The Perfect Storm: Heat Waves and Power Outages in Buenos Aires

This article discusses the unprecedented heat waves affecting the city of Buenos Aires—between December 2013 and January 2014—and the extended power outages that ensued. It focuses on this particular extreme case to examine a broader spectrum of shortcomings regarding energy in Argentina, such as an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public culture 2016-05, Vol.28 (2), p.351-357
Main Author: Procupez, Valeria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Anthropology
Brownouts
Climate change
Cultural Anthropology
Emergency preparedness
Energy
Energy economics
Energy policy
Environmental Studies
Power
Sociology
Urban Studies
Weather
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Summary:This article discusses the unprecedented heat waves affecting the city of Buenos Aires—between December 2013 and January 2014—and the extended power outages that ensued. It focuses on this particular extreme case to examine a broader spectrum of shortcomings regarding energy in Argentina, such as an increasing demand that is not matched by investment in supply, aging infrastructure, and lack of coordination between different programs. The article argues that these issues affect the city’s preparedness to confront the challenges of climate change and result in the failure to control demand, encourage energy saving, and reduce emissions.
ISSN:0899-2363
1527-8018
DOI:10.1215/08992363-3427475