Time and Space of Environmental Destruction: Critical Approaches to Hydro Power Plant Resistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Time and space, as we know them in our daily lives, are not scientifically proven categories. It seems intuitive to assume that concepts that rule our daily lives (like clocks, calendars, and maps), must be grounded in some kind of solid reality; but they are not. Both time and space are ideologically constructed categories that are a product of capitalist logic. Every single phenomenon is immersed in the time-space matrix. Capitalism's ability to control time and space results in our inability to swiftly change issues that are produced by the economic system itself. One such issue is climate change. Even most modest projections of the changes in weather and sea levels are pointing to a disastrous future, and the effort to mitigate efforts to mitigate the issue is incredibly slow and ineffective. One such effort is the hydropower plant (HPP) projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In an attempt to switch from coal-fueled energy to renewable sources, Bosnia is planning and implementing an astonishing amount of HPPs on its rivers. The consequence of HPPs has been mass destruction of riverbeds and local biosphere: unpredictable water flows, deforestation, and pollution just to name a few. The narrative that HPPs are the solution to climate change is in a direct clash with the reality of natural destruction. This...