Who is Brazil?

I am lucky enough to have had the opportunity to travel to multiple countries in Latin America, and I have certainly fallen in love with the region as a result.  This past month has marked my first time in Brazil, but because of my previous experience in Latin America, I sort of felt before coming as if I already knew the answer to the question, “Who is Brazil?”  I have spent only a month in Brazil with somewhat limited cultural exposure, so I will attempt to answer that question while understanding that there is a whole lot that I still do not know much about when it comes to Brazilian culture and identity.

Much of my answer has to do with the same stereotypes as those outlined in this essay prompt: that Brazilians have in fact, proven to generally be very nice, welcoming and generous people.  I can think of countless examples of people the group encountered in the past month who were friendly and openhearted to an incredible degree.  For example, it was Tiago and Vanessa’s job to be our guides throughout our time in Sao Paulo and Curitiba, but they were certainly not required to open up to us the way they did, invite us out with them at night, or give us so many personal recommendations for places to go or things to do.  They definitely went above and beyond their normal duties, as did our teacher Thomas, who was more than happy to share his love of Brazilian music with the group outside of class.

On top of our wonderful guides, I continued to meet other amazingly nice people along the way.  Just this past week in Curitiba, I met a family at the futebol game between Coritiba FC and Flamengo who seemed genuinely thrilled to see Americans taking an interest in their team.  They helped me learn the words to the chants and songs of the rest of the fans so that our group could participate more fully in the action.  I was very thankful for their help, but what stood out to me was how helping me out made them so happy.

A few days later, when the group traveled to Morretes, I had another similar encounter.  While wandering through the streets of the historic town, Evan, Saule and I stumbled upon a restaurant situated in a beautiful spot next to the Nhundiaquara River.  We went over to check out the view and were immediately greeted by a man who worked at the restaurant who introduced himself to us as Leandro.  Leandro bent over backwards to make us feel at home, offering us free drinks, encouraging us to take as many photos as we wanted and even putting up hammocks for us to relax in.  He was so incredibly nice that I felt obligated to ask him if he had any bottles of cachaça for sale, just so I could support his business somehow (the group was leaving soon so there was no time to sit and eat at the restaurant).  It turned out there were no bottles for sale, but Leandro didn’t mind one bit, seemed perfectly content to see us enjoying his place, with or without any financial reward for his business.  Our enjoyment was good enough for him.  As we were leaving the restaurant, we ran into the owner of the building, a man named Luis Antonio.  Luis Antonio was thrilled to see us admiring his property, especially the beautiful tree sprouting up from the center of it.  He couldn’t wait to share everything he knew about Morretes and about his property, and our interest in what he had to say seemed like a real delight to him. 

Other examples of Brazilians’ generosity and welcoming nature were plentiful throughout our time here, including Victor the hostel bartender who was always happy to see the group and more than willing to point us in the right direction when we wanted to go out at night, the waiter at the burger place down the street who was always thrilled to see us, and many other good souls encountered during our stay. 

I somewhat expected this type of treatment because I had somewhat similar experiences when I traveled to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador.  Friendliness had always seemed to me like a hallmark of Latin American culture, and Brazil has proven to be no different.  It felt especially unsurprising after Thomas taught our group about the concept of the Brazilian “cordial man,” whose fundamental tenets could be observed over and over again in the people who seemed to work so hard to have positive interactions with the group. 

However, the treatment I’ve received has been particularly interesting this time around, given the current state of the world.  From terrorist attacks across the world to conflicts with the police, these are contentious times.  This has been especially evident during the presidential election cycle in the United States, where a lot of xenophobic rhetoric has come to the surface.  Latin American people have become the target of a lot of the cacophony emanating from the United States at the moment.  It would therefore be understandable for Brazilians to be somewhat wary of Americans coming to visit their country.  My stories and experiences have shown their attitudes to be quite the opposite of wary. 

Perhaps much of the treatment I encountered can be chalked up to Brazilians’ long-standing adherence to the way of the cordial man, but it is also very admirable.  All the friendliness certainly made me feel good and made me want to strive to be the nicest person I could be.  I suppose in answering “who is Brazil,” I would say that Brazil is someone I want to be.

Culture assignment #4 - passion for futebol

When we met for our Brazilian culture class for the second to last time, it was obvious from the beginning that Thomas was looking forward to this lecture a bit more than usual.  In our discussion about soccer, or futebol as they say in Brazil, it became clear that the level of enthusiasm for this sport and its teams is a bit different than it is for sports in the United States.  As Thomas ran through the histories of the four teams from the state of Sao Paulo, his relatively obvious bias in favor of his favorite club, Corinthians, helped paint an even more accurate picture of Brazilian futebol culture, in a sense, because Thomas' passion for Corinthians was too great for him to suppress.  The little jabs he threw at Sao Paulo FC, Palmeiras and Santos, among other clubs, were entertaining for the class.



