Solar Plant:

I learned about the structure of the energy company. This was a new venture for them.

I think these technologies were semi effective. At the solar plant, I remember seeing the converter boxes, which take the energy produced by the panels and convert it into a form that can be used easily. I could tell the company was new to the solar panel project. It struck me that they really did not have a solid plan in place for how to recycle the panels if one brakes, or when the panels need to be replaced. I remember the speaker saying that they believe about 60% of the panels are recyclable, but what will happen to the other 40%? Will it be dumped in some waste yard? The solar field was very similar to what I have seen in California. I am not sure if the fields in California use both types of panels though. I think this technology could be improved once the energy company really evaluates how much energy goes into making the panel, how exactly the panels can be recycled, because for the panels to really be considered a sustainable technology, both the production and the disposal of the panels has to be as efficient and wasteless as possible.  Making money was mentioned for this technology, many proprietors were listed as partners on this project.

The policies that regulate this technology are: Net metering is allowed up to 1 megawatt, and solar panel utilities get an 80% reduction in taxes for power generated by solar plants up to 30 MW in size.  Because of new legislation, Brazil has introduced large economic gains for solar companies, or companies converting to solar power.

Bosch:

It was interesting to see the motors being calibrated in  different climate settings. I learned that what Bosch does is creates or fits flex fuel engines for car companies such as; Mercedes, Fiat, Peugeut, and VW. It is interesting that the flex fuel engine has to be calibrated for the fuel that will be used. This is most likely because ethanol and gasoline combust differently and produce different wear on the engine. The Bosch company conducted studies on which stream of ethanol worked better for the engine. They found that preheating the ethanol fuel worked better for combustion because it allowed the fuel to flow in a wider stream. From an economic standpoint, it was interesting to see how popular flex fuel engines were in Brazil. I believe this also accounts for how popular small cars are in Brazil. I have seen very few large SUVs and trucks. I think our speaker mentioned that flex fuel engines work better for smaller cars. I am not sure if this technology can be improved. I definitely think flex fuel engines work better in Brazil than in the US. The environment was not really mentioned as a motivation in the presentation, but we already know that ethanol greatly reduces co2 emissions. I feel that making money was definitely the motivation fueling this technology because car companies always want to develop more ways to give consumers options, so providing the opportunity for two fuel options is a way to sell more cars and please consumers. Brazil’s economy is upheld by sustainable biofuels.  The ethanol program in Brazil has provided stipends to ensure that no light vehicle runs on pure gasoline anymore. This would be extremely beneficial in the US, but in order for this to work, our culture would have to change. We would have to force ourselves to no longer see the purpose of oversized vehicles.

·        

·       Hydro Plant:

·       The thing I remember the most was seeing the large turbines. There was a plant above ground and one underground. The hydroelectric plant was my favorite visit because, from looking at the history, it was easy to see how the plant was rooted in the history of Brazil. It was amazing to hear the turbines actually working and to see all of the controls used to manage them.  It was easy to see the pipes directing the water off the mountain above. Although hydropower produces very few emissions, I do not agree with redirecting natural bodies of water. I think it is wrong to disrupt ecosystems, and it can have detrimental effects on important agricultural areas.  There were only two small gasoline tanks for the entire plant. The history made it easy to see that this plant had been providing power for the towns in Brazil for a very long time. It must have been essential to the energy supply in Brazil for the government to bomb it when citizens were protesting in the 1930?s. This hydro plant upholds the economy with jobs. The following link reviews the negative sides of hydro plants.

·       http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2013/01/brazil-hydropower-energy

Reflections On A Month Abroad

Even though this trip was not perfect, it was definitely an amazing and unforgettable experience. Upon arrival in Sao Paulo, I felt excitement, along with a little inhibition; I asked myself; how was this going to work? How was I going to learn to navigate around this huge city? How was the food going to taste and would I like it?  How was I going to manage learning this complicated language? On the bus to the Comfort Inn, my inquisitive mind was quieted by the sight of the amazing and unique graffiti on the sides of the buildings. I felt a small pang of jealousy that our buildings in the United States weren’t covered with such splendid colors. Our graffiti in the US was generic, plain, made up of ugly puffy letters that formed insignificant nonsense words.  These were different; colorful interpretations of faces and animals, robots and creatures. The graffiti told me this trip would be interesting.

Upon arrival at the hotel, I was tired but excited. I was paired with Libby who would only tolerate talk of Africa, but all that filled my head were questions and newly formed opinions about this vast city. I went to my room, and I noted the modesty of it, space was conserved, the lights required one to be present to be turned on. I liked the light-card device. I thought it was clever.

            I remember the meal that night at the restaurant with the wooden stove. I really loved the food, especially the one dish with chicken and okra. I thought it was cool how similar it was to my cultural food.

