It was very peaceful and pleasant there. The fish was fresh, cheap, and well made, and the beers were cold and plentiful. And everyone was really friendly and helpful. First hotel I contacted was full, but they sent me numbers for all the others in town so we could find a last minute room. Great community vibe. We met Pepe who leads the local restaurant and hotel association... He even made some calls for us the next day to confirm the road had reopened.

Google is a better friend if you spell it correctly: Puerto Vicente Guerrero

I hope I wasn't the only one completely befuddled because for me, PV has always stood for Puerto Vallarta. I had to run to the map to search for a town south of Zihua that could also be abbreviated as PV. It seems like a quiet, idyllic location. Gotta' visit someday.

We got stuck on the south side of the blockade on our return from oaxaca because I stupidly forget to check the news. Spent the night in Puerto, and the people we met there didn't seem worried. I don't pretend to know anything about the realities for the residents there, but we never felt threatened by the people blocking the road.

Puerto was peaceful and seemed to be business as usual. It was really the most lovely place to be "stuck". We meet some national tourists and told each other stories about all the worse places in the world we've been stuck while traveling.

Thanks! Yes, PV is a special place! Safe travels!

From the description, I thought "Puerto" referred to Puerto Escondido, rather than PV.

I am not interested in changing the name of PV> Puerto Vincente. Also known as Puerto Vincente Guerrero. {google is your friend!}

Google is a better friend if you spell it correctly: Puerto Vicente Guerrero

But I like DuckDuckGo better personally so I don't have Google cookies and ads tracking me all over the internet.

The Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor (PROFECO) is how you get satisfaction from CFE, as thousands of citizens have done. I highly recommend you contact them ASAP with all your documentation.

https://www.gob.mx/profeco

Thanks for the info. Not quite to that point yet. I'm still working with the solar company, making sure all my ducks are in a row and facing the right direction.

I called Profeco and the posted number was a phone sex line.

Ya' know, there's a joke in there somewhere.

We got stuck on the south side of the blockade on our return from oaxaca because I stupidly forget to check the news. Spent the night in Puerto, and the people we met there didn't seem worried. I don't pretend to know anything about the realities for the residents there, but we never felt threatened by the people blocking the road.

Puerto was peaceful and seemed to be business as usual. It was really the most lovely place to be "stuck". We meet some national tourists and told each other stories about all the worse places in the world we've been stuck while traveling.

Thanks! Yes, PV is a special place! Safe travels!

From the description, I thought "Puerto" referred to Puerto Escondido, rather than PV.

I am not interested in changing the name of PV> Puerto Vincente. Also known as Puerto Vincente Guerrero. {google is your friend!}

We got stuck on the south side of the blockade on our return from oaxaca because I stupidly forget to check the news. Spent the night in Puerto, and the people we met there didn't seem worried. I don't pretend to know anything about the realities for the residents there, but we never felt threatened by the people blocking the road.

Puerto was peaceful and seemed to be business as usual. It was really the most lovely place to be "stuck". We meet some national tourists and told each other stories about all the worse places in the world we've been stuck while traveling.

Thanks! Yes, PV is a special place! Safe travels!

From the description, I thought "Puerto" referred to Puerto Escondido, rather than PV.

My CFE bills were in the M$500-M$1000 range. Then I had a swimming pool built and one bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills went up to M$5,000+.

I had solar panels installed and had another bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills dropped to M$69 for most periods. (It seems that some renters insist on running A/C 24/7. I even had one renter who complained that the A/C wasn’t working properly. They had the bedroom window and door both wide open!)

Twice CFE has messed up on the metering. The meter was not running in reverse while I was feeding the grid. I have had to have CFE correct the meter. (Of course, CFE didn’t credit me for their meter error during those periods.)

I don’t consider solar to be the problem. I do consider the poor quality of the electricity CFE provided and the poor quality of service from CFE to be problems.

