Who Is Brazil?

Initially beginning this trip, I had little to no concept of what Brazil would be. Aside from international futbol matches and images of the rainforests, I've never really had any exposure or education of Brazil and its people. In a way, this was one of the largest draws towards this dialog, as it was completely unknown and uncomfortable. Add in the zika outbreak, Olympic development issues in Rio, and political turmoil, and it had been shaping up to be an interesting trip. Everything was new to me, and I learned so much about a foreign place with so much to offer. 

As we discussed in class, Brazil at its core is a country without its own true culture. This became evident as we began our journey in Sao Paulo, as Brazil seemed to have many influences from different areas, but few things that I had seen for the first time. The vast majority of Brazil's traditions and customs come from a blend of African and Portuguese roots, which becomes evident in the people's way of life, the architecture of the city and state, and the foods of the region. Immigration has also brought many new facets of culture throughout Brazil's history, such as the Italians, Japanese, and North American aspects. In many ways, these individual cultures intertwine, creating something unique to Brazil. From a country without its own true identity, Brazil's comes from its people's understanding of where they came from, what brought them here, and how that makes them stand out among the world. 

One of the very first concepts of Brazilian culture that we explored in class is the idea of the cordial man. The idea arose from historic slaveholders, and its still prevalent throughout much of Brazil today. The cordial man is a man of friends and family, holding those close to him near and putting their needs over the needs of society. He is not afraid to hide his inhibitions, unlike his North American counterparts, and is passionate in his lust and pursuits. This really helped to explain how the people of Brazil worked on a daily basis, as the entire city seems far more relaxed and welcoming than any city in the United States. Public displays of affection are common place in Sao Paulo, and every restaurant owner seems to do their very best to make us feel as if we are eating with them at their family dinner table. Away from the street, the cordial man can be found in media such as movies, futbol, and music. This mindset drives Brazil's laid-back lifestyle, where "on-time" means within 15-20 minutes, and the people are welcoming and eager to help. This culture simply isn't found anywhere in the US, and it provides a great contrast to how different countries operate under different population's mindsets. The American people are more focused on careers and money making, and often times family takes a back seat. In addition, Americans tend to hide their passions and desires, either in fear of judgement or because of public perception. These tendencies are amplified in the northeast, where I've lived all my life, and is known as one of the fastest and busiest areas in all of the world.

In addition to street life, this idea is present in futbol culture as well. Brazilian players play the game with a sort of cocky swagger, relying on pure talent and raw skills to overpower their opponents, rather than the European strategic style of play. Brazilians more or less play the game how they want to, and follow their intuitions and feel of the game to make plays. Fans live and die by their teams, unlike any sport following we can find in the US. Clubs represent local areas and the ideologies of various sub-cultures, making futbol matches more of a battle between two large populations rather than a game between 11 vs 11 men in specific uniforms. The passion is unmatched, and having the opportunity to see this first hand was an amazing experience.

The dances of Brazil further echo the countries mixed background culture. Samba, salsa, and capoiera all illustrate this in their own unique ways. Samba is very unique to Brazil, originating from the slave trade and ultimately developing over time throughout the region and mixing with the Portuguese traditions. Salsa is purely latin-american, and embodies the free-spirit of the Brazilian people through its smooth rhythmic movements and freedom of expression. Capoiera, which is by far the most unique of the group, roots back to the times of slavery, when slaves would practice fighting while passing it off as dancing in front of masters. All of these were a blast to learn, and truly helped me better understand how all of these historic events have led to create what Brazil is today. 

One of the most defining aspects of a civilization is its politics. As a developing country, Brazil seems to be in a constant state of instability to some degree, as the country attempts to continue moving forward, while balancing underdeveloped areas and a portion of the population that does not yet understand the responsibility of voting in a world-power democracy. As I understand, the politics are largely controlled by PMDB, a large political faction that through corruption controls the politics of the nation. The group can flip-flop from the left to the right side whenever they see fit, allowing their own to rise to power. This is allegedly what has happened with the current presidential impeachment, causing more unrest in an already news-worthy summer for Brazil. The best way to improve this corruption and clean out the system is through education, as often times voters blindly choose representatives without any knowledge of their policies or political affiliations. Since everyone is required by law to vote, many do not take the process seriously, and this causes the wide-spread issues to continue. This can be attributed to the counties laid-back and carefree lifestyle, as people seem to passionately care about issues for a moment, only to be completely forgotten a moment later as the focus switches to something else. In many ways these political issues do not directly affect a person and their family on a physical, visual level (ironic, as these very issues are what determines region's economic opportunities) which may cause voters to cast votes without proper due diligence. 