Futebol is obviously a fundamental part of the Brazilian national and cultural identity, and this idea was reinforced when the group took a trip to the soccer museum.  The images of past world cup triumphs were very powerful.  The hero status of some of the legendary Brazilian players was made apparent by the shrines erected in their honor in the museum, especially everything dedicated to Pele, the greatest of them all.  It was a really cool experience getting to learn more about the history of something so important to the Brazilian people, at a place with so much historical significance (the Estadio Municipal, a place which inspired Thomas to fondly recall the times he spent there in the days of his youth).



While it was interesting to hear about Brazil's passion for futebol from Thomas and read about it at the museum, I don't think the group fully grasped the its uniqueness until we watched Coritiba FC play against Flamengo in Curitiba this past week.  It was a truly surreal experience.  The fans in our section did not stop singing for the entirety of the match.  Most of them never bothered to sit down.  The singing continued even as their heroes from the Coritiba FC squad were losing.  We couldn't help but feel the intensity in the crowd as their energy stayed at a fever pitch for the whole game.

The constant singing and banging of drums is something that can be seen to a certain degree at American college games, but not with the same amount of fervor as what we saw in Curitiba and certainly not at any professional games.  The craziness of these fans was simply on a different level.  Teams in the United States do not feel the need to ban the sale of alcohol at their games or segregate the fans of the opposing teams into different sections of the stadium, but at the game in Curitiba it was easy to see why Brazil has seen fit to implement these rules.

Going to the game was one of my favorite activities of the Dialogue program.  I think it provided us with one of the most authentic cultural experiences of the trip.  I am a huge sports fan, so it was great to get a close look at one of the most unique sports cultures in the world.

July 26 - meeting with the secretary of energy

Today's meeting with Sao Paulo's secretary of energy and mining was a highly enriching experience.  We were provided with a rare opportunity to meet with some Brazilian policy makers who have the authority and the ability to be real difference makers.  I was amazed and impressed that three undersecretaries of renewable energy were so generous with their time with us.  This was an especially valuable experience for me given my previous co-op experience working in public policy.  This was a field in which I definitely felt a bit more comfortable compared to some of the more technical details covered on our previous visits to power plants.  Overall, this may have been my favorite visit of the Dialogue.

There were many interesting tidbits in the secretariat's presentation to our group, and I look forward to taking a closer look at the report they handed us.  Having said that, what stood out to me the most was the degree to which Brazil, and particularly the state of Sao Paulo, have committed to renewable energy sources compared to the rest of the world.  The differences are truly striking.  The slide discussing the 2015 energy matrix really drove the point home: Brazil derives 41.2 percent of its energy from renewable sources and Sao Paulo gets 58 percent from renewables, compared with just 14.3 percent renewables for the rest of the world.

These numbers make it abundantly clear that Brazil and Sao Paulo are on a completely different level from the rest of the world when it comes to commitment to renewable energy sources.  When I asked the undersecretary what qualities Brazil had that made it possible for the country to get so far ahead, he talked about the considerable hydroelectric resources that Brazil took advantage of early on.  He also talked about Brazil's huge sugar cane crop, and his agency's plans to implement more and more biomass energy production from sugar cane in the coming years as part of the effort to continue to increase Brazil's commitment to renewables.

While Brazil's available resources are obviously important to the discussion of why and how the country has made such an impressive commitment to renewables, but I don't think they tell the full story.  A key ingredient has been the country's political will and commitment to the cause.  Agencies like the Sao Paulo office of energy and mining have played a key role with policies such as the offering of incentives to private businesses that invest in renewable energy, along with intelligent regulation of the electricity sector.  These initiatives need to have been well executed in order for Brazil to get to where it is today, and that appears to be exactly what has taken place.

July 25 - reaction to reading, movie

The article by Erika Robb Larkins reflects an aspect of Brazilian favelas that makes the unique, certainly when compared to neighborhoods in the United States.  What sets the favelas apart is the degree to which the traditional state and police forces lack authority.  In rough neighborhoods in the US, the environment may be dangerous, but the police are still in charge.  In the favelas of Sao Paulo, Rio, and other cities, the gangs make the rules and "keep the peace."  The complete lack of respect for the police among residents is something unique to favelas, although recent events in the United States could be making the dynamic more similar in that respect.