Clearly solar itself is not the problem, although at this point, it feels like a trip to Vegas would have been a wiser investment.
I'm afraid this is going to turn into a ongoing thing where it works for about 3 weeks, then CFE takes a couple billing periods to get around to fixing the problem. In the meantime, I essentially pay a small fortune for electricity I don't use, and I will never recoup my losses.

May I ask why you haven't availed yourself of the services of PROFECO?

Because I have no idea what that is. Please enlighten me.

The Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor (PROFECO) is how you get satisfaction from CFE, as thousands of citizens have done. I highly recommend you contact them ASAP with all your documentation.

https://www.gob.mx/profeco

My CFE bills were in the M$500-M$1000 range. Then I had a swimming pool built and one bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills went up to M$5,000+.

I had solar panels installed and had another bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills dropped to M$69 for most periods. (It seems that some renters insist on running A/C 24/7. I even had one renter who complained that the A/C wasn’t working properly. They had the bedroom window and door both wide open!)

Twice CFE has messed up on the metering. The meter was not running in reverse while I was feeding the grid. I have had to have CFE correct the meter. (Of course, CFE didn’t credit me for their meter error during those periods.)

I don’t consider solar to be the problem. I do consider the poor quality of the electricity CFE provided and the poor quality of service from CFE to be problems.

Clearly solar itself is not the problem, although at this point, it feels like a trip to Vegas would have been a wiser investment.
I'm afraid this is going to turn into a ongoing thing where it works for about 3 weeks, then CFE takes a couple billing periods to get around to fixing the problem. In the meantime, I essentially pay a small fortune for electricity I don't use, and I will never recoup my losses.

May I ask why you haven't availed yourself of the services of PROFECO?

Because I have no idea what that is. Please enlighten me.

My CFE bills were in the M$500-M$1000 range. Then I had a swimming pool built and one bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills went up to M$5,000+.

I had solar panels installed and had another bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills dropped to M$69 for most periods. (It seems that some renters insist on running A/C 24/7. I even had one renter who complained that the A/C wasn’t working properly. They had the bedroom window and door both wide open!)

Twice CFE has messed up on the metering. The meter was not running in reverse while I was feeding the grid. I have had to have CFE correct the meter. (Of course, CFE didn’t credit me for their meter error during those periods.)

I don’t consider solar to be the problem. I do consider the poor quality of the electricity CFE provided and the poor quality of service from CFE to be problems.

Clearly solar itself is not the problem, although at this point, it feels like a trip to Vegas would have been a wiser investment.
I'm afraid this is going to turn into a ongoing thing where it works for about 3 weeks, then CFE takes a couple billing periods to get around to fixing the problem. In the meantime, I essentially pay a small fortune for electricity I don't use, and I will never recoup my losses.

May I ask why you haven't availed yourself of the services of PROFECO?

My CFE bills were in the M$500-M$1000 range. Then I had a swimming pool built and one bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills went up to M$5,000+.

I had solar panels installed and had another bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills dropped to M$69 for most periods. (It seems that some renters insist on running A/C 24/7. I even had one renter who complained that the A/C wasn’t working properly. They had the bedroom window and door both wide open!)

Twice CFE has messed up on the metering. The meter was not running in reverse while I was feeding the grid. I have had to have CFE correct the meter. (Of course, CFE didn’t credit me for their meter error during those periods.)

I don’t consider solar to be the problem. I do consider the poor quality of the electricity CFE provided and the poor quality of service from CFE to be problems.

Clearly solar itself is not the problem, although at this point, it feels like a trip to Vegas would have been a wiser investment.
I'm afraid this is going to turn into a ongoing thing where it works for about 3 weeks, then CFE takes a couple billing periods to get around to fixing the problem. In the meantime, I essentially pay a small fortune for electricity I don't use, and I will never recoup my losses.