            What really stuck out for me was our first cultural lesson. The professor taught us about many common Brazilian customs. One, for example, was how it was common for Brazilians to be friendly, and to ignore the rules about personal space. I later found out this was very true, and I got used to it very quickly. I found many Brazilians who were just naturally friendly, or who would say hi even if I was not familiar with them.

When it came to the classroom and the activities regarding alternative energy, it was interesting to hear my classmates talk. I was so impressed by, and even jealous at times (lolz) of their technical and economic knowledge. I liked hearing their input in class. Dr. P’s boundless energy was a plus as well.  I have taken many courses on sustainability before, so it was nice to be able to contribute some viewpoints to the conversations in class.

            The Bosch plant was really different for me. It was really cool to see cars being calibrated to be able to run on diesel fuel. Upon coming to Brazil, I really underestimated the importance of diesel fuel. I honestly think this is something the US should consider fully transitioning to. I also think it was very cool to see that, like France, Brazilians do not value large SUVs and pick- up trucks. The majority of the cars I saw were cute and tiny. I feel this kind of modesty is really useful, as well as economical.  I LOVED the different Fiat models I saw.  They were too cute. Most of them I had never seen before because they only sell the ugly ones in the US.

            My favorite visit had to be the hydroelectric plant, even though I am strongly, strongly opposed to hydroelectric plants because I believe they will inevitably cause droughts by depleting valuable water tables under the soil. People do not realize that, like fossil fuels, soil is a limited resource as well.  I loved the hydroelectric plant because of the scenery, and also because of the awesome cave that the second one was located in! That was too cool.  I had no idea that the water was so well –contained in different pipes, I thought it would be openly flowing for some reason. I also thought the giant turbines were fascinating.

            Out of all the museums, my favorite had to be the Pinacoteca. I adore art, so this museum had me in my element. I especially was surprised by the amount of racially charged art pieces. I learned a lot about the opinions at the time from these pieces.  That would never be allowed in a US museum. I was really surprised by the exhibit symbolizing the founding of Brazil with the golden egg and the clay figures. Although this exhibit was confusing for some, I found it ironically comforting that the artist had recognized the raw brutality and dehumanizing nature of slavery and thought it important enough to display it publicly and educate others on this dismal part of Brazil’s history.

            I also loved the Latin American museum. It was really cool to see symbols from not only Brazilian culture, but other Latin American cultures. Looking at all of the pieces, it was very easy to see the large part that color and beauty plays in Latin American culture.

            I almost immediately noticed the amount diversity in Sao Paulo alone. It is amazing how many different types of people there were. This is proof of how interesting and complicated Brazil’s history is.

            Living in the hostel was definitely an experience. I did not like being cold, but living so close to so many people in the hostel was definitely fun in many ways. I actually miss it now. I loved the many movie nights, and chilling in the kitchen.  I definitely loved cooking meals and eating with everyone in the program. The art of “vulturing” was definitely perfected by most of us when we didn’t feel like cooking or going out for food. Many people in our program were definitely talented in cooking. Watching them cook was like watching Food Network.

            My one huge regret is that I didn’t dance more. I loved going to the Samba club, but I realized too late how large SP’s trained dance scene was. There was a dance studio on every block. I was so surprised and overwhelmed by all the different styles- Samba Garrafia, Axe, Zouk, Furro, Afro Brazilian.  I also regret that we did not have the opportunity to do any type of community service. This I will just have to come back for. I  also have to see the Amazon at some point, as well as Iguazu Falls.  I definitely want to see Salvador, Bahia--home of Carnaval, and of course, Rio de Janeiro.

            I was intrigued by the favelas. I thought it was so interesting that most of the people probably lived without sewage systems.  I also did not understand why middle class Paulistas had no problem protesting for bus fares, but seemed to look past the fact that part of the population lived without many modern day necessities. This is something I wish to further explore.  I was really happy we passed by the favelas on our way to the different sites. I was just so curious as to how people live in that small of a space.

            I definitely loved the pizza rodezios and the churrhascaria. They love their meat. I got tired of empadas and pao de queijo, and pasteis, though. I miss all of the juice places. I fell in love with having fresh juice 3 -4 times a day.

            The trip to Ubatuba and Paraty was really cool. I think Ubatuba was my favorite beach. The water was warm and lovely. I also thought the historical tour in Paraty was informative and interesting.  I loved how in Paraty at night, all of the bars and restaurants had live bossa nova music.

            The lunch at Terraço Italia was really memorable. It made my Birthday really special to spend it with all of the people to whom I had become so close to over the last month. I will definitely never forget that. The panoramic view was priceless  as well.

