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Summary
Oil – The recent discoveries of large deep-water oil reserves off the coast of Brazil have raised a controversial issue: the destination of the royalties derived from oil exploitation. The discussion is motivated by the criterion adopted by the IBGE, the federal body charged with defining state maritime limits.
Labor market – To reduce costs, many companies make use of pseudo-cooperatives and, thus, circumvent laws and promote precarious work across the labor market. Yet, if enforcement against such artifice is not conducted carefully, it may unjustly render countless legal entities unfeasible.
Natural resources – According to a UN study, global supply of water may become critical, as already happens in arid regions of the planet. Brazil, a country where the liquid is abundant, is not immune to the crisis because of regional differences in availability, poor use and rising pollution levels.
Health – Banned in several parts of the world, asbestos remains a threat in Brazil. Responsible for countless illnesses and the death of workers, this natural fiber has triggered manifestations from entities demanding that its use be prohibited in the Brazilian territory.
Environment – To fight high pollution levels, especially in its big cities, Brazil wants to reduce the levels of sulfur in diesel oil, as already happens in developed countries. Yet, the targets proposed by the government are bound to face resistance from automakers and fuel distributors.
Energy – Just like what is happening in many parts of the world, Brazil is also betting on hydrogen as a clean and renewable source of energy. Several projects are underway, with practical results such as a bus and a car prototype now in their testing phase.
Transport – Counter to what happens in Europe and in countries of Asia, Brazil does not value the bicycle as a means of transportation. Some municipal governments, however, are willing to change that situation by increasing the availability of bicycle lanes.
Industry – The economic and environmental advantages of Brazil’s sugarcane ethanol has encouraged companies in the chemical industry to invest also in the production of alcohol-based resins, with the ambitious purpose of replacing oil in the manufacturing of plastics.
Immunobiologicals – Brazil is still not self-sufficient in the production of vaccines, but is at the top of the Latin-American ranking in this field. Thanks to government investments in the 1980s and 1990s in infrastructure, capacity building and training, the Bio-Manguinhos and Butantan institutes have become a benchmark in the manufacturing of immunobiologicals.
Urbanism – Specific projects seek to recover and remodel public squares – spaces that, with the appearance of the auto culture in the 1970s, had their profiles changed from places intended for relaxation and contemplation to islands surrounded by busy streets, occasionally equipped with recreation and sports facilities.
Popular culture – Young people living along the coast of the states of São Paulo and Paraná are struggling to preserve the fandango. A traditional dance of the caiçaras –as Brazil’s coastal populations are called–, originally organized to entertain cooperative community workers, this manifestation has become popular in balls and community associations.
Interview – Little known in Brazil, pharmacist Terezinha Rêgo, aged 75, is renowned internationally for her work in the field of phytotherapy. An expert in plants with a therapeutic potential, she speaks of her professional experience.
Literature – The year of 2008 marks the centennial of the death of Machado de Assis, considered by many the greatest Brazilian writer of all times. His works and life have always attracted the interest of researchers, both in Brazil and abroad.
History – Seventy years ago, Brazil was the stage for a failed coup d’etat by the Brazilian Integralist Action, an organization replicating the tenets of European fascism, with Plínio Salgado as its supreme chief.
Thematic panel – Luiz Carlos Mendonça de Barros, an economist who held a number of offices in the Brazilian government, outlined an overview of the country’s economy, now favored by the hunger for commodities of countries like China and India. He stressed, however, that the continuity of that success depends on the vigorous fight against inflation. His talk was delivered at the Council of Economics, Sociology and Politics of the Fecomercio, Sesc and Senac on May 8, 2008.