What influences energy policy from companies are limited resources. Since companies provide big portions of tax revenue, governments are concerned with what they want. Lobbyists try to convince politicians into passing energy policies that will give profit to the company. In Venezuela, we can see an example of how resources of higher need are taken up by the government. Chavez got his government mingle the country's oil industry. Poor nations don't get profit from the existence of limited natural resources, since they are usually too expensive for the rural people to afford. so, the companies get richer by the time and the local people tend to get poorer. There are issues with technology in rural Latin America. One of them that is a major issue is the culture and thoughts of the governments that are implementing the technologies in that area. It is a very distant place, and getting the new technologies and ideas to that place could be difficult and nevertheless, risky.
LOL it's just funny to me how you say Latin America is a very distant place, because to me it just sounds like home, as well as Asia sounds distant to me! :D Second of all it is true that in Venezuela there is not only a geographical and economical challenge, but also a social one. Chavez is definitely looking forward to own all the petroleum industry of his country, and in fact he does, this of course has several disadvantages, and not only for poor people, but also for wealthy people, because some day Chavez just pretends to belong the industry, or a particular business and he is able to do it (You may say this is bias, but it was actually a friend's experience: his dad lost a lot of money because part of his company was taken by the government). I guess that the social challenges are everywhere, but in Latin America they are a very big deal! (engr103)
ReplyDeleteTrue that. Talking of the experience that you've had (the one with your friend), it's not really bias. And indeed, it's a big deal in Latin America. (engr103)
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