This article analyzes the environmental deterioration of forest resources resulting from the introduction of technical innovations in street lighting in the mid-19th century. It shows how, in the 1850s, the growing use of turpentine, obtained by distilling the natural resin secreted by some tree species, replaced the burning of animal fats and oils in street lamps. This change had a damaging impact on the forests of the volcano La Malintzi, which towers above the two cities.
