALISM

A conversation between Hamza Hamouchene, Lebohang Liepollo Pheko and
Yvonne Busisiwe Phyllis 

In the ongoing discourse surrounding environmental justice, the concept
of "green colonialism" has emerged as a critical lens to examine the
historical and contemporary injustices faced by marginalized communities
in the global South, including within the context of the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) region. In this interview Hamza Hamouchene, Lebohang
Liepollo Pheko, Yvonne Phyllis discuss the book Dismantling Green
Colonialism: Energy and Climate Justice in the Arab Region. The book is
edited by Hamza Hamouchene and Katie Sandwell and serves as a vital
contribution to this dialogue, shedding light on the interconnected
struggles of energy, climate, and social justice. 

This discussion explores key themes from the book and accompanying
discussions, emphasizing the necessity of adopting a holistic,
intersectional perspective that acknowledges the complexity of systemic
injustice. It was originally an interview conducted by Yvonne during
Hamza's book launch series in South Africa, which the three speakers
were part of anchoring in various ways. This article is a summary of the
original interview, transcribed into an accessible, narrative form. 

Keep reading -> [14] 

THE GREEN NO DEAL – A REVIEW OF 'THE WAR BELOW: LITHIUM, COPPER, AND THE
GLOBAL BATTLE TO POWER OUR LIVES' AND 'THE PRICE IS WRONG: WHY
CAPITALISM WON’T SAVE THE PLANET'

by Christine Dann 

Is land - which to some cultures is the original mother, to be revered
and cared for - just another commodity which can and should be exploited
in the interests of human 'progress'? Is energy another such commodity
as well? Industrialized cultures don't put it like that, of course. They
talk about 'natural resources', 'environmental economics', and 'Green
New Deals' in which all humans have access to well-paid employment and
also to ecologically and sustainably produced energy from renewable
sources, discounting the fossil-fuel and material dependence embedded in
their infrastructure. 

Keep reading -> [15] 

Thank you for reading! 

 Global Tapestry of Alternatives
_contact at globaltapestryofalternatives.org_

To subscribe and get our updates, visit this link [16] 

-- 
Global Tapestry of Alternatives
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org 

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To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to this address:
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Links:
------
[1] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:index
[2] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:editorial
[3] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/events:rd:02
[4]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/events:2024_more_than_human_webinars:03
[5] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/events:events:rd:01
[6] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/events:2024_wsa_gta_rd:01
[7]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/events:2024_more_than_human_webinars:02
[8]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/events:2024_green_colonialism
[9] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/:definitions#term-Tapestry
[10] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:weavers15
[11]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:energy_security
[12]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:little_powers
[13]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:dialogue_of_knowledge
[14]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:dismantling_green_colonialism
[15]
https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/newsletters:15:green_no_deal
[16] https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/contact
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