chilecentral.cl

Lost in traducción

2008-08-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

“I think I’ll have the Crazy Man, in order to itch,” said Gary. “Do you have a preference?”

“Hmn, the simple table cold looks good, but I’m going straight for a Back to the Poor Man,” I replied, scanning the menu in case there was anything else that grabbed my attention.

The meal names did make perfect sense in Spanish, but were much better in translation, which is why we had come back to this restaurant for a second time. (Locos y machas, para picar, y lomo a la pobre, in case you were wondering). Fantastic translations can be found anywhere in Chile. It’s what happens when someone with all the best intentions uses a translation tool online, and literally gets what they asked for.

Chile lacks qualified and skilled native English speakers and writers. While many people whose first language is English set themselves up as teachers or translators, it is not enough to simply have grown up speaking the language. There can be an element of arrogance amongst people who speak English as a first language, assuming that as they speak the language better than most non-native speakers, they have the necessary skills to manipulate the language for the marketplace.

Native speakers who lack commercial writing experience and ability are responsible for the plethora of direct translations in the likes of tourism brochures. Direct translations result in gems like “Come and enjoy the marvellous views and meet here your destinies.”

Good translation is about conveying the meaning and the tone, not just the words. It requires people with writing talent and relevant market experience. The language is just the start.

Unfortunately, the problem exists at all levels. I’m baffled as to how the embarrassing slogan for ProChile (Chile's Export Promotion Bureau) “Chile: All Ways Surprising” made it past the brainstorming level into actual use. It now appears to be gently slipping away and I really hope Chile finds better advisors for the next attempt. The country doesn’t just need English, it needs good English.

http://www.chilecentral.cl/comms_eng.html

The Energy-hungry Economy

2008-07-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

President Bachelet announced recently a series of measures designed to mitigate the effects of elevated costs of food and energy prices. These rises in commodity prices she says, were a global phenomenon due to higher interest rates, and that these external influences naturally affect Chile and Chileans.

Well, that does sound reasonable in this time of energy price volatility and economic downturn; measures may temporarily mitigate the strain for the average Chilean family. We have heard of "negative growth" and market volatility from all sides, however to categorize the local effects as due to external events tells only half the story.

Chile imports virtually all of its combustible fuel. A large part of the electricity generation is thermal and therefore subject to these external pressures. Growth doesn't happen without energy. A country that wants to continue growing at 5% a year while leaving itself entirely vulnerable to the vagueries and instability of world energy markets needs to think again.

As we begin to see what the peak in global oil production looks like more closely, every nation needs to rethink its energy policy. It's not only growth that is affected by energy prices, but also the ability to go about changing the energy infrastructure itself, to diversify and strengthen supply. There is an immediate need for Chile to formulate an energy strategy with a significant timeline, of some 50 years. Policy needs to address tariffs to encourage the diversification of supply, and to actively focus on the future energy-economy to protect development.

President Bachelet's recent visit to California focusing on solar energy is encouraging. So too is the recent announcement of solar energy courses in tertiary learning institutions. However there is still a disconnect; the daily press releases talk of short term "packages" to offset a local situation brought about by external interest rates, but where is mention of the underlying driver of all this? Let's stop talking about external trends and take the responsibility to do what is necessary to ensure national energy security in Chile.

The big picture is this: the world has serious supply trouble. Chile as an energy-dependent country has serious growth problems if it can't find alternative sources. We must ask ourselves, how long will it take to make the transition from dependence to a restructured econonomy based on renewables? The answer to this could be the difference between the continued improvement in development and equity for Chileans, or a slide back down to the Chile of 20 years ago.

More on http://www.chilecentral.cl/energy_eng.html

Demanda Máxima en Argentina

2008-07-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's amazing the change a few kilometres can make. A recent trip to Argentina shone new light on the energy situation here in Chile.

Of course, we're neighbours and share at least some things in common; the chocolate and küchen of the South, the snow, but also a keen sense of where we find ourselves in terms of energy, or the lack thereof.

The first shock was that foreign-registered vehicles must pay a surcharge on the fuel they purchase. Discrimination by vehicle: ironic as my camioneta was assembled in Argentina and I am neither a Chilean or Argentine national. The plates were the deciding factor.
This didn't bode well for a trip at the height of the "new energy crisis", a week in late June 2008 which had seen heavy losses on all major exchanges, spikes in the price per barrel and a continued slide in the value of the US dollar.

Back to küchen, and the next morning in a balmy centrally-heated coffee shop, I looked over the local papers to get a sense of the situation over this side of the Andes. Of course we had the front-of-section headlines discussing the trends I mention above, but the most concerning information was from a regional paper "Río Negro".

