| Abstrakt: |
This article will explore the need for archiving the rapidly expanding global wind energy sector. This task has not yet been undertaken systematically and is urgent as many of the pioneering actors are no longer active. An important initial task involves mapping, appraisal and surveying.The development of the global wind energy sector has massively expanded in scale and geographical reach over the last 40 years. This period closely coincides with the global shift from paper to digital records. The global wind energy sector is set to be an important industrial part of the transition away from fossil fuels, essential in addressing climate change. This transition process will still take many years to develop, and is likely to be very difficult, with many advances and setbacks occurring at different times and in different places. To evaluate progress along the way, it will be essential to preserve, access and interpret the historical records of the sector. It will be vital that historical records exist in the future in order to understand this transition.This co-authored article will draw on initial discussions between the three authors about how to understand this challenge and possible interventions. The article will draw on the co-authors’ combined experience in both the archival and records management sectors, the global wind energy sector specifically, the global energy sector more generally, and the archiving of the uses of wind energy for milling and pumping, with some material on wind-generated electricity. |