I had solar panels installed and had another bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills dropped to M$69 for most periods. (It seems that some renters insist on running A/C 24/7. I even had one renter who complained that the A/C wasn’t working properly. They had the bedroom window and door both wide open!)

We once had an electric bill equal the rental income. If only one could require an IQ test from potential renters!

I had solar panels installed and had another bedroom air conditioned. My CFE bills dropped to M$69 for most periods. (It seems that some renters insist on running A/C 24/7. I even had one renter who complained that the A/C wasn’t working properly. They had the bedroom window and door both wide open!)

Twice CFE has messed up on the metering. The meter was not running in reverse while I was feeding the grid. I have had to have CFE correct the meter. (Of course, CFE didn’t credit me for their meter error during those periods.)

I don’t consider solar to be the problem. I do consider the poor quality of the electricity CFE provided and the poor quality of service from CFE to be problems.

I had solar installed back in February. CFE credits only about 5% of my production and somehow despite my best efforts to conserve, I'm consuming almost 3 times the energy I was before the installation. I am literally paying more for electricity now than I ever did in San Diego. Last bill was almost $8500! Of course, CFE is completely non-responsive.

Obviously, there is something else wrong than just the fact that you installed solar panels. Something is not right. Have you asked your solar installer to check the system? It sounds as if adding battery backup and maybe an emergency generator and then detaching from the CFE grid might be a viable option if CFE won't respond to your legitimate concerns.

P.S. Electricity bills far higher than those is San Diego? Now there is a scary thought potentially suitable for the theme of a horror movie.

Yeah, I have a 22kw generator that is more than capable of supplying all my needs, but of course I have to keep feeding it gas. Plus, the thing is LOUD.
Clearly something is wrong, but nobody can seem to figure out what the problem is. I'm pretty sure the meter is defective, and I have CFE review/repair requests that have been pending for weeks. Never thought I would deal with an entity worse than San Diego Greed & Extortion, but here I am!

At least CFE hasn't discovered Daily Peak Usage -- yet.

I had solar installed back in February. CFE credits only about 5% of my production and somehow despite my best efforts to conserve, I'm consuming almost 3 times the energy I was before the installation. I am literally paying more for electricity now than I ever did in San Diego. Last bill was almost $8500! Of course, CFE is completely non-responsive.

Obviously, there is something else wrong than just the fact that you installed solar panels. Something is not right. Have you asked your solar installer to check the system? It sounds as if adding battery backup and maybe an emergency generator and then detaching from the CFE grid might be a viable option if CFE won't respond to your legitimate concerns.

P.S. Electricity bills far higher than those is San Diego? Now there is a scary thought potentially suitable for the theme of a horror movie.

I believe people, not governments, do better at bringing about change in corporate habits with their buying power. But first they must be informed and second they must be motivated. Governments are unfortunately too beholden to the money corporations donate to candidates and campaigns. In Mexico it's less obvious than in the USA, where corruption is simply legal in too many forms, but kickbacks have the same function everywhere.

Did the asbestos industry stop producing and selling its killing products because of people’s buying power?

Did tobacco companies stop selling their poisons to adults, or even to children, because of “buying power”?

No, it required legislation to compel them.

There is no reason to think that oil companies would behave differently. In fact, we have seen them repeatedly working their propaganda arms to persuade people to promote the poisoning of the planet to the detriment of our children and grandchildren.

Remember the idea that GHG emissions can be “clean” through the promotion of “clean coal”?

Why there is no such thing as “clean coal”

Or that burning fossil fuel that produce GHG emissions can “ethical”, if you buy “ethical oil”?

The Fallacy of ‘Ethical Oil’

Some have even argued the fallacy that increasing atmospheric GHGs is a good thing because CO2 is a “plant fertilizer”.

Climate change is hard on plants.

Making long-term commitments to perpetuate the oil and gas industries, whether by state owned Pemex in Mexico and Dos Bocas; by the Canadian government with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion; or buy private corporations is not “clean”, “ethical”, or “fertilizing”. These ideas are the other kind of fertilizer… the kind produced by bulls.

