Journal | Lagoonscapes
Monographic journal issue | 4 | 1 | 2024
Research Article | Haunted Sicilian Landscapes: Orazio Labbate Petrovisions and the Italian Energy Hubris
Haunted Sicilian Landscapes: Orazio Labbate Petrovisions and the Italian Energy Hubris
Abstract
This paper explores the socio-environmental implications of energy extraction and production in Gela, Sicily. It examines narratives surrounding oil encounters and the manipulation of social and environmental consciousness by national energy companies. Two toxic narratives are examined: the formation of petrofictions and the use of myths and eco-efficiency rhetoric for greenwashing, drawing on environmental and energy humanities perspectives. Through a critical analysis of Orazio Labbate’s novel Suttaterra, the paper explores the trauma induced by encounters with oil and environmental conflicts documented in Sicilian landscapes. It also examines the manipulation of public perception by national energy companies through mythological storytelling, using the example of Eni’s offshore gas exploration project in Sicily. The paper points to the urgent need for a transition to sustainable energy practices and calls for greater environmental and energy justice in the region.
Submitted: April 10, 2024 | Accepted: June 14, 2024 | Published July 24, 2024 | Language: en
Keywords Sicily • Toxic narratives • Petrofictions, Environmental justice • Energy
Copyright © 2024 Claudia Lombardo. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/LGSP/2785-2709/2024/01/008
