" Landscapes of Energies " Editorial for a Special Issue of Landscape Research Guest Editors

Now that the curtain is falling on the era of cheap oil we are reminded once again of the vital role of energy for our existence. Even God appears to have understood the key role of energy, for according to the bible, upon creating the heavens and the earth, God’s second act of creation was to switch the light on (Genesis 1:1-3), providing a vital energy service in advance of anticipated future demand. The value of energy is of course recognised well beyond the realms of science and religion. Shifts in patterns of energy generation, control and use are very closely linked to power relations, including conquest and submission, expressed in ideology, enacted in governance and embedded in national, collective and individual identities. Lenin equated communism with electrification; Franco -and many a dictatorial regime sincesought to symbolise the virtue of his regime through the development of hydropower. The restoration of national pride and political independence of post-war France was expressed through nuclear power. The big car economy lies at the heart of the American dream and national identity – something that Hitler was perhaps hoping to emulate with his support for the Autobahn and Volkswagen. In short, the use of energy in human society, expressed by the practices through which it is harnessed, transported and consumed, has always played a key role in the structuring of identities, territories and landscapes.