Ultimately, Brazil is a beautiful country, with amazing potential for economic, political, and global growth. It is home to a passionate, kind, and loyal people, all proud of their heritage, more so than the United States and much of the outside world. Although Brazil doesn't quite have its own culture in the eyes of the world, its web of multi-cultural customs and traditions creates a unique system that has come to define Brazil in its own individualistic way. Brazil is already a world super power in the futbol world, and as the country develops further, will find its place among the world leaders economically and politically as time goes on. I couldn't have picked a better place to study abroad, and will always remember the welcoming atmosphere (and Brazilian barbecues) of Sao Paulo. 

The Idea of the Coridal Man and How it Manifests in Futbol Culture

The cordial man is a common theme across Brazilian culture. This lifestyle manifests itself in many of Brazil’s customs and traditions, and none more so than futbol. The cordial man’s values of family, friends, refusal to hide his inhibitions, and ability to lead his own life without the influence of others is prevalent in futbol culture in both how clubs are represented and the style of its players. From local clubs to the Brazil national team, the Brazilian persona can be observed in the stands and on the field.

As we learned in class, each individual club largely represents a unique group of people and subcultures within Brazil. The Palmeiras represent and Italian style of play, which is much more strategic and planned. Sao Paulo FC represents a more middle-upper class group, and are often viewed as ‘soft’ in the eyes of opposing fans. The Corinthians, known as the working class team, have the largest fan base in the state, suggesting that many people connect with the message of the lower-class, and likely with an underdog mentality. In many ways, fans aren’t only rooting for a single team, but for their own ideological ideas, ways of life, and the place they call home. This stems from the cordial man’s tendency to put his home and family first, while the needs of the community take a backseat. It’s these additional layers that fuel the passion of futbol in Brazil, creating an atmosphere that isn’t matched anywhere else in the world, much less the United States.

Photo with two Corinthian players we met at the Curitiba Airport

We had the opportunity to see this passion first hand at a Curitiba FC match this past Sunday in Curitiba. While we sat in the area of the stadium meant primarily for family and casual fans, but even in this section everyone knew every chant, and we would still hear the occasional insult aimed at the Flamengo’s keeper. The die-hard fan section was to our left, and was truly the heart of the stadium. There were beating drums, 20 foot-tall waving flags, and giant banners/flags that draped from the top row all the way down to field-level. You could sense that these fans live and die with their team, and were not too pleased to see Curitiba lose 2-0.

In the case of the national team, the idea of the cordial man can be seen in the team’s style of play. Unlike European clubs, who use a more strategic game plan to gain an advantage, Brazil relies heavily on the raw talent of players to overpower opponents. While strategy is still involved, the Brazilian’s largely rely on their own feel, and instincts of the game throughout the match. This is related to the cordial man’s philosophy of refusing to hide his inhibitions, and trusting his own feelings to guide his actions. Brazilian players are less worried about adhering to every strategy and rule guideline but instead trust their own natural abilities and playmaking styles to dominate the competition. This often works, as some of the world’s most talented players of all time (Pele, Ronaldo, Ronalinho, and today, Neymar) have led Brazil’s teams throughout history.

Overall, the idea of the cordial man is still prevalent throughout Brazilian culture today, and can be seen in futbol across all levels. Players rely on intuition and talent rather than strategy and rolls, adhering to the cordial man’s philosophy of putting himself and his close companions above the needs of society, as well as the idea of refusing to hide his inhibitions. Fans are incredibly passionate about their teams, more so than anywhere else in the world, which can be connected to the theme of family and a loyalty to a specific area to call home. Futbol matches are much more than a simple game between two clubs, but a battle between ideologies and cultures that in many ways has impacts far deeper than a win.