            Overall, I ran into a few problems, (mostly with staying warm and healthy, which always happens), but I had fun. I found another place I want to return to, and another culture to which I now feel a special connection. 

Sao Paulo in the morning 

Fountains in Ibirapuera Park

Landfill

Although the landfill visit was a pain, I thought it presented a fairly innovative solution to waste management, as well as energy creation. I was surprised that the first landfill we went to did not generate energy. This made me think about its purpose, and whether that land had been used appropriately. This landfill technology also raised a lot of questions for me: how much energy is taken to operate the plant compared to how much is produced? Why is there such a strong methane smell, and could this indicate that the methane capture system is not efficient? What dangers does working around methane pose to the workers? How much energy will be generated, and what will happen to the plant when it has reached its energy generating capacity? can it become usable land or will it have to be sectioned off? 

The coolest landfill i visited was in California. It was one that produced methane, but was also used as a nature reserve for species of birds and butterflies. I question why this landfill had no smell but the one we visited did. Perhaps after it is filled and has reached its full capacity, the smell will dissipate and the Sao Paulo landfill can serve some other purpose such as a nature reserve.

Site visits

Site Visits

Solar Plant:

I learned about the structure of the energy company. This was a new venture for them.

I think these technologies were semi effective. At the solar plant, I remember seeing the converter boxes, which take the energy produced by the panels and convert it into a form that can be used easily. I could tell the company was new to the solar panel project. It struck me that they really did not have a solid plan in place for how to recycle the panels if one brakes, or when the panels need to be replaced. I remember the speaker saying that they believe about 60% of the panels are recyclable, but what will happen to the other 40%? Will it be dumped in some waste yard? The solar field was very similar to what I have seen in California. I am not sure if the fields in California use both types of panels though. I think this technology could be improved once the energy company really evaluates how much energy goes into making the panel, how exactly the panels can be recycled, because for the panels to really be considered a sustainable technology, both the production and the disposal of the panels has to be as efficient and wasteless as possible.  Making money was mentioned for this technology, many proprietors were listed as partners on this project.

The policies that regulate this technology are: Net metering is allowed up to 1 megawatt, and solar panel utilities get an 80% reduction in taxes for power generated by solar plants up to 30 MW in size.  Because of new legislation, Brazil has introduced large economic gains for solar companies, or companies converting to solar power.

Bosch:

It was interesting to see the motors being calibrated in  different climate settings. I learned that what Bosch does is creates or fits flex fuel engines for car companies such as; Mercedes, Fiat, Peugeut, and VW. It is interesting that the flex fuel engine has to be calibrated for the fuel that will be used. This is most likely because ethanol and gasoline combust differently and produce different wear on the engine. The Bosch company conducted studies on which stream of ethanol worked better for the engine. They found that preheating the ethanol fuel worked better for combustion because it allowed the fuel to flow in a wider stream. From an economic standpoint, it was interesting to see how popular flex fuel engines were in Brazil. I believe this also accounts for how popular small cars are in Brazil. I have seen very few large SUVs and trucks. I think our speaker mentioned that flex fuel engines work better for smaller cars. I am not sure if this technology can be improved. I definitely think flex fuel engines work better in Brazil than in the US. The environment was not really mentioned as a motivation in the presentation, but we already know that ethanol greatly reduces co2 emissions. I feel that making money was definitely the motivation fueling this technology because car companies always want to develop more ways to give consumers options, so providing the opportunity for two fuel options is a way to sell more cars and please consumers. Brazil’s economy is upheld by sustainable biofuels.  The ethanol program in Brazil has provided stipends to ensure that no light vehicle runs on pure gasoline anymore. This would be extremely beneficial in the US, but in order for this to work, our culture would have to change. We would have to force ourselves to no longer see the purpose of oversized vehicles.

·        

·       Hydro Plant:

·       The thing I remember the most was seeing the large turbines. There was a plant above ground and one underground. The hydroelectric plant was my favorite visit because, from looking at the history, it was easy to see how the plant was rooted in the history of Brazil. It was amazing to hear the turbines actually working and to see all of the controls used to manage them.  It was easy to see the pipes directing the water off the mountain above. Although hydropower produces very few emissions, I do not agree with redirecting natural bodies of water. I think it is wrong to disrupt ecosystems, and it can have detrimental effects on important agricultural areas.  There were only two small gasoline tanks for the entire plant. The history made it easy to see that this plant had been providing power for the towns in Brazil for a very long time. It must have been essential to the energy supply in Brazil for the government to bomb it when citizens were protesting in the 1930?s. This hydro plant upholds the economy with jobs. The following link reviews the negative sides of hydro plants.

·       http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2013/01/brazil-hydropower-energy