Imagine going without light or electricity and light for nearly 3 days, at first it might seem like a trivial inconvenience. Then, your food nearly spoils, your phone runs out of battery, and during the night you can only see with a candle or flashlight. All of this because an intense thunderstorm hit your town.
What if it was not just you? What if it happened to your town and other surrounding towns? How would you react if this was the norm?
On the edge of Guerrero, Mexico there is a city called Olinalá. The small agricultural towns west of the city have been experiencing weather patterns that are undeniably a result of climate change.
A local farmer from the neighboring town recalls that it wasn’t always like this. According to her “now there is more wind when it rains”. It has become a common practice for residents to shut windows before the rain begins because oftentimes the wind is strong enough to slam open windows. The most frustrating part for all residents is when the thunderstorms cut both light and electricity for the town.
Just this week there have been 2 power outages for a single town that have lasted for days, it was clear that most residents were either frustrated or distressed. Some told us that they were bored and that on these types of days they went to bed earlier.
Others explained their worry for the lack of refrigeration and the costly effects it has on business, “the bottles of cream and pack of cheese went bad,” said a small store owner who had just bought these items the other day. Additionally the same store owner was more concerned about their packs of homemade masa, a dough made out of milled maize for tortillas, and wondered how long they would last without a freezer. “I milled two buckets of corn yesterday and placed bags of masa in a freezer, it will be a huge waste if the power does not return soon,” she says.
The lack of rainfall can be equally as harmful for everyone residing there given that it is an agricultural town. For the most part, the crops they plant, such as beans, maize, and pumpkins, make up a small portion of their income and most of their food for the year. However, many have noticed that the rainfall is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Just as there are days of intense thunderstorms there are also days of no water.
Another farmer tells us that there was one week where it did not rain at all and she was beginning to worry that their crop fields would dry out. It is a concern many have as there have been times where farmers were on the brink of losing entire fields due to droughts. The residents complain that the maize sold at markets can be expensive for them and it is in their best interest to continue growing their own food.
The town is no exception to raising temperatures that are so quintessential to climate change. Many have spoken up about the rising temperatures every year and much of the statistics are there to prove it. According to Metroblue and their climate change diagrams these following cities, towns, and municipalities have been experiencing rising temperatures:
- Olinalá
- Temalacatzingo
- San Lázaro
- Ahuacatlán
- Santa Cruz Lomalapa
- Zumpango
The current president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, affirmed her commitment to reducing greenhouse gases within the country. Her other plans like switching over to renewable energy and improving water management have helped her win the 2024 Mexican presidential election. The couple of residents we have spoken to hope that the current president will support them and that the changes she initiates will benefit them.
The Blindspot 