Extended along the western coast of South America sits Chile, a country placed between the world’s deepest ocean, the Pacific, and the longest mountain chain, the Andes. This geographic predicament has left Chile vulnerable to devastating earthquakes due to the tectonic instability of the region. In addition to an unstable natural environment, societal and political instability have also plagued Chile’s past including the incident of a violent coup overthrowing the Marxist government in 1973. This resulted in years of rule under a dictatorship until 1989 when democracy was restored (“Chile Facts”). Like many other Latin American countries, Chile has faced plenty of obstacles and continues to deal with problems. However, recent efforts have
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This $1.1 billion project demonstrates the dedication of the move toward renewable energy sources in Chile. The main tower of the solar plant is over 200 meters tall and surrounded by 10,600 mirrors reflecting sunlight toward the solar receiving tower. Although this is not the biggest solar power plant in the world, it is the first in South America. Chile’s geographic advantages have made it a perfect location for the beginning of South America’s move toward solar energy due to its vast wilderness, intense sunlight, and access to salt deposits to drive turbines through the night. With both the salt and sunlight coming from Chile, the plant is not subject to international predicaments because it does not rely on imports to maintain power. The marginal costs of the plant also offer benefits as it is already even with the costs of natural gas and cheaper than powering with coal …show more content…
Currently, the average monthly pension is $315 while the monthly minimum salary is $384. Due to this low pension income, many people have been forced to continue working past the retirement age. The severity of this problem led to 1.3 million people organizing to protest the current privatized pension system throughout Chile in August of 2016. Demonstrators looked to move the government toward a pension system that provides more state participation in saving to create livable wages for retirees
This $1.1 billion project demonstrates the dedication of the move toward renewable energy sources in Chile. The main tower of the solar plant is over 200 meters tall and surrounded by 10,600 mirrors reflecting sunlight toward the solar receiving tower. Although this is not the biggest solar power plant in the world, it is the first in South America. Chile’s geographic advantages have made it a perfect location for the beginning of South America’s move toward solar energy due to its vast wilderness, intense sunlight, and access to salt deposits to drive turbines through the night. With both the salt and sunlight coming from Chile, the plant is not subject to international predicaments because it does not rely on imports to maintain power. The marginal costs of the plant also offer benefits as it is already even with the costs of natural gas and cheaper than powering with coal …show more content…
Currently, the average monthly pension is $315 while the monthly minimum salary is $384. Due to this low pension income, many people have been forced to continue working past the retirement age. The severity of this problem led to 1.3 million people organizing to protest the current privatized pension system throughout Chile in August of 2016. Demonstrators looked to move the government toward a pension system that provides more state participation in saving to create livable wages for retirees