Brazil 2018: A renewable energy revolution
I am very excited to be traveling to Brazil. This will be the fourth continent I have been to, after having been to Africa, Europe, and of course, North America. I did not anticipate getting to travel to South America at this point in my life, but I am looking forward to getting to see a new geography, and experience a completely new culture. I anticipate that Brazil will have a very relaxed, fun culture. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about the country is soccer and beaches. Beach soccer? Maybe. I feel like the climate of a country is very influential to the culture and lifestyle there. What it is like outside affects how people work, play, and relax. That’s why people in New England are so stuffy and uptight and Californians are relaxed and easygoing. So I imagine that in Brazil, a country with lush tropical rainforest and beautiful beaches, people are generally relaxed. I am picturing a pleasant 7 hour workday, then evenings relaxing and drinking beer in the sun. Maybe I’m idealizing, but it sounds pretty nice. I think that because of this people will be friendly and easygoing. I hope so. That will make it much easier to talk to strangers.
This won’t be my first time in a country where I don’t know the language, and the culture is foreign to me. I have been to Uganda twice, and as a white person there I could not have stuck out more like a sore thumb. I also had no grasp of the language. I can’t imagine being in Brazil will be any worse than that. Whenever I travel, I do my best to blend in and not give away myself as a foreigner. This usually means not talking loudly in English everywhere, or obnoxiously blocking traffic in a busy market, or taking photos of literally every little thing. Being conscious about my actions and how they differ from those around me helps me to learn the differences in culture, and helps me to figure out how I can engage with other people in a natural, comfortable way. I am looking forward to doing this in Brazil, by trying to find a community of people who like to do the things that I do. For example, I really like biking. Last summer, when I was in Italy, a friend and I decided to rent bikes and go for a ride out of the city. This opportunity allowed me to go somewhere a tourist typically wouldn’t, gave me a different perspective than taking a bus or walking, and I had a great conversation with the lady who rented us the bikes. We got recommendations from her about her favorite places to see in the city. By finding common ground with people of other cultures, it’s easier to connect with them as fellow humans with a mutual interest, instead of only seeing someone who speaks a completely different language. I plan to do this with the places I travel in Brazil.
In respect to the content of the course, I am very excited to learn about renewable energy. As an environmental engineering student, I rarely get to learn about energy or directly think about the impacts of climate change. Most of our curriculum is geared around issues of water and pollution. Electricity is a little scary to most civil and environmental engineers, so we tend to avoid thinking about the topic. Some topics that I am interested in regarding alternative energy include:
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before the Flood was a really great look at some of the issues and work that has been going into addressing climate change. I had been meaning to watch this documentary for a while, but never got a chance to until now. Many people have doubted a celebrity’s ability to contribute to meaningful discussion on climate change, but I thought that his presentation of the issues was excellent. I don’t know who else would be better to talk to such figures as the Secretary-General of the UN, the President of the United States, leaders in industrial innovation, the Pope, and renowned scientists and professors. He helped to facilitate discussion, amplifying the voices of people who may not have the same eloquence or charisma that he does. The picture he paints of climate change is bleak: it is causing massive extinction of species, global alterations to climate patterns, disruptions of human homes, increased frequency of extreme storm events, and will impact already stressed food and water supplies. Without a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, these problems will compound and leave the planet in a state of devastation. While this film may not have been the most technically informative, it presented the case for climate action in a way that almost anyone can comprehend. After watching it I, for one, feel motivated to get up and do something to address this problem of our generation in the best way that I can. This Dialogue is going to be an excellent start.
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| Do Brazilians even wear shirts?? I doubt it. |
This won’t be my first time in a country where I don’t know the language, and the culture is foreign to me. I have been to Uganda twice, and as a white person there I could not have stuck out more like a sore thumb. I also had no grasp of the language. I can’t imagine being in Brazil will be any worse than that. Whenever I travel, I do my best to blend in and not give away myself as a foreigner. This usually means not talking loudly in English everywhere, or obnoxiously blocking traffic in a busy market, or taking photos of literally every little thing. Being conscious about my actions and how they differ from those around me helps me to learn the differences in culture, and helps me to figure out how I can engage with other people in a natural, comfortable way. I am looking forward to doing this in Brazil, by trying to find a community of people who like to do the things that I do. For example, I really like biking. Last summer, when I was in Italy, a friend and I decided to rent bikes and go for a ride out of the city. This opportunity allowed me to go somewhere a tourist typically wouldn’t, gave me a different perspective than taking a bus or walking, and I had a great conversation with the lady who rented us the bikes. We got recommendations from her about her favorite places to see in the city. By finding common ground with people of other cultures, it’s easier to connect with them as fellow humans with a mutual interest, instead of only seeing someone who speaks a completely different language. I plan to do this with the places I travel in Brazil.
In respect to the content of the course, I am very excited to learn about renewable energy. As an environmental engineering student, I rarely get to learn about energy or directly think about the impacts of climate change. Most of our curriculum is geared around issues of water and pollution. Electricity is a little scary to most civil and environmental engineers, so we tend to avoid thinking about the topic. Some topics that I am interested in regarding alternative energy include:
- Economics of renewables: Amory Lovins talked about how these technologies will pay for themselves many times over, and the return on investment for renewables greatly outcompetes fossil fuels. What are the numbers to support this? And if it’s true, why has there not been more of a rush towards these technologies?
- Environmental justice: What are the ethical implications of the US being such a massive consumer of fossil fuels? Do developing countries have a right to cheap fossil fuels? Are we morally justified in telling other nations that they can’t provide power to people in need when our growth has been fueled by carbon?
- Sustainable policies: Amory Lovins promised fossil fuel independence without government policy. Can this actually be achieved? What government programs and policies are necessary to accelerate this shift? Will we ever achieve our goals without a carbon tax? Can a carbon tax ever be feasibly enacted?
- Renewable technologies: What is the current state of technology for renewables? Where can there be increases in efficiency or decreases in cost? How can we scale technologies to provide microgrid solutions, as well as to power massive cities? Is complete fossil fuel independence possible given current technology? If not, what breakthroughs or research is necessary to make this feasible?
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| Never would have happened if all the ice caps were gone... |
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before the Flood was a really great look at some of the issues and work that has been going into addressing climate change. I had been meaning to watch this documentary for a while, but never got a chance to until now. Many people have doubted a celebrity’s ability to contribute to meaningful discussion on climate change, but I thought that his presentation of the issues was excellent. I don’t know who else would be better to talk to such figures as the Secretary-General of the UN, the President of the United States, leaders in industrial innovation, the Pope, and renowned scientists and professors. He helped to facilitate discussion, amplifying the voices of people who may not have the same eloquence or charisma that he does. The picture he paints of climate change is bleak: it is causing massive extinction of species, global alterations to climate patterns, disruptions of human homes, increased frequency of extreme storm events, and will impact already stressed food and water supplies. Without a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, these problems will compound and leave the planet in a state of devastation. While this film may not have been the most technically informative, it presented the case for climate action in a way that almost anyone can comprehend. After watching it I, for one, feel motivated to get up and do something to address this problem of our generation in the best way that I can. This Dialogue is going to be an excellent start.
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