104
On the other hand, it has been documented that the impact of wind turbines in the
life of birds and bats varies widely. They are highly dependent on the characteristics
of the environment (weather conditions, topography, and seasonality), the species
of organisms under study (mobility, density, and behavior), and wind park design
(size, alignment, and rotor speed) (Drewitt and Langston 2006; NWCC 2010). It is
necessary to highlight the particularities of the contexts where they have been
observed, rather than focusing on all those cases that have not shown significant
impacts. The main direct causes of death are collisions and, in the case of bats,
pulmonary barotrauma (Baerwald et al. 2008). The displacement of birds due to
visual interference and disturbance of habitats, the interruption of connectivity
between areas of feeding, resting, and distant reproduction, can represent an effective loss of habitat (Drewitt and Langston 2006). Species with a long lifespan and
low reproduction rates, migratory behaviors, those under some protection status, or
even those we know very little about
3
may be particularly vulnerable.
Both turbines and PVSC require the clearing of vegetation cover and the removal
of soils, as well as the opening of roads for their construction and the installation of
electric conduction lines, which negatively affect the native vegetation and the wildlife. This is because it contributes to displacement and loss of habitats, increased
soil erosion, and the loss of nutrients contained therein, disturbs natural drainage
and irrigation systems, and causes the fragmentation of the landscape, creating barriers for the flow of organisms (Aman et al. 2015; Zaldúa 2012; Hernández et al.
2014; Santos et al. 2018).
If environmental costs are difficult to measure, more so are those social and cultural impacts, many of which also have no monetary value and are not susceptible
to mitigation. The social dimension implies all those impacts for the well-being of
people: their environment, the land, the community, the livelihoods, and the culture
(Huesca-Pérez et al. 2018). It is evident that the implementation of these systems in
an area of natural beauty or biocultural value will generate visual impacts on the
landscape (Tsoutsos et al. 2005).
Regarding the second point, despite the increase in the contribution of renewable sources in the production of electricity in Mexico, mainly wind in the last
decade,
4
the total supply of primary energy, including sources such as coal, natural
gas, and oil, has also sustained an increase (Fig. 6.1). The final balance translates
into a net increase in energy sources and, consequently, a greater consumption of
total energy and its corresponding emissions. Under a scenario of forced modernization, the energy harvest that is carried out contributes to a model of economic
development that increases its productive capacity, based on the increase in energy
appropriation.
3 García-Morales and Gordillo-Chávez (2011) report that knowledge about bats in the arid and
semi-arid zones of San Luis Potosí is scarce, due to the lack of continuous and systematic
studies.
4 The participation of the generation of electric power for the wind in 2016 was 3.2% and the solar
energy of 9.6%, with respect to the total sources; but if only renewables are considered, their contribution is 16.7% and 5.7%, respectively (IEA n.d.).
L. Ortega and J. Morán
On the other hand, it has been documented that the impact of wind turbines in the
life of birds and bats varies widely. They are highly dependent on the characteristics
of the environment (weather conditions, topography, and seasonality), the species
of organisms under study (mobility, density, and behavior), and wind park design
(size, alignment, and rotor speed) (Drewitt and Langston 2006; NWCC 2010). It is
necessary to highlight the particularities of the contexts where they have been
observed, rather than focusing on all those cases that have not shown significant
impacts. The main direct causes of death are collisions and, in the case of bats,
pulmonary barotrauma (Baerwald et al. 2008). The displacement of birds due to
visual interference and disturbance of habitats, the interruption of connectivity
between areas of feeding, resting, and distant reproduction, can represent an effective loss of habitat (Drewitt and Langston 2006). Species with a long lifespan and
low reproduction rates, migratory behaviors, those under some protection status, or
even those we know very little about
3
may be particularly vulnerable.
Both turbines and PVSC require the clearing of vegetation cover and the removal
of soils, as well as the opening of roads for their construction and the installation of
electric conduction lines, which negatively affect the native vegetation and the wildlife. This is because it contributes to displacement and loss of habitats, increased
soil erosion, and the loss of nutrients contained therein, disturbs natural drainage
and irrigation systems, and causes the fragmentation of the landscape, creating barriers for the flow of organisms (Aman et al. 2015; Zaldúa 2012; Hernández et al.
2014; Santos et al. 2018).
If environmental costs are difficult to measure, more so are those social and cultural impacts, many of which also have no monetary value and are not susceptible
to mitigation. The social dimension implies all those impacts for the well-being of
people: their environment, the land, the community, the livelihoods, and the culture
(Huesca-Pérez et al. 2018). It is evident that the implementation of these systems in
an area of natural beauty or biocultural value will generate visual impacts on the
landscape (Tsoutsos et al. 2005).
Regarding the second point, despite the increase in the contribution of renewable sources in the production of electricity in Mexico, mainly wind in the last
decade,
4
the total supply of primary energy, including sources such as coal, natural
gas, and oil, has also sustained an increase (Fig. 6.1). The final balance translates
into a net increase in energy sources and, consequently, a greater consumption of
total energy and its corresponding emissions. Under a scenario of forced modernization, the energy harvest that is carried out contributes to a model of economic
development that increases its productive capacity, based on the increase in energy
appropriation.
3 García-Morales and Gordillo-Chávez (2011) report that knowledge about bats in the arid and
semi-arid zones of San Luis Potosí is scarce, due to the lack of continuous and systematic
studies.
4 The participation of the generation of electric power for the wind in 2016 was 3.2% and the solar
energy of 9.6%, with respect to the total sources; but if only renewables are considered, their contribution is 16.7% and 5.7%, respectively (IEA n.d.).
L. Ortega and J. Morán