Not sure why you take my comments entirely out of context. My point is that waiting for governments to enact the necessary legislation hasn't worked and still isn't working. I believe that has been made glaringly obvious by the behavior of what passes for the Republican political party in the USA ever since the misfiring Ronnie Raygun removed the symbolic solar panels installed on the roof of the White House by visionary President Jimmy Carter. Mexico has an entirely different and distinct problem. Applying U.S. solutions here is a non-starter for more reasons than I have the time to elaborate on.

Not to mention that it sure looks like we've already passed whatever tipping point we were warned years ago would be the point of no return. So entirely new solutions will be needed to ameliorate if not reduce what we've already done. I suspect the solution of the AI's already being employed to find them will not bode well for humans. I wish that were simply a joke.

So while education is under assault in the USA and historical fires erupt around the world, I'll be looking to people with better solutions than simply choking off the supply of oil or relying on popular technologies that only look better on the surface until you look under the hood. Though you make compelling arguments that I don't necessarily disagree with, to me it almost seems silly to listen to travelers who are the source of extreme pollution flying and driving and cruising around the world for any consistency in solutions to global warming. I see the mostly plastic trash our visitors leave on our beaches every single day, not much different than when I lived in Florida, yet I still manage to find the good will to continue inviting all of you here to get whatever joy out of life you can still find, hopefully finding some love for and from our insignificant backwater destination in the process. And I'll continue seeking to make my purchases based on my own moral criteria. You all are free to do as you wish.

Saludos.

I personally believe the EVs are not the solution many people believe they are until solar- and wind-powered charging stations are the norm and plentiful, lithium can be mined without the use of toxic chemicals and excessive amounts of water, and spent lithium batteries can be safely and economically disposed of.

No doubt there are localized environmental impacts from the extraction and processing of the materials used in making electric vehicles. But I think there are two important considerations.

1. We cannot consider these adverse effects without considering the adverse local effects of the extraction and processing of petroleum resources. Look at the environmental distraction associated with the “ethical oil” of Canadian oil sands. Look at the extensive use of water resources in fracking operations. Consider the earthquakes associated with fracking. Consider the habitat destruction of petroleum extraction. Consider the damages of transporting petroleum products.

Prince William Sound is still recovering from the headline grabbing 1989 Exxon Valdez catastrophe. But every year there are multiple spills, pipeline leaks, etc. that go unreported in media. And let’s not forget the loss of 47 human lives as in Lac-Mégantic.

The deadliest rail accident since Canada's confederation in 1867

2. I think we have to consider localized adverse effects in the context of widespread adverse effects. The continued use of GHG-producing fossil fuels presents an existential threat to global civilization. Could Arizona remain a viable state if it weather this summer becomes its climate? Consider the effect of crop loss in the current food production areas of the world. Malnutrition and starvation can be powerful motivators to go to war.

Although we have “conflict refugees” now, we also have “climate refugees”. Imagine the effect on civilization of increases in both climate refuges and conflict refugees.

Electric vehicles are not the solution to global warming, but eliminating the billions of tonnes of CO2 emitted annually just by passenger cars will be a significant contribution.

Lithium batteries are already being effectively reused and recycled. Batteries from vehicles are reused, intact, for battery backup systems. Although those batteries are no longer optimal for instant, high drain applications, they continue to serve well for less demanding applications.

When they are no longer useful for that, they are recycled, sometimes more efficiently than when new.

Recycled Lithium-Ion Batteries Can Perform Better Than New Ones

Solar electricity is already a significant contributor to electrical grids… where governments support its development.

Thomas Edison knew of the importance of solar energy a hundred years ago.

“We are like tenant farmers, chopping down the fence around our house for fuel, when we should be using nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy—sun, wind, and tide.”

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that. I wish I had more years left!”

