A remarkable and unique experience

It was wonderful how the important people we met today, made time for us to inform us about the plans that the Secretary of Energy and Mining in Sao Paulo has for the future. As João Carlos Meirelles, the Secretary of Energy for the State of São Paulo introduced himself; he said something really interesting that caught my attention. It is important for young people like us to care and be aware of the benefits the use of renewable energy brings. I have felt many times, that young people are often ignored and not taken into account. However, this was not the case, this authentic experience started with being taken to a fancy conference room containing folders, plaques with our name and cold water. It was an honor for the members of the office to consider us and answer our questions.

I have never had experiences related to the energy sector, which is why this visit allowed me to understand the importance government bodies play in the transition to alternative energy in Brazil. The presentation grasped my attention; it showed statistics and information I don’t think it can be easily found, which is why I feel lucky I was part of it. As I have learned in my previous emerging markets courses, Brazil has already started a transition towards the development of renewable energy, which was mentioned in the presentation today. However, this shift, from non- renewable sources to alternative energy, is ensured with the use of natural gas as a raw material.

Sub secretary, Antonio Celso de Abreu Jr, summarized how wind power, sugarcane production and solar energy are the highest in the winter, and hydroelectricity is the highest in the summer. He talked about the forecasts for 2020 for biomass and hydroelectricity in the state of São Paulo, and how this renewables are expected to increase to 46% and 18% respectively. Another interesting fact explained was that the largest energy potential for São Paulo lays in the conversion of sugarcane into biomass energy. Brazil is already a leader in alternative energy holding 41.2 percent in renewables as of 2015. Brazil, and São Paulo is on the process of becoming energy independent, as well as São Paulo, which predicts to expand its renewables from 58 percent on 2015 to 70 percent by 2020. By the end of the presentation I was able to further comprehend the role of the Secretary of Energy for the State of São Paulo in encouraging the development of renewable energy in the energy matrix of the State.

This educational and unique visit is an experience I will never forget, not many people have had this opportunity, for which I feel really lucky I made the most of it. Hopefully, the members in the office found our group interesting and curious, so that other Northeastern students can also receive this remarkable experience in the future.

It is hard, but not impossible

After reading the text, I did some research on recent news articles about favelas, drug traffickers and police in Brazil. I found many news pieces that had headlines pertaining the impounding of drugs found in favelas by the police, or Elite Special Forces. One of the articles I found depicted a picture of the confiscated drugs found in da favela do Monsenhor a few weeks ago, with the emblem of the police who found it. 

I am now curious to know if these news articles are staged performances created by police illegitimacy in favelas, or if they are actual heroic and successful invasions.

There is a problem of misinformation concerning the confrontation between favela’s drug traffickers and police. This distortion that easily spreads around social media portrays BOPE as courageous and brave heroes who put themselves in danger for the well being of society. However, what citizens don’t know is that many times, news about BOPE officers confiscating drugs in favelas are arranged.

Police have two sides to them, they are portrayed to society as admirable individuals who have as a duty to protect life and property, detect and apprehend offenders, and help those in need of assistance. It is only favela’s habitants who see their other side. Brutal, corrupt and violent is what the text describes BOPE to be. This idea is supported by an article I found published by the Investigation and Analysis of Organized Crime in Brazil on May of 2016. A recent survey found favela dwellers in Rio de Janeiro are more afraid of police than illegal militias and drug traffickers. The results of the survey indicate that the liberal use of violence by police forces has eroded a lack of trust in law enforcement by favela residents in Rio de Janeiro.  Everyday life in favelas, such as El Dorado, is filled with structural and physical violence. Lethal force towards favela residents is behind high levels of police distrust among favela residents.

There is an institutional image that is set into motion during invasions, as the text explains. Where state and police legitimacy are determined according to geography. Corruption and bribery in the favelas also engenders fear among its inhabitants. This has led for police actions to be seen as illegitimate in the eyes of favela residents.

There is no protection being provided by the state creating undesirable living situations, where people live in constant fear. Hopefully favelas can enter into the eyes of the state, where the needs of its inhabitants can be recognized and acknowledged. I know it is extremely hard for the state and favelas to work towards a culture of peace, however, it is not impossible.

My Future Plans

The last time I learned information related to the different types of energy, was in high school when I was 16 years old. I never thought I would encounter the topic again because I knew I wasn’t interested in pursuing a career in the energy sector. However, throughout the course of this trip I have learned that no matter what our interests are, the use of renewable energy concerns us all.

I try to practice an earth-friendly lifestyle and mean to get involved in simple processes that contribute to environmental wellness. I avoid the use of water bottles, try to take my own cloth bags when I go grocery shopping, try to print only what is necessary, separate my trash and recycle as much as I can. However, these couple of weeks in Brazil, have made me realize that there are more impactful ways to contribute to the well being environment other than doing tiny and easy everyday techniques.

I know it is currently not possible for me to invest in technologies used in alternative energy. However, it is part of my future plan to get involved in alternative energy systems. I have been thinking of ways in which my major relates to alternative and renewable energy technologies, and there are thousands of ways in which economics can be applied to the growth and development of renewable energy.

This trip has also made me realize that one of the reasons why Brazil is in the process of becoming a developed economy and has acquired potential to powerfully compete with developed nations, is for its investment on its current energy resources. The use of alternative energy not only helps and benefits the environment, but it also has a positive relationship with economic development. I am very interested in the topic, and plan to do further research on the use of renewable energy and its technologies, to implement these ideas in places like my country, where there is a desperate need for the use of renewable energy mainly due to the fast rainforest depletion caused by oil extraction.