Visit With Sao Paulo's Secretary of Energy

Today we had the pleasure of meeting with the state of Sao Paulo's Secretary of Energy, along with his team. We were warmly welcomed, and led to a large conference table complete with assigned name cards for each of us. After seating, sub-secretary Antonio Celso de Abreu Junior introduced himself to all of us before beginning the meeting. Secretary of Energy Joao Carlos Meirelles briefly met with us, welcoming us to the meeting before heading out to continue his energy duties elsewhere. Antonio Celso took over from this point forward.

After initial greetings, we began a an informative presentation on the Sao Paulo's energy sector. The State's goals include energy security, evolutionary chain competitiveness,  and reduction of emissions. Actions to include these goals were primarily to promote the growth of renewable energy. The state (and the world, to a larger extent) have greatly been investing in the fields of solar and wind, with the former leading the way. In contrast, ethanol has seen a 42% decline in investments over the same time period, suggesting that a plateau has been reached for ethanol consumption and potential. We then explored how Sao Paulo compared to the world in alternative energy use, and it stacked up quite well: Worldwide, 81% of power comes from fossil fuels, with 14% from renewables and and the remaining 5% from nuclear. Sao Paulo, on the other hand, uses fossil fuels for only 42% of its power, and a staggering 58% from renewables. Out of the total energy supply, around 64% is imported, while 36% is produced in the state. Of the power created domestically, 69.7% is due to sugarcane biomass plants. Sao Paulo uses 74% of domestic power itself while the remaining 26% is exported. It was amazing to see these breakdowns, as it validates the claims that Brazil, and to a larger extent the state of Sao Paulo, as the world leader in alternative energy.

Everyone loves to talk about saving energy, but it's difficult to change the lifestyles of a population. Political entities must develop creative programs and incentives in order to motivate citizens to embrace the renewable movement, and Sao Paulo has done just that. One innovative idea is the Balancing Energy System, which regulates how energy is stored and used in peak vs low times and adjusts customers costs accordingly. For example, if more energy is created than consumed over a given time period, consumers get credits that can affect power bills. This excess power is stored, and later used when consumption demand is higher than the energy being created. Another policy, called Shared Generation, allows groups of homeowners to install a microgenerator and use this to reduce their cumulative energy bills. To do so, homeowners must live in the same area, buying power from the same power company. This particular idea seems so foreign to me. I can't imagine any power company in the US allowing customers to simply generate a portion of their power on their own, in order to reduce power costs. However, it's completely possible I just don't fully understand how the entire program works.

Sao Paulo truly is a world leader in alternative energy technology, creating the road map for the rest of humanity in the effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Antonio Carlos mentioned that this was not a simple change to implement on a large scale, as its difficult to adjust the mindset of a population in favor of power that is more expensive, who's ecological impact is largely unseen to the public eye. I greatly respect the focus that the Secretary and his team have put on this issue, and hope that other nations will follow this blueprint in the future. With a goal of being completely fossil fuel independent in 25 years, Sao Paulo is proving that it can be done - we just need to pull the trigger.

PS: An article was written about our visit that can be found on the government website. Pretty cool to be named in a document on an official website like this. It can be found here:

http://www.energia.sp.gov.br/lenoticia.php?id=1822

How Views of Alt Energy Has Changed During this Course

Everyone on this trip is interested in alternative energy to some degree. I believe most people are, and agree that fossil fuels are harming the environment. It's great to think of a futuristic, blue-skies world powered using sunlight, wind, and water. We've seen progress over our own lifetimes in these developments, from solar power becoming more attractive to homeowners, hypothetical mega-wind farms, to hybrid/hydro/electric vehicles rising to a significant market. When I first began this course, I assumed this would be the way of the future, and it was only a matter of time when we flipped the switch from fossil fuels to renewable, and the impending crisis would be averted. If I've learned one thing from this course, it's that this isn't the case at all. Or at least it won't be that easy.

The biggest eye opener is that renewable energy simply doesn't add up enough to cover our current lifestyles. Even if we covered the deserts in solar panels, covered the countrysides in wind turbines, put off-shore wind farms in the most opportune places, grew biofuel crops in every fertile area, began using wave power and dammed our largest waterfalls, it might be able to barely replace our current consumption methods (The book notes several reputable institutes estimation of realistic renewable energy use for Britain, which was around 15 kWh per day - A fraction of the current 180 kWh used today by the average person). This all includes vast idealistic assumptions, and I don't see any of these assumptions coming true, as large scale energy methods will be viewed as noisy, ugly, and wasteful in the eyes of the voters. This isn't even considering rising economies such as Brazil, China, and various other countries with high populations that will begin using energy at a much higher rate in the future.

