Autor do Arquivo
Brazil has the second largest coral reef in the world
30.10.09 - 9:43 | Categorias: Ecoblogs Network, Plants, Preservation

People who live along the coast of Alagoas say this over and over, proudly: “See that coral reef? That coral reef is the second largest one in the world. It’s second only to Australia’s.” According to an Alagoas-born fisherman, who supplements his income by working as a tourist guide during his free time, the reef extends from the State of Bahia to the State of Maranhão.

I’ve traveled the entire coast of Alagoas, but spent more time in the northern portion of the State. I took a route known as “Ecologic Route” where the beaches are not so exploited for tourism. There, the color of the sea varies: aqua, emerald-green, baby-blue and sky-blue. It’s like the Caribbean, a total knockout!

Along the entire coast we can see, from the beach, the waves breaking at the ocean’s horizon. That indicates the location of the coral reefs. (The two photos above are from the same beach; the one on the top was taken during low tide.) When the tide is low, you can walk over the rocks near the corals and free-dive with snorkels. The water is no more than two meters deep. The “coral” shade mixes with the sky-blue color of the ocean
 it’s so beautiful that you could weep.

Some towns, like Japaratinga, have two coral reefs. One of them is near the beach so when the tide is low you can get there by foot—see the boats aground in the photo on the right. The other one is approximately two kilometers away. If you don’t feel like swimming, the fishermen can take you there during their free time. By the way, most of the boat cruises I took during my trip were fruit of this arrangement. The fishermen admit that they make more money with tourists than fishing.

I took this marvelous photo at Croa Island—a sandbank with rocks and corals—where we met an octopus fisherman. He was less than 18 years old and told us that a kilo of octopus was sold for R$12. He would swim to the Island, which is approximately two kilometers away from the beach, catch the octopuses and swim his way back. “There are no jobs in this region, we need to live of the sea,” he said.

In my opinion, two must-see places are: São Miguel dos Milagres and Japaratinga. Set aside three days for each one of these towns, it’s worth it.

The future of Coruripe

Coruripe is a modest little town located south of Maceio. Its inhabitants live of tourism, fishing and commerce. Besides its wonderful emerald-green sea, the coolest thing about the town is that Coruripe’s coral reef is very close to the beach. When the tide is low, the sea creates natural pools. You can see sea creatures without going deep into the water.

Recently, after returning from the trip, I read that a shipyard—which will manufacture ships and oil platforms—in being built in the town. See the article here. I don’t know the project details, so I can’t make any comments. I just think that, for the sake of our economic development, we need shipyards and industrial plants. But that area is so beautiful…

What you didn’t know about the archeology of the Amazon region
27.10.09 - 12:47 | Categorias: Ecoblogs Network

A while ago, I received a book from the publishing house Jorge Zahar Editor. It is called “Arqueologia da AmazĂŽnia” (Archeology of the Amazon Region) and was written by researcher Eduardo GĂłes Neves. I started reading it yesterday, in the wee hours, and devoured it in one sitting. The book is interesting. It summarizes and contextualizes the archeology of the Amazon region as well as other important information, and it includes all of the countries that comprise the region.

According to the author, one of the purposes of the book is to use historical information to help to solve the region’s occupation problem. After all, unlike many people believe, the Amazon region was heavily populated in the past. Communities from entirely different cultures used to cohabit there. Some of them were agriculture-based or got their food from several sources, like farming or hunting. Others had networks of towns connected by roads while others were traders.

The occupation is ancient… one of the most remote archaeological sites in the region-located in the valley of the Guapore River, State of Mato Grosso-dates from 12,000 BC. We still have a lot to uncover and find out about our country’s past. In addition, we need to prevent the pillage and the smuggling activities that are taking place in the region, possibly on a weekly basis. According to the book, the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab) is pressuring archeologists and public authorities to protect the area. To find out more and help, I selected some of the facts included in the book. I need to share them:

  • The occupation of the Amazon region, both in terms of space and time, was never uniform.
  • Contemporary cities such as SantarĂ©m, Manaus, Manacapuru and TefĂ© were built on top of large archaeological sites;
  • In the estuary and coastal areas, they identified sites with some of South America’s oldest pottery;
  • The languages spoken in the Amazon basin belong to at least four different families: tupi-guarani, arawak, carib and gĂȘ. In Europe, for example, with the exception of the languages that were introduced from Africa and Asia, there is only one major linguistic family, the Indo-European;
  • The planet’s climate has been changing for thousands of years and so has the Amazon forest. From 10,000 and 8,000 BC, the climate and ecologic conditions in the Amazon region were similar to today’s;
  • The indigenous domesticated-a process that preceded farming-a series of plants, such as pineapple, peanut, papaya, cassava and peach-palm. Cassava and peach-palm were probably domesticated where the State of Rondonia is now;
  • With the domestication, some plants developed a mutual dependency in relation to human beings. For instance, some varieties of cassava are no longer able to set seeds by themselves so farmers need to break and plant their branches;
  • The Amazon soil is poor, but the areas known as “black dirt” are rich in nutrients and very valued by farmers. Archeologists believe that they result from the deposit of organic wastes generated by sedentary tribes thousands of years ago.