As said before, there are everyday techniques one can do to help the environment, however the investment in alternative energy technologies could dramatically change the well being of our planet. Which is why in the future I plan to get involved with the use of renewable energy, which is infinite. I am certain that in the future, renewable energy will become competitive, and that other sources will be fighting for market share against renewable power.

Our visits to multiple renewable energy sites as well as the Alternative Energy course allowed me to understand and comprehend the importance of energy resources and their impact on sustainability. I am looking forward to the visit of the city of Curitiba again. However, this time I will be looking at it from the perspective of sustainability and its worldwide known urban plan.

Understanding Brazilian Culture

Sérgio Buarque de Holanda’s “Roots of Brazil” focuses on helping readers understand the national and regional identities that were common in Latin America during the 21^st century. The text also looks at the multiple cultural influences, like those of Europeans colonists, Africans, etc., that have shaped Brazil. The book seeks to make readers comprehend the complexity of Brazilian society and use it as manual in order to distinguish Brazilians from other nations. The text also explains how Brazil became more peaceful, successful and stable after independence, and that political agreements are games, and their rules are subject to change.

The “cordial man”, a Brazilian character in the text, is heavily influenced by Portuguese traditions. He represents the idea overcoming restraints and of compromise. Through him, readers are able to understand major characteristics of Brazilians, such as being ruled by the heart and emotion when making decisions. The concept of “personalismo” is very important when analyzing Brazilian society. The author suggests that Brazilians consider relationships and the values that come with them very powerful and important. The text states that Brazilians hold this cultural trait, where they value personal relationships over institutional relationships, status and material gain.

The “cordial man” explains how Brazilians are very people oriented, and where family ties are more important than institutional links. The concept of “personalismo” explained by the “cordial man“ also highlights the importance of collectivism in the Brazilian society. One is able to observe the importance of teamwork in Brazil’s national sport, soccer. Brazilian soccer players are said to play with “ginga”. I have been watching soccer games for my entire life since it is a popular sport all throughout South America, and Brazilian soccer players do have something no other athletes have. “Ginga” refers to a rhythm, form of movement and fluidity that comes naturally to them. It is said to be a combination of samba and capoeira, two other important cultural elements in Brazilian culture. “Ginga” is not like mechanical soccer, but is the flow of the ball where players coordinate naturally with their teammates as if they were dancing with the ball. Concepts like materialism and egoism all have something to do with individualism, and sports like basketball is the best manifestation of it. On the other hand, Brazilians enjoy playing soccer and are aware that soccer teams cannot rely on one player, and that the teams performance depends on all of the players involved.

I decided to do some research in order to support the argument stated in the text where Brazil is said to be a collectivist society rather than an individualistic one. According to Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions framework, Brazilian society, since birth, are integrated into strong, cohesive groups. Also, Brazil’s score for individualism is 38, a very low number compared to that of the United States being 91. This being said, Brazil has a high degree of interdependence between the members of society.In my opinion, the elements and concepts found in this text still remain alive and will continue to educate generations in the future about Brazilian society.

Visit to Tonon Bioenergy Plant

BRIC stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China, five countries considered to have major emerging national economies. As a student minoring in Emerging Markets, coming to this trip has been incredibly beneficial because I have experienced first hand Brazil’s potential in the energy sector. Brazil is already a leader in renewable energy and it is on the process of becoming energy independent. Visiting the ethanol plant today and obtaining real-world exposure allows me to comprehend the reasons why Brazil is a dominant country in the energy industry.

Ecuador, my home country, has several ethanol plants that I have visited before on school trips, so I thought I knew what to expect from the trip. However, upon arrival to the Tonon Bionergy plant, I was surprised and astounded by the size of the infrastructure. Brazil is the world’s largest sugarcane ethanol producer and pioneer in using ethanol as a motor fuel, so no wonder the plant was of this magnitude. It was also surprising to me to see that the plant not only produced ethanol, but also biogas and raw sugar, which we were able to taste.

Honestly, I was not aware of the existence of the sugarcane ethanol fuel. Which is why when I came back after the plant I decided to do some research on its environmental impact.  This alcohol-based fuel produced by the fermentation of sugarcane juice, is clean, low carbon bio- fuel and reduces the dependence on oil. It is also affordable and has reduced Brazil’s emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 300 million tons since 2003. Sugarcane ethanol has emerged as a leading renewable fuel for the transportation sector (SugarCarne.org). As I was doing some research on ethanol producers in Brazil, I came across a very interesting article published in May of 2016 by Fabiana Batista on Bloomberg, about how a gasoline tax increase in Brazil would be beneficial for ethanol producers. Gasoline and ethanol are substitute goods because they satisfy the same purpose, which is fuel for transportation. For this reason, as the price of gasoline increases, the demand for ethanol will increase. Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles is considering raising the  Cide tax on gasoline prices to reduce the nation’s widening fiscal deficit. A potential increase in the Cide tax on gasoline to 0.60 real a liter (17 cents) from 0.10 real (3 cents) would raise demand and increase ethanol prices by as much as 25 percent according to Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, technical director at industry group Utica. Therefore, ethanol plants, like Tonon Bioenergy Plant, would divert more sugarcane to making biofuel rather than sugar.

I’m sure Brazil is used as a case study by countries who wish to expand their use of renewable energy. Our trip to the ethanol plant, and all of our other visits, have allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of Brazil as an emerging market and its capacity to compete with developed countries. It is very exciting to experience everything that I have been learning in class this past semester about Brazil, and actually see why it is distinguished by its economic potential capable of dominating, along with other countries, the future global economic growth and development.

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