Defending the Wind

For John, BLUF:  Are there countervailing factors to environmentalism?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

"Defending the Wind" is the title of an article Latin American Press web site.  The author is unlisted.  The premise of the article is that the building of wind farms in the Mexican state of Oaxaca♠♥ will disturb the well being of the people, by interrupting the flow of the wind.

“This wind is part of our culture, traditions, spirituality, but for these companies it is a source of wealth, coming both from the sale of wind energy as well as the sale of carbon credits and the access to other mechanisms of the ill-named ‘green economy,’” denounced assemblies of indigenous people from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca in a letter addressed to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the end of February.

The indigenous inhabitants are opposed to the installation of wind farms in their territories, ensuring that the concessions were not subject to free and informed prior consultations as is established in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 for indigenous and tribal peoples, ratified by Mexico in 1991.

Wind as spirituality.  Is spirituality part of the environment we should be striving to preserve?

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Pronounces wə-hah-kə.
♥  Per Wikipedia, "The state is located in the south of Mexico, bordered by the states of Puebla, Veracruz, Chiapas and Guerrero with the Pacific Ocean to the south.  It has a territory of 36,281 sq mi [in comparison, Massachusetts is 10,666 sq miles], accounting for less than 5% of Mexico’s territory.  Here several mountain chains come together, with the elevation varying from sea level to 12,333 ft asl, averaging at 4,921 ft asl.  Oaxaca has one of the most rugged terrains in Mexico, with mountain ranges that abruptly fall into the sea.  Between these mountains are mostly narrow valleys, canyons and ravines.  Oaxaca’s has 331 mi of [Pacific Ocean] coastline with nine major bays."