Entitled "Admiten que la demanda energética está al máximo" (They Admit Energy Demand at a Maximum) the article discussed the highest registered consumption of electricity recorded, at some 19,300 MW in 24 hours. Minister of Fedral Planning Julio de Vido's response was immediately to announce that in times of crisis there is no need to consult with, nor gain authorization from Chile to use the energy destined for their consumption. As Vido remarked on Radio 10: "We don't have to ask their permisson for anything."

This rhetoric, while perhaps serving the immediate purpose of quelling polemic - reassuring the nation that they will be taken care of first - was also an immediate swipe at foreign relations. Argentina and Chile have had a seemingly cordial but nevertheless troubled relationship regarding energy. Or maybe that is putting it too lightly. Although there is little top-level public debate, both countries are entwined in a severe energy crisis and need to collaborate to survive it. While Bachelet talks of fiscal measures to offset external market conditions and Vido assures that Argentina won't go down first, where is the common dialogue?

South America it seems is only just now slowly pushing back the popular man-in-the-street hostilities and rivalries that neighbours tend to have. Chile celebrates its naval victories against Peru and Bolivia, leaders like to show the world they can bicker in public assembly - evidenced by Colombia's bombing of FARC in Ecuador, the "por qué no te callas" of Chavez vs Rey Carlos de España - then there is the football... Mercosur has been a slow union. And so it is in the political arena with the energy debate.

Chilean company AER Gerer runs the thermoelectric gas plant at Salta, supplying both the Argentinian grid (SADI) and Chile's Northern (SING) grid via a 345kV transmision line. The trans-Andean natural gas duct constructed at enourmous cost which supplies gas from Argentina to Chile is subject to restriction when deemed in the interest of the supplier. Although the supply to Chile represents a very small percentage of Argentina's domestic use, it is clear that Chile has little negotiating weight in times of crisis. The "it's ours" attitude serves only for sound bites in regional newspapers and does nothing for energy policy for either country.

We must look for a common solution to energy security. In the overly gas-heated coffee shops and hotels of San Martín de Los Andes it is hard not to wonder how much an energy-efficiency campaign in this country would benefit Chile. In the end both Chile and its neighbour have the same problem, it will be the same crisis and the security of both coutries is under threat. Instead of the "football" mentality we need to set joint goals that benefit each other. Policy must be clear. Argentine energy consumption is a Chilean problem.

Back in Pucón in the not-so-warm coffee and küchen shops, heated by woodburning stoves, the luxury that gas has brought Argentina's quality of living is clear. The need to start rationalising energy use and planning for the future was even clearer.

Renewable, Sustainable Energy in Chile

2008-06-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

We set up chilecentral.cl to contribute to the sustainable development of Chile’s infrastructure in a time of great change and progress for the country. Possibly the area of most importance during this time, and in fact for this generation of Chileans, is the procurement of reliable, clean and secure energy.
Recently electricity supply has been pushed to keep up with demand, due - on the surface - to drought conditions and the dramatic rise in the price of oil. The local supply issues have been playing out against a background of global production constraints and skyrocketing prices. The energy supply issues are in turn affecting projected national growth. As a net energy importer and with a necessity to quickly grow electricity generation there is clear potential and need for the development of renewable energy infrastructure in Chile.

With abundant hydro, eolic and solar resources, and its classification as potential recipient country of Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs), Chile is well-placed to develop regulatory and market conditions to foster investment in this sector. Over the last couple of years we have seen some recognition of the issue, with several CDM feasibility studies underway, significant private investment and the signing of a law requiring investment in non-conventional energy sources.

At chilecentral.cl we aim to contribute to the debate over Chile's energy security, foment the use of renewables on both local and national levels and support the related policy required to create conditions for this uptake.

Of significant national interest and media attention is the US$2.5 billion HydroAysén Project, a 2750MW dam project which has received considerable public opposition. While potentially generating some 25% of Chile’s electricity requirements and consolidating further the ownership of the country’s electrical generation, such a project would come with a considerable environmental cost.

Chile might benefit from a broader approach whereby localized small-scale renewable projects input to the grid. This approach grows the supply market locally, creating employment and maintaining expertise while avoiding the impact of larger conventional hydro.

Let us know what you think.

Bachelet's Berkeley Speech

2008-06-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

It was promising to see the Webcast of President Bachelet's speech at Berkeley this week. Not only did she recognise Chile's dependence of up to 70% on foreign energy resources, but she highlighted the need to meet future demand through renewable resources. In particular mining, as a large consumer of energy should be the target of local renewable supply initiatives.

Bachelet's speech makes clear her administration's desire to aim for a 15% renewable energy contribution to the country's energy needs. The Berkely visit focused on solar energy and collaboration between Chile and the State of California, a leader in renewable energy.

More on www.chilecentral.cl