Want to know how to piss people off?

Cut off their electricity the day after they reject a new hydroelectric dam on the Caldera river in their backyard. My sources tell me this punishment will continue until "morale improves". Good luck with that. I found out last Thursday that the locals are vehemently opposed to the dam. Who could blame them. They won't benefit from it. Quite the contrary.I live in Caldera and the day after the meeting the whole town was without power for many hours. I arrived home at 6:00, so I'm not sure exactly when it was turned off. This was the first major power outage, excepting the common short outages, since the end of the storms of the rainy season. But alas I arrive home Friday night at 6:00 to a dark house. It's now 12:00 and still dark. The power came back on sometime in the middle of the night.This occurred a day after a Caldera town meeting, where the people of the District of Boquete people voted (shouted) down the proposed hydroelectric dam on the Caldera river.Does anyone think this power outage was a coincidence? I don't think so. The powers that be may think that by PUNISHING these poor people with no electricity, they are going to make headway on their proposed project, and coerce the people into changing their minds? To the contrary. It only makes them more angry.If I had any connections, I'd start to organize the Chiricanos AND the Indigenous to cooperate in blocking the pan-american AND the Boquete highway until this issue is resolved once and for all. Resolved, not by the mayor (whose authority I question, but don't diminish), but by the president. Then we can be through with it. The powers that be won't stop until they are physically forced to stop.The things people with political power won't do. I found out at the meeting on Thursday the local Panamanians have power too. And we all know how easily the Indigenous can be riled up. They are already pissed and I would guess itchin for a fight. It would be awesome to see these two distinct groups come together for a common and righteous cause.

Judy, this is just not true. Any power generated here goes into the grid. Our distribution system pulls power from the grid, although probably not as much as is inputted. So of course we benefit from the electricity generated here. The story about selling it to Costa Rica is another myth. During the dry season and ensuing power shortage last year, Panama actually purchased electricity from Costa Rica and I posted that story here on .ning.

Although I am personally not in favor of constructing any more hydroelectric projects, the argument won't be won by continually presenting old falsehoods.

It's my understanding that natural gas will be coming to Panama In a big way soon, supertankers full of it, and we should look for gas-fired generating plants down the line.

In the meantime, practicing energy conservation and using alternative sources 'a la Val', would seem to be the best option.

Replies

Judy Sacco April 19, 2015 at 7:22pm

That there's plenty of gas on ning - hot air to be precise.
Keith Woolford April 19, 2015 at 7:15pm

More NG
Judy Sacco April 19, 2015 at 11:43am

I thought it came mainly from oil, but apparently not. Keith said what I said isn't right. I did some research about what is a myth and what is true. I do think it's true though that if electricity generated in Chiriqui goes to a national grid, just by most of the population being in Panama City area, Chiriqui isn't going to get much of that power.

Here's an interesting link: http://www.thebusinessyear.com/publication/article/48/4825/panama_2...
The Zapadora April 19, 2015 at 10:47am

Miguel, I just got an email from Frank with a petition for people to sign ,who are opposed to the Damn project. I will go back and get the link and post it here.That way, people who weren't at the meeting but DO care, can participate. The signatures will all go to the new Minister of Environment.
- The Zapadora > The Zapadora April 19, 2015 at 10:50am
  
  Ok all, here is the link.
  
  https://www.change.org/p/panama-ministerio-de-ambiente-guardar-el-r...
  Stephen Kaczor, Co-Founder
  www.BigRiverFoundation.org
  
  Boquete, Chiriqui, Panamá
  
  Sign the Petition
  
  Panama Ministerio de Ambiente: Guardar el Rio Caldera, Dice No a Cerro Grande
Gordon Bakke April 19, 2015 at 9:51am

"Want to know how to piss people off?"

Miguel Ortiz, you nailed it (in a pissy kind of way).
Judy Sacco April 19, 2015 at 9:31am

Walter, the hydo power now generated in Chiriqui does not benefit us. The power goes to Panama City. They even sell it to Costa Rica. Will these dams be different, or will they just degrade the Chiriqui environment without providing us any power at all?
- Keith Woolford > Judy Sacco April 19, 2015 at 11:23am
  
  Judy, this is just not true. Any power generated here goes into the grid. Our distribution system pulls power from the grid, although probably not as much as is inputted. So of course we benefit from the electricity generated here. The story about selling it to Costa Rica is another myth. During the dry season and ensuing power shortage last year, Panama actually purchased electricity from Costa Rica and I posted that story here on .ning.
  
  Although I am personally not in favor of constructing any more hydroelectric projects, the argument won't be won by continually presenting old falsehoods.
  
  It's my understanding that natural gas will be coming to Panama In a big way soon, supertankers full of it, and we should look for gas-fired generating plants down the line.
  
  In the meantime, practicing energy conservation and using alternative sources 'a la Val', would seem to be the best option.
  - Keith Woolford > Keith Woolford April 19, 2015 at 1:38pm
    
    Natural gas is big biz. It's going to be shipped through here in massive quantities so why not drop some off and use it.
    
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-11-05/panama-canal-s-ln...
    
    https://www.iamericas.org/en/events/past-events/1884-prospects-for-...
    
    A license was issued for a gas-fired plant in Colon, but was recently cancelled, which may have been political due to the sense that the license may have been 'bought'. If I remember correctly, there was some hocus pocus going on when the tenders closed.
    
    http://www.centralamericadata.com/es/article/home/Cancelan_licencia...
    - wryawry > Keith Woolford April 19, 2015 at 1:41pm
      
      Always plenty of NG to be found on this *ning!
      
      Ya gotta ask, does it pass the "sniff test"?
      
      wryawry

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