The degree to which there are no rules in the favelas is made shockingly and powerfully clear by the movie City of God.  Characters like Lil' Ze are the closest thing the neighborhood has to authority figures, the police are continually portrayed as useless and inept.  Any police raids and assaults that occur in the movie appear to be all for show, much like how Larkins describes the police raids she witnessed during her time in the El Dorado favela.  In the movie, it is obvious that all the meaningful power in the City of God slum is wielded by the "hoods."

It is easy to see how the backwards power dynamic of the favelas contributes to a cycle of violence.  With the notable exception of the main character, Rocket, just about every character who lives in the favela in City of God gets caught up in gang violence, even the seemingly incorruptible Knockout Ned.  When gangsters like Lil' Ze get so powerful, young kids like The Runts grow up aspiring to be like them and eventually take their place.  When opportunities for legitimate success outside of a life of crime seem nonexistent (Rocket refers to his job at the grocery store as "getting played"), the gang life ends up looking like the only path that makes sense.  It is a cycle that is proving to be very difficult to break.

July 25 - chapter 18 reaction

Chapter 18 of the textbook has reaffirmed what has become my main takeaway from the alternative energy course: there is no simple solution to finding alternative energy sources that meet humanity's needs.  Before coming to Brazil and taking this course, I didn't fully grasp the scope of how far away alternative energy is from being able to adequately support modern society.  The author makes this clear with his side by side comparison between average energy consumption of affluent people and the estimated energy production of alternative energy sources.  In MacKay's estimate, energy production does not particularly close to matching consumption, despite the fact that his estimates for alternative energy production capacity were quite optimistic in comparison to estimates from other sources.  Additionally, MacKay's consumption figures pertained to the UK, where residents consume considerably less energy on average than their counterparts in the United States.  Perhaps most importantly, the consumption numbers in the textbook do not include the input required to convert resources like biofuels into energy.  MacKay's analysis makes it quite apparent that, as we have discussed in class on numerous occasions, alternative energy solutions will need to come from more than just one source.

This course, in highlighting the limits of alternative energy sources, has also made me believe that the world's energy dilemma is just as much an issue of consumption as it is of production, perhaps more so.  The more I learn in this course, the more difficult it becomes to envision a world in which alternative, renewable energy sources completely replace the energy output we currently create from fossil fuel sources.  Therefore, the key to a sustainable future may be for people, especially in more affluent countries, to find a way to reduce their consumption and live more responsibly.  Only time will tell if humanity can achieve this goal, but I have certainly been inspired to give it a shot.

The Brazilian "cordial man"

Even in the limited time we have spent in Brazil, the significant cultural differences between Brazil and the U.S. have become increasingly evident.  Much of this was well-encapsulated in the movie we watched last week, "Que Horas Ela Volta?"  Most notably, certain aspects of the film seem to emulate some of the characteristics of the Brazilian "cordial man," as described in our reading discussing the famous book, Roots of Brazil.

Val, the protagonist of the film, sacrifices much and more in the name of protecting those closest to her, particularly her daughter.  The reading discusses how Brazilians adhering to the "cordial man" narrating may tend to focus more on "the wellbeing of a small family nucleus" rather than a larger group.  Val regularly submits herself to demeaning treatment, particularly from her boss, Dona Barbara, in order to retain her job and her ability to support her family no matter the cost to her dignity.  Val's daughter Jessica has a lot of difficulty understanding why she puts up with so much, resulting in a lot of tension between them.  Until the very end of the movie, Val shows no animosity towards the way that she and her fellow maid friends are treated.

The major difference in attitude between Val and Jessica is perhaps indicative of changing times in Brazil, as perhaps the "cordial man" is becoming less and less prevalent in future generations.  Even Val comes to recognize the need to change her dynamic as she triumphantly invades Dona Barbara's pool and goes on to quit her job.  However, even if times are somewhat changing, the "cordial man" and the need to prioritize one's smaller family unit are still fundamental aspects of Brazilian culture.

7.18 trip to ethanol plant

Something that really stood out during today's long bus ride to the ethanol production plant was the incredibly vast area occupied by the fields of sugar cane crops.  It was difficult for me not to hearken back, especially after learning a bit about the harvesting process, to a time not so far back in history when sugar cane probably covered a similar amount of land but was harvested exclusively using manual slave labor, an exhausting and back-breaking activity.  Obviously times are quite different now, and we learned that most of the harvesting process is now mechanized (as was demonstrated during Prof. Josh's brave journey to the driver's seat of the harvesting machine), but I definitely felt a stark reminder of slavery's influence on Brazil while standing in the sugar cane field.

