¿Transition or Symbiosis?

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

This session will welcome Alejandro Tortolero Villasenor for a presentation of his research on the historical dimensions of Mexico’s energy transition. By examining the interplay between natural resources, capital, and modernization, he will provide insights into the energy and environmental dynamics that characterized the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

"The presentation analyzes Mexico’s environmental and energy history by examining the debate over whether there was a linear transition from organic fuels to fossil fuels or a symbiosis between the two. Through a regional study of Chalco, the text details how modernization during the Porfirian era transformed natural resources into capital through the draining of lakes and the intensive exploitation of forests. The sources emphasize that industrial progress did not eliminate dependence on wood; on the contrary, it often increased its consumption in sectors such as mining and railroads. In conclusion, the paper proposes a regional and long-term approach that prioritizes the accumulation and coexistence of energy sources rather than mere technological substitution."

Alejandro Tortolero Villasenor  is history Professor at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Iztapalapa (México). His research focus on agrarian history and the economic history of natural resources in México. His books include De la Coa a la Máquina de Vapor: Actividad agrícola e Innovación Tecnológica en las Haciendas Mexicanas: 1880-1914 (1995), Notarios y agricultores. Crecimiento y atraso en el campo mexicano, 1780-1920 (2008), Penser avec des chiffres. Banque et investissements français au Mexique, 1880-1929 (2018).