Note: Want to learn more about the Amazon region? I recommend the reading of the “A AmazĂŽnia nĂŁo Ă© virgem” and “Cientistas descobrem a idade do rio Amazonas” posts (in Portuguese). The latter was written by me for Blog do Planeta. For even more context, I also recommend the reading of the “Fique em dia com o planeta!” article, published in the iG website.

A brief story about a bad example of ecotourism
20.10.09 - 8:51 | Categorias: Ecoblogs Network

Fernando de Noronha’s highest point is called Morro do Pico. In the past, tourists were allowed to climb it to enjoy a view of the entire island. But then, some morons came up with a “brilliant” idea.

At the top of the hill, there is a lighthouse with a giant lens. This lighthouse is protected (?) by the air force. One day, air force officers noticed that the lighthouse wasn’t giving out as much light as it should. They sent somebody there to find out what was happening.

As he got there, the officer saw that the lens was covered with graffiti. Tourists had left messages on the lighthouse lens, such as: “I’ve been here on (date).” Or: “Joao loves Maria.” Or: “Mommy, here I am.”

The conclusion? Those tourists risked the lives of people aboard vessels. And… from that day on, the air force has forbidden non-authorized people from climbing Morro do Pico.

To find out more about Fernando de Noronha, check out the website maintained by the Government of Pernambuco and the Ilha de Noronha website.

Israel’s airport will be powered by solar energy
11.10.09 - 9:04 | Categorias: Ecoblogs Network

Ben Gurion International Airport, located in the outskirts of Tel Aviv (Israel) will be powered by solar energy. The pilot project includes the installation of panels along the airport to capture solar energy, and a system to transform it into electricity.

The unit will start its operations in 2010. In the beginning, it will be capable of generating 50 kilowatts. By implementing this system, Ben Gurion Airport will become more “ecologic” and save the equivalent to US$15 million per year in electricity. It will also make US$100,000 per year by selling the surplus energy. To find out more, read here, in English.

The tree that reforests is also the one that pollutes
07.08.09 - 11:48 | Categorias: Uncategorized

It’s an irony of faith. Usually, when you buy a little tree, the roots and the soil around it are held together by a black plastic bag. The seedlings used for reforestation also come “wrapped” in bags. Now, imagine how much plastic is thrown away after they are planted—the bags are not reused to hold new seedlings to avoid contamination.

With this in mind
 Scientists from the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCar) together with Corn Products Brasil and BASF have created an “ecologically correct” and rigid plastic that can be used to manufacture tubes for seedlings.

The new material is made with EcobrasTM—a BASF’s biodegradable and compostable plastic that contains a corn-based vegetal polymer—and vegetal fibers such as ground cassava bark and coconut fibers. The material decomposes when in contact with microorganisms present in the soil, generating water, CO2 and biomass.

According to Elias Hage JĂșnior, professor and coordinator of the project, this partnership between UFSCar and these multinational companies arises from the fact that EcobrasTM is a flexible material and can’t be used to manufacture sufficiently hard molded pieces. He says that the new compost can be used to manufacture any type of molded piece—the cassava bark provides rigidity and the fiber offers mechanical resistance, making the material less likely to rupture—meant to be disposable, such as package trays.

The first step of the project, responsible for adapting the use of the cassava bark and the coconut fiber was complete in the beginning of 2009. From now on, they need to optimize the process and improve the product. Then, it will have to be produced in large scale.

The idea is good. But there is a controversy. Some experts say that biodegradable plastic decomposes quickly because it breaks down into tiny pieces. This could pollute rivers. Others say that because the material “breaks down,” it is easily decomposed and safer for the environment. Oh my, I’m feeling so critical lately.