The vastness of the sugar cane fields also meant that it made a lot of sense for an ethanol plant to be built there.  Sugar is obviously a staple crop in Brazil, as we learned today that Brazil is far and away the world's largest producer of sugar.  We saw the massive scale of the operation today (it really blew my mind that those bags could hold more than one ton of sugar without ripping apart).  Somewhat unsurprisingly given its share of the sugar cane market, Brazil is also the world's largest producer of ethanol.  It is interesting that, as we discussed in class, Brazil produces ethanol using sugar cane while the United States, another major producer of ethanol, uses corn.  This is a great example of both countries getting more use out of goods that are already major contributor to their economies.

While it makes sense for Brazil to place a large emphasis on ethanol to link with its sugar cane industry, the energy input required to produce ethanol serves as an important disclaimer.  We learned that it takes a significant amount of oil, a fossil fuel, to create a barrel of ethanol.  The net positive effect of producing ethanol, in terms of oil saved, is actually quite small.  We saw firsthand today the significant effort required to create it.Therefore, as we have learned about other alternative energy sources, ethanol should not be viewed as the singular solution to the world's energy dilemma.

July 14 - Visit to a Hydroelectric Plant

Today's visit to the Henry Borden hydro plant provided a jarring look at the scale of the operation necessary to produce hundreds of megawatts of hydroelectricity.  What stood out to me the most was the sheer size and power of the machinery that went into the turbines and the generators and all the rest, notably the tunnel leading to the underground section of the plant.  The power of the machines was truly something to behold, as the turbines seemed deafeningly loud even through the ear plugs we were wearing.  Building the plant was obviously a massive undertaking, requiring the use heavy machinery and many hours of labor.






























It is important to make note of the significant effort required to create the hydro plant in the context of the discussion about the plant's sustainability and its effect on the environment.  Hydroelectricity is essentially a renewable resource once it is being harnessed, but the process of building hydro plants such as the one we visited today surely leaves behind a meaningful carbon footprint.  We learned today that Cubatao, the city surrounding the plant is one of the most polluted places in the world.  Surely the construction of the Henry Borden plant helped contribute to that status.  The potential detrimental effects of building these sites must be taken into account as new projects are proposed in other areas.




The plant also appeared to be in need of modernization.  This is apparently currently a work in progress, but the outdated nature of some of the equipment was apparent in that the turbines all appeared to have labels from the 1950's.



Overall, it was very interesting to get to witness firsthand the sheer power and intensity of a hydro plant at work generating hundreds of megawatts of electricity.  Plus, it was great to get to Santos and see the beach!  However, the visit raised many questions about the potential costs of these kinds of projects.

July 12 - trip to the solar plant

Given that I have little to no prior knowledge or background in engineering, I may not have gotten as much out of the excursion to the CPFL solar power planet as some other members of the group, especially some of the technical aspects of the plant and the cells that were discussed with us.  That being said, it was still tremendously interesting to have had some exposure to how these places operate.  I felt very lucky to have gotten an inside look.

The detail that stood out the most to me, one which was also covered in chapter 6 of our textbook, was the low efficiency of the photovoltaic cells at the solar farm.  The vast of rows of cells were definitely something to behold, but since most of the cells produced energy at an efficiency of only 9.1 percent, the produce a small amount of electricity (1.1 megawatts).  Part of the reason for the low output of the plant is that much of it is used for researching the effectiveness of the cells, not for producing power, but it is still indicative of the relatively low output of solar power plants.  In order to power large areas, the plants themselves would also need to cover very large areas.



While it is somewhat worrisome that the solar farm doesn't produce much power at this time, the potential for innovation at the plant is definitely encouraging.  The new SmartMeter technology was a very impressive solution used to make the energy produced go farther.  Also, the engineers at the plant are obviously working diligently to come up with other ways to make the photovoltaic cells produce more energy by experimenting with the angles and positioning of the cells, along with cleaning schedules and other potential strategies to get more out of the power plant.  There is certainly room for research to yield further improvements.



Overall, this field trip was in line with the overarching theme of this Dialogue for me personally: it provided a chance for me to take a step outside my comfort zone and expertise to learn something about a topic that I previously didn't know very much about.  That alone made today a positive experience.