In addition to the realization that the total sum of renewable sources still may not be enough globally, I also had some incorrect views on the individual sources themselves. I had no idea that hydropower was so prevalent or powerful. I had always viewed it as one of the smaller sources of energy, but in reality it is one of the most reliable and resourceful possibilities available to us. In contrast, I had made the opposite assumption about solar. Intuitively, I thought that since there's always sunlight, solar power must be the way to go. After learning about the efficiency of panels (around 10% right now) and how volatile these plants are in regards to location, time of day, and orientation, solar seems like a piece to the puzzle, but surely not the answer. Wind seems so vastly available and strong in many areas, but even this method is so inefficient it would only make a small dent in total energy generation. 

The switch to alternative energy will be a combination of many methods, but even then it may not be enough. It raises a serious question of what the next step is in our quest to move away from non-renewable sources of energy. Is the answer developing more efficient technology in converting natural sources to electricity? Do we need to ration fossil fuels, and accept that we may never be able to completely move away from them with our current lifestyle and consumption? Or is the answer somewhere else, such as nuclear, or something futuristic such as fusion technology (or something really sci-phy like Dyson-spheres, where we basically encase a sun in solar panels to collect 100% of its energy)? The next few years may force our hand to develop these new technologies, or begin changing the public persona in regards to alternative methods and energy consumption. 

HW #3: Police Legitimacy In Rio's Favelas and Relation to Brazilian Culture

One theme that continues to arise during our Brazilian culture learning is that of corruption within the governing powers of Brazil. Nowhere is this more prevalent than the favelas, and specifically the large, drug-trafficking run communities of Rio de Janiero. The corruption in these areas make it impossible for Brazil to improve the favelas, as it is simply easier, safer, and more profitable for the authorities to work with the gang members than to launch a full assault. As a result, no real progress is ever made, leading to a rift in trust between the inhabitants of the favela and their own state government.

"Performances of Police Legitimacy in Rio's Hyper Favela" does a great job of explaining how the illusion of the war on drugs is created by the police, media, and drug traffickers. Gang members are often alerted days ahead of a drug raid (usually by an inside source), allowing the leaders to escape, sit back from afar, or plan accordingly. The gangs understand that the police must kill traffickers and collect narcotics in order to look legitimate in the eyes of the media, and use this info to minimize their own losses in both bodies and strength as a result of these police raids. In one case noted in the reading, the gangs left two tons of marijuana for the police to find, allowing the state's raid to appear successful (photos of helicopters lifting huge amounts of drugs out of the ally's in nets dangling below, great for the front page of the news paper), consequently ending the police effort before any real battles were fought, even described as "non-confrontational" in the article. Those who live in the favelas daily understand that this is all for show, and that the police really have no power within the area.

This idea of hopelessness in the war on drugs is greatly shown in the movie "The City of God". In the film, Lil' Ze grows up to run the drug gangs. From a young age, he learned from amateur gangsters, eventually breaking into drug trafficking and becoming the most powerful man in the city. After killing off all of his enemies, Lil Ze has complete control of the favela, which ironically leads to a relatively peaceful time for the community, as it is for once undivided. As rifts grow within his drug ring as a result of various events, an opposing gang begins to form, leading to an all-out war tearing the city into sections. There is a common theme of police corruption in the film, as it is shown that the police are supplying the gangs with guns, as well as receiving payments (portions of the drug money) in order to look the other way and allowing the trafficking operation to continue smoothly. All of these ideas come to a point at the end of the movie when Lil Ze is finally arrested, but as our main character Rocket soon discovers, this is all for media show. As soon as Lil Ze is brought into the station, he is immediately unhand-cuffed and begins discussing payments with the officers. Lil Ze is above the law, allowed to run free killing and doing as he pleases, while the police arrest and kill smaller gang members in order to appear to be making progress in eliminating the two groups.