Mug, squeeze bottle and plastic container
24.06.09 - 12:32 | Categorias: Uncategorized

As the saying goes “A stitch in time saves nine.” So, people, get ready. It is not enough to take our own fabric bag when we go shopping at the drugstore or the supermarket. Thaís Horta, educator and coordinator of the A3P program in the city of Sao Paulo, said recently during a lecture that she refuses to drink coffee or water in plastic cups. The solution? She always carries a mug and a squeeze bottle in her purse.

If somebody offers her a drink in a plastic cup, Horta uses her super ceramic mug. The squeeze bottle, adopted by many people, is “used” to drink water. What does it have to do with the plastic container in the title? A-ha. When she goes to the bakery to buy cold meats, she takes her own plastic container!  By doing this, she avoids using plastic and paper that would end up in the garbage.

Girls, she gave a suggestion for our shower. Rinsing off hair conditioner requires a lot of water—especially if you have long hair, like myself. So
 Horta chooses leave-in hair products.  She said that this gives movement to her hair—and she sure had shining hair.

What is A3P

The Public Administration Environmental Agenda (A3P) is a program that seeks to implement good practices in public institutions in order to preserve the environment. Their actions range from implementing the use of recycled paper to checking the building’s pipes. Horta told us that Edificio Martinelli, a historical building located in downtown Sao Paulo, used to spend, per day, an amount of water that could fill 10 olympic-size swimming pools. After the remodeling, the building is saving R$100,000 Brazilian reals in their water bill. Another example of the A3P work: an amount equivalent to 10% of the Brazilian GDP is spent on government purchases. The government program stimulates the purchase of “green” products—less harmful to the nature. To find out more about the program, click here.

Note: I’ve just spotted, from my bedroom window, a flock of migratory birds flying towards the coast. How cute!

Tips on planting trees in cities
05.06.09 - 13:45 | Categorias: Uncategorized

I wrote a post for Blog do Planeta about the invading and exotic species found in the Atlantic Forest. I talked with Helena de Godoy Bergallo, a researcher at the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ). She pointed out some of the things that people do in the hopes to preserve the environment but that end up harming it. Things such as feeding stray dogs and letting pet cats walk across rooftops.

This conversation reminded me of the issue of urban trees. Since the Brazilian colonization, people have been planting trees from other regions of the country and the world in front of their houses and in their backyard. For example, the mango tree mentioned in the song—”when I step on dry leaves, fallen from a mango tree”—comes from Asia. However, years ago, it was chosen by our local government to decorate public streets. Find out more about the risks it poses on the post.

So, which trees can be used in urban areas? The endemic (native) species for the area in question, of course. But there’s a detail that is worth pointing out. My beloved Araucaria tree, for example, is native to the Atlantic Forest. However, it is no longer found in the Sao Paulo coast. So, it should not be planted on the seashore. Remember that the biome also has its particularities.

Yeah
 urbanization and landscaping are a little bit complex. Before planting your little seed or seedling, contact your local Secretariat of Environment. Get their help to select the right species. They can—and should—be able to give you a list of endemic species. Also, be aware of the urban technical requirements that must be observed should you decide to plant a tree on a sidewalk. In the city of Sao Paulo, it needs to be at least 1.20 meter wide. The tree should not get in the way of this measurement. I know that in practice


Well, I’m going to leave (below) some information related to trees in urban areas. Have fun:

  • Their size must be appropriate for the space available;
  • Preferably, their fruit should be small to avoid accidents;
  • The tree top should be compatible with the space available to avoid obstructing traffic and building facades;
  • On sidewalks, choose species with deep roots to avoid damaging the public pavement;
  • Choose pest and disease resistant species as the use of pesticides and fungicides is not recommended;
  • Be careful with power cables; with water, sewage and gas pipes, and with directional signs. Trees must not interfere or damage these public properties;
  • Make sure the trees do not interfere with the buildings’ natural and artificial lighting;
  • It’s best to avoid species with thorns along their trunks and branches;
  • Fallen leaves can clog gutters and sewers; therefore, prefer planting trees with small leaves.

Note: The government of the city of Sao Paulo has started a photography contest called “Árvores da Cidade de São Paulo.” See here: Anyone with a beautiful, poetic, conceptual photo or else, of a tree planted in this chaotic metropolis can participate. I’m going to enter my photos—I took the one below from my window. Kisses. Have a nice Friday.

The cleanest countries in the world
08.05.09 - 7:17 | Categorias: Uncategorized

Scientists from the American universities Columbia and Yale conducted a research to find out which are the cleanest countries in the world. In 2008, the countries awarded with the “best” Environmental Performance Index (EPI) were: Switzerland, with 95.5 points; Sweden and Norway, with 93.1 points each. The cleanest country in the Americas is Costa Rica. Brazil has the 34th spot in the world, and the 8th in the Americas.