I’d Put My Money on the Sun and Solar Energy

According to the International Energy Agency,

Solar PV’s installed power capacity is poised to surpass that of coal by 2027, becoming the largest in the world. Cumulative solar PV capacity almost triples in our forecast, growing by almost 1 500 GW over the period, exceeding natural gas by 2026 and coal by 2027. Annual solar PV capacity additions increase every year for the next five years.

Despite current higher investment costs due to elevated commodity prices, utility-scale solar PV is the least costly option for new electricity generation in a significant majority of countries worldwide. Distributed solar PV, such as rooftop solar on buildings, is also set for faster growth as a result of higher retail electricity prices and growing policy support to help consumers save money on their energy bills.

Why is solar PV important?

It seems to me that Mexico could be a leader in shifting its energy away from fossil fuels and toward an electric economy.

Upton Sinclair said,

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

Something similar can be said of petroleum producing countries. It is difficult to convince a government to do something if it’s revenues depend on doing something else.

I believe people, not governments, do better at bringing about change in corporate habits with their buying power. But first they must be informed and second they must be motivated. Governments are unfortunately too beholden to the money corporations donate to candidates and campaigns. In Mexico it's less obvious than in the USA, where corruption is simply legal in too many forms, but kickbacks have the same function everywhere.

Did the asbestos industry stop producing and selling its killing products because of people’s buying power?

Did tobacco companies stop selling their poisons to adults, or even to children, because of “buying power”?

No, it required legislation to compel them.

There is no reason to think that oil companies would behave differently. In fact, we have seen them repeatedly working their propaganda arms to persuade people to promote the poisoning of the planet to the detriment of our children and grandchildren.

Remember the idea that GHG emissions can be “clean” through the promotion of “clean coal”?

Why there is no such thing as “clean coal”

Or that burning fossil fuel that produce GHG emissions can “ethical”, if you buy “ethical oil”?

The Fallacy of ‘Ethical Oil’

Some have even argued the fallacy that increasing atmospheric GHGs is a good thing because CO2 is a “plant fertilizer”.

Climate change is hard on plants.

Making long-term commitments to perpetuate the oil and gas industries, whether by state owned Pemex in Mexico and Dos Bocas; by the Canadian government with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion; or buy private corporations is not “clean”, “ethical”, or “fertilizing”. These ideas are the other kind of fertilizer… the kind produced by bulls.

As regards the planting of 1 million trees, it is a deceptive statistic that does very little to address the problem. First of all, the government has not released any verifiable data, and to the contrary has remained opaque on the those statistics, and there is a great deal of evidence that while many trees have been planted that they have not been planted in places that they will survive so the majority are dying providing no benefit. Forested land in Mexico has continued decline thanks to many factors including cutting down jungle to build a train line of dubious economic value. https://aristeguinoticias.com/0106/mexico/sembrando-vida-el-infertil-programa-de-amlo-para-al/

Weaning ourselves off of oil will be difficult and even painful, but the alternative will be even more painful and we are beginning to see just how painful. Lack of water here in large part because of multiple years of reduced rainfall. More powerful storms, oppressive heat, disruption for food crops. The cry that Mexico can't afford to make the transition rings hollow to me and seems to ignore the alternative which is likely to be even more expensive.

As of a year ago, the cost of the Dos Bocas refinery was over US$20.

The cost of Dos Bocas is almost as much as the Canadian government has sunk into the Trans Mountain pipeline and its expansion (C$30B at last count).

Presumably these “investments” have to be recouped somehow. The “somehow” is by extracting, refining, and selling more and more GHG-producing fossil fuels that further condemn our grandchildren.

The timespan of a pipeline or a refinery is measured in decades. The timespan of the devastation that will result is measured in generations… in centuries.

Try growing commercial crops in a Guerrero that is even more racked by droughts followed by flooding. Try drawing tourists to a 35-45° C destination.

