Palabras clave
energía
crisis climática
pico del petróleo
sostenibilidad
transporte
Cómo citar
Resumen
Este ensayo crítico enlaza tres asuntos que apenas han sido asociados en la discusión pública sobre energía en Puerto Rico: La energía, la crisis climática y el urbanismo. El urbanismo actual, suburbano y desparramado, es una de las mayores causas de consumo de energía en Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico, y uno de los mayores contribuyentes a la crisis climática, ya que este tipo de urbanismo conlleva una alta dependencia del auto privado, una falta de métodos alternativos de transporte eficaces, y ciudades y pueblos poco caminables. El suburbio es un gran consumidor de energía. Se encontró que la producción per cápita de CO por el automóvil privado en Puerto Rico es 5.4 a 6.1 mayor que la de países europeos como Francia y España por su urbanismo desparramado y suburbano. En un momento histórico de emergencia climática estos datos nos llevan a proponer que el urbanismo que practica actualmente Puerto Rico es ambientalmente irresponsable. Además, se propone que la llegada del pico del petróleo va a causar una grave crisis sobre todo en países con un urbanismo suburbano y desparramado como Puerto Rico si no actuamos de manera urgente. Todo esto apunta a que, en Puerto Rico, el urbanismo debe ser incorporado como asunto central en las discusiones sobre energía y la crisis climática, que incluya el transporte público y la ciudad caminable como prioridades. Se propone además que los cambios necesarios para lograr un urbanismo que sea realmente social, ambiental y energéticamente responsable no se pueden lograr bajo los conceptos actuales de urbanismo sostenible, desarrollo inteligente o nuevo urbanismo, sino que requieren movernos hacia una situación de democracia urbanística a través de un urbanismo sostenible crítico que reconozca que el urbanismo es un asunto político e ideológico asociado a consideraciones de poder y de intereses económicos, y no meramente un asunto técnico de diseño, planificación o ciencia. Lo que se requiere es un cambio de paradigma urbanístico que cuestione y rete el statu quo, y no meros ajustes modestos en diseño, planificación, legislación o política pública.
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