GE1201 Homework #1

The first graph displays the relative size of the contributions of various fuel sources towards the world's total primary energy supply, as well as the change in size of the total supply, from 1971 to 2013.  It shows that while alternative, renewable energy sources such as biofuels, hydro and others have increased in prevalence in the past few decades, they continue to comprise a very small portion of the world's primary energy suppliers.  The main energy sources have been and continue to be oil and coal, with natural gas having seen a significant rise in use as well, perhaps due to the large financial windfalls recently associated with fracking practices, especially in the United States.  While alternative energy use has gone up from 1971 to 2013, overall energy consumption has increased so much that traditional fuel sources such as oil and coal have been used more and more as well.  The graph makes it abundantly clear that while alternative energy sources such as hydro, wind and solar have seen more fanfare in recent years, the world still has very far to go in its attempts to shift its energy reliance to cleaner sources.

The second graph shows countries' shares of world energy consumption along with their shares of world GDP and population, while the third graph compares countries' GNP per capita to energy consumption per capita.  The graphs indicate that some countries, notably the United States which accounted for 24% of the world energy consumption in 2002 despite being home to just 4.6% of the world's population in 2001, are responsible for a disproportionate amount of the world's energy use relative to the size of their populations.  The third graph seems to suggest that while there appears to be a correlation between economic prosperity (GNP per capita) and energy consumption, certain developed economies, such as Japan, have been able to keep their energy consumption relatively low.  Additionally, it can be interpreted from these graphs that developing countries such as Brazil, China and India (each of which are part of the BRICS emerging markets group) consume less energy per capita than their counterparts with greater per capita GNP.  However, it is important to note that while developing economies utilize less energy per capita, they also may be reliant upon less clean energy sources.  The below graph from the U.S. Energy Information Administration illustrates this point, as it shows that coal contributed to 69% of total energy consumption in China in the year 2011.  Overall,  as previously stated, each of the graphs indicate a need for the world to reevaluate its energy use and its reliance on unclean energy sources, particularly in developing countries.

After taking the carbon footprint quiz, my results were quite eye opening.  The website estimated that the greenhouse gas emissions for which I am currently responsible add up to 31 tons of CO2 per year, nearly six times the world average per person.  Part of my high total can be attributed to the fact that I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to take multiple long distance trips in the past year, but even so, the test made it clear that there is much and more that I can and should do to reduce my carbon footprint, despite the fact that I currently do not own a car.

For the second test, in which I attempted to calculate my carbon footprint based on how I predict I will be living 20 years from now, I placed myself back in my home state in New York with a three bedroom apartment as part of a four person household (assuming I end up married with two kids, which could end up being a somewhat grand assumption.  Only time will tell...).  In hoping that I end up in New York City and as part of my disdain for driving, I will not own a car.  However, given that my appetite for travel appears to be insatiable, I guessed that in a given year I will have taken 4 long flights and 4 short flights.  My overall results were a carbon footprint of 18 tons of CO2 per year, a significant decrease from my current figure.  This can mostly be attributed to my hope that I will be able to use more energy efficient lights and appliances and consume more organic foods.  However, this would require a more significant personal investment, especially in organic foods, which are comparatively more expensive.  I do not currently have the means to adopt all of these more energy efficient practices, but hopefully I will in 20 years.

Expectations and first impressions

I have been lucky to have traveled quite a bit in my life, and in some senses it has made me feel well prepared for this upcoming program in Brazil.  I have spent time in Argentina, Chile and Ecuador on dialogue programs, co-op, and as part of my personal travels.  However, these experiences were quite different from what Brazil promises to offer, especially in one crucial way: unlike in Brazil, I was able to go to those countries and communicate with people.

I have pretty extensive experience speaking Spanish, but next to none with Portuguese.  I was able to have a somewhat coherent conversation with my taxi driver tonight after my flight landed using my Spanish, but even so, it immediately became clear that I am taking a big step outside my comfort zone.  From what I have seen and heard, Brazilian culture possesses many of the same laid back, fun-loving and friendly characteristics as the other Latin American countries I have been to, but the language barrier presents a new challenge, a challenge that I am very much looking forward to in that it will force to step even further outside my comfort zone.

I don't know very much about Brazilian culture, but I know from my experience living in Ecuador for nearly 8 months last year that I find cultural immersion to be highly enriching.  I have found that the best way to learn about and feel a part of a new place is to go out and walk without a particular destination in mind.  I did this frequently in Quito, Ecuador to great effect.  One of the most important concept that I am always mindful of when exploring a new place and culture is that it is not necessarily the destination that matters, and that the journey is what is most important.  Sao Paulo is probably less of a walkable city than Quito because of its massive size, but even so, I look forward to learning more about the city by exploring it somewhat "aimlessly."

I suffer from a hopelessly incurable case of wanderlust, always searching for the next great adventure.  I'm very much looking forward to embarking on that next adventure here in Sao Paulo!