That increase in petroleum will also produce more fossil-fuel plastics. Plastics that end up in the bellies of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles, poisoning octopi, and littering the beaches of Zihuatanejo.

No doubt you have watched “The Corporation, but for others, I recommend it.

“The documentary shows the development of the contemporary business corporation, from a legal entity that originated as a government-chartered institution meant to affect specific public functions, to the rise of the modern commercial institution entitled to most of the legal rights of a person. The documentary concentrates mostly upon corporations in North America, especially in the United States. One theme is its assessment of corporate personhood, as a result of an 1886 case in the Supreme Court of the United States in which a statement by Chief Justice Morrison Waite led to corporations as "persons" having the same rights as human beings, based on the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corporation_(2003_film)

Unfortunately, while corporations have personhood in terms of rights, they do not face the same penalties as persons. If that were the case, we would see corporations in prison.

Milton Friedman, one of the gods in the capitalist pantheon, is perhaps the foundational proponent of the putting of profit above all else.

Friedman introduced the theory in a 1970 essay for The New York Times titled "A Friedman Doctrine: The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits". In it, he argued that a company has no social responsibility to the public or society; its only responsibility is to its shareholders.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedman_doctrine

(As an aside, the novel “American Gods” missed the mark. The real gods of America are people like Friedman.)

You, or I, or AMLO, can “urge”, corporations to do what we consider to be right. We will be like those who urge sexual abstinence. Our “urges” will not be as powerful as the other urges. Those corporations will continue to pillage as long as governments permit or promote that pillaging.

Capitalism needs to be constrained by government, or as Americans like to say, by “We the people…”.

And governments need to adopt and promote what they believe in. So far, it seems that the governments in Mexico, Canada, and the USA believe in fossil fuel profits more than in eliminating GHG emissions.

I could post information about Canadian and American promotion of oil & gas, but let’s consider Mexican dependence.

The petroleum sector is crucial to the Mexican economy; while its oil production has fallen in recent years, oil revenues still generate over 10% of Mexico's export earnings. High taxes on the revenues of Pemex provide about a third of all the tax revenues collected by the Mexican government.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry_in_Mexico

I hope to be corrected, but it seems to me that AMLO is as tied to the promotion of oil & gas as other North American governments.

And sadly, based on individual behaviour, it seem that most Mexicans, Canadians, and Americans believe in GHG convenience for short term pleasures more than the well-being of their grandchildren.

I believe people, not governments, do better at bringing about change in corporate habits with their buying power. But first they must be informed and second they must be motivated. Governments are unfortunately too beholden to the money corporations donate to candidates and campaigns. In Mexico it's less obvious than in the USA, where corruption is simply legal in too many forms, but kickbacks have the same function everywhere.

AMLO has made it one of his administration's goals to try to make Mexico oil independent. That means Mexico will no longer be sending its oil to Venezuela or the USA for refining and buying it back at inflated prices. That's the purpose of Dos Bocas in Tabasco and Deer Park in Texas. By cracking down on theft of petroleum products and corruption within Pemex, more funds have become available to carry out his administration's goals.

As for GHG, Mexico is already a society where mass transit is used by a larger percent of its population than the USA or Canada. Mexico has a reforestation campaign that's already planted more than a million trees and is quite popular with rural communities and ejidos.

I personally believe the EVs are not the solution many people believe they are until solar- and wind-powered charging stations are the norm and plentiful, lithium can be mined without the use of toxic chemicals and excessive amounts of water, and spent lithium batteries can be safely and economically disposed of.

AMLO's government together with the Congreso Nacional has already been working for years on moralizing or improving the socially responsible practices of corporations in Mexico. Laws in Mexico are changing the behavior of the businesses that operate here. Surely you've already seen that with the warning labels on foods and drinks that are changing the way Mexicans eat. The problem is there is so much to do that progress easily goes unnoticed. But it's a topic that he has long championed.