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What We’re Reading: Fueling Mexico: Energy and Environment, 1850-1950 by German Vergara
Review by Professor John McNeill, Department of History & Georgetown University School of Foreign Service
To an environmental historian like Professor McNeill, Vergara’s book hits a sweet spot: an in-depth history of energy in Mexico.
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“[Vergara] explains the transition from the early 19th century, when Mexico depended on animal and human muscle, and on wood as fuel for heating and the occasional steam engine, to a fossil-fueled society utterly reliant on oil,” McNeill said.
As other energy sources became more expensive, oil appeared as the solution to Mexico’s energy constraints. “But, like wood and coal, oil created a raft of environmental problems that Mexico struggles with to this day,” McNeill noted. Indeed, Vergara discusses deforestation, air pollution from coal combustion, as well as air, water, and soil pollution from oil combustion and spills.
Understanding the history of energy in Mexico is critical to tackling its consequences. “The fossil fuel-based energy system created around the world since 1850, Mexico included, is the single most important determinant of environmental outcomes,” reviewed McNeill. “The next energy transition, away from fossil fuels, is an urgent priority, indeed I would say the most urgent and the most important priority of policy and politics, so it is helpful to develop a sense of how energy transitions proceed and what obstacles they face.”
Favorite quote:
“Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.” (Attributed to economist Kenneth Boulding)
Who should read this book?
Anyone interested in energy, energy transitions, its environmental implications, or modern Mexico.
At Georgetown, Professor John McNeill teaches classes in world history, environmental history, and international history. He has served as president of both the American Society for Environmental History (2011-13) and the American Historical Association (2019) and is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Academia Europaea.