The research analyzed 149 nations around the world. To reach their conclusions, the researchers monitored the following categories: environmental health, air pollution, water resources, biodiversity and habitat, productive natural resources and changes “in favor” of climate changes. You can find the full rank and more details for each of the six items here, in English.

But
 Come on
 The United Kingdom and Germany are right on top of the list. Should we talk about the amount of greenhouse effect gases released by Europe during the entire Industrial Age?

American forests can store twice as much carbon
13.04.09 - 11:46 | Categorias: Uncategorized

Aha! Scientists, usually international, are constantly claiming that tropical forests and oceans are the main means to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the contributors to global warming.

But
 researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States, and McGill University, Canada, found that temperate forests—such as those filled with pine trees, in North America—can store much more carbon then they used to think.

The researchers did a study comparing how much carbon was held by the forests of the state of Wisconsin. Despite the activities of the logging industry, they still hold approximately 2/3 of the carbon that used to circulate before the European settlement!

The researchers believe that those trees have the potential to store at least twice as much as they used to think. The research considered the carbon accumulated in tree trunks and crowns, without counting what was stored in roots and in the soil. The study has been published by PNA, an American scientific magazine.

In Europe and North America, tropical forests were exploited by the European and now they’ve been replaced by agriculture. Maybe this research will encourage reforestation practices and perhaps, make Americans and Europeans admit that they have played a direct role in the destruction of the environment, who knows?

“We often forget the invisible services, like climate regulation, that ecosystems provide to us for free, says Jeanine Rhemtulla, one of the researchers. “But this will need to change. We need to find ways to meet our immediate needs without compromising critical services over the long term,” she added. To learn more, click here and read the webpage of the American university. In English.

Note: The Diário de Pernambuco newspaper published an interesting piece about a Nasa research. The space agency simulated how Earth would be like without the ozone layer and found that our skin would be burnt within less than half an hour! Read here. And, oh
 On the 16th of April Xis-Xis will be moving to Scienceblogs Brasil! Just wait.

Ethanol from sugar cane releases 70% less carbon dioxide than gasoline
03.04.09 - 11:30 | Categorias: Uncategorized

Aha! After researching a lot on my own and listening to so many nice people’s explanations on this
 Here is a recent study conducted by researchers from Embrapa Agrobiologia. The study shows that, when used as a substitute to gasoline, sugarcane ethanol can decrease CO2 emissions by 73%. To reach this conclusion, researchers worked with data from the UN climate change panel and other field measurements.

The research considered the amount of greenhouse gases produced during each step—from soil preparation to planting to delivering the ethanol to gas stations. It also measured how much gas was emitted to produce and use fertilizers in the fields, build the alcohol plant, and manufacture machinery and tractors. The same was done for gasoline—the researchers considered all gas emissions from the time the oil is extracted until the fuel is burned in the car engines.

Then, they studied a gasoline-powered car while it covered a stretch of 100 kilometers and measured how much gas was released during this process. They also studied an ethanol-powered version of that same car. They found that the ethanol-powered model released 73% less CO2 than the model that ran on pure gasoline. When compared to diesel, there was a 68% reduction in the emissions. And, should farmers decide to stop burning sugar cane fields and mechanize the harvesting activity, ethanol could cut emissions by 82% and 78 % compared to gasoline and diesel, respectively.

Full details are available with the press relations office:

Although some people criticize the idea of increasing the use of land to produce sugar cane, the study shows that the amount of CO2 emissions that we can save by using ethanol instead of gasoline is much higher than any increase in CO2 emissions that may result from the change in the use of land to produce sugar cane. According to the research, one hectare of cane produces 4,420 kg of CO2 per year. The soy and corn crops that are being replaced by cane emit 1,160 kg, while pastures release 2,840 kg. On the other hand, one hectare of cane replaces 4,500 liters of gasoline whose combustion sends 16 tons of CO2 per year to the atmosphere. In conclusion, each hectare of cane that we transform into alcohol to replace gasoline saves 12 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Each kilogram of nitrogen that we use in the form of fertilizer releases 4.5 kilos of CO2 to the atmosphere, as a result of synthesis. Compared to other countries, however, Brazil uses less nitrogen-based fertilizers in their cane due to the crop’s ability to fixate the nitrogen available in the air through the action of the bacteria that live in the soil and inside the plant.

Note: Take a look at this cool article about science blogs posted at the CiĂȘncia Hoje website. This writer here was featured there!