Overall, both the article and movie this week demonstrated how large the issue of corruption truly is in Brazil's favelas. Police work with the gangs, receiving payments in order to allow the drug trafficking operations to continue. This makes the leaders invulnerable, and ultimately the police's effort futile, as they do the bare-minimum to appear legitimate in the eyes of the media and the world.

The Second Mother and How it Relates to Brazilian Culture

Brazilian culture, while difficult to define on its own, is identified in the fact that it has been influenced from many civilizations, ultimately becoming unique itself. The cordial man represents this ideology, and metaphorically represents the Brazilian way of life. The cordial man is family oriented, places a high value in quality of life, and is far more open about body and soul than their North American counter-parts. This is almost anti-American of sorts, in contrast with American's high paced work ethic, emphasis on community rather than family (or at least more so than South American cultures) and inability to show emotions and inhibitions as openly as those in Brazil. These ideas shape the activities and lifestyle of the Brazilian people, and can be seen throughout the culture in the media, social interactions, and everyday life.

The movie "The Second Mother" we watched Friday night exhibited multiple examples of cordiality, from varying points of view. The film focuses on Val, a maid for a wealthy Brazilian family. After many years of work raising Barbara and Dr. Carlos' son Fabinho, Val's daughter Jessica visits as she prepares for her university entrance exam in Sao Paulo. As time goes on, a rift grows between Barbara and Jessica, as the mother views Jessica as a threat to her family and way of life. The theme of family, is key throughout the film, as Dona Barbara struggles to maintain her grip on her loved ones. It is evident that Val is the true mother figure to Fabinho, as she has raised him his entire life. In addition, Dr. Carlos' lust for Jessica causes friction within the household. In many ways, he shares many of the same traits as the traditional cordial man. He does not work, instead relying on an inheritance to fund his passions of art and academia, while his pursuit of the maid's daughter shows his way of living freely, without restraint.

The cordial man is also prominent in Val, as she grows throughout the film. At the beginning, she is incredibly focused on her work, in order to provide for a family at home that she hasn't seen in ten years. This is very similar to the American concept that the cordial man opposes, and we see Val shift towards this more relaxed view of life as the movie progresses. When Jessica arrives, it becomes evident that her daughter is the most important aspect of Val's life. As events progress, and the bond between mother and daughter strengthens, Val eventually decides to quit her longtime job. This shows her becoming the cordial man metaphorically, as she  becomes more invested in family and quality of life rather than work and the community.

In total, "The Second Mother" exhibits many traits of cordiality as mentioned in "Roots of Brazil". Two characters move down parallel paths, while in opposite directions. In many ways we see the values of Brazilian culture, shown by both the treatment on Val throughout the film, and changing values of the characters throughout.

Tonon Bioenergy 18/7/16

Today we trekked out to Tonon Bioenergy, an ethanol plant about 3 hours northwest of Sao Paulo. Unlike the jungled mountains of the Henry Borden hydroplant, the area around Tonon was primarily farm land, with rolling hills covered with crops and livestock. In a way, it reminded me of upstate New Hampshire and Vermont, with long, straight highways splitting fields and mountains. If it wasn't for the palm trees, I could almost convince myself it was the northeast. This is the obvious location for an ethanol plant, as plenty of open and fertile farmland is needed for the endless sugarcane fields.

Sugarcane Juice Extraction Process

The the process begins with harvested sugarcane. The juice is then extracted from the plant, mainly by crushing. This first process yields nearly 70% of the sugarcane juice. An additional four steps are needed to extract the remaining 30%, leaving bagasse (the dry, organic remnants) while the canejuice is pumped to large tanks elsewhere on the plant. The bagasse is then sent to a boiler where the water is boiled, producing steam, which in turn powers a turbine and creating electricity. This power is used throughout the entire plant, and the excess is sold to the grid (which is around 40 MW). The collected sugarcane juice is then fermented and distilled, which is then separated into two groups: one which is further processed into ethanol, while the rest is made into the sugar products we use on a daily basis. Sugar is one of (if not the) largest export in Brazil, and a large source of Tonon Bioenergy's profits.

The plan'ts campus was impressive in scale. The machinery was huge, with sprawling catwalks and boilers several stories high. The entire place smelled like incredibly potent sugar, leaving a sweet/mostly terrible smell. At times I nearly gagged. The thought of drinking a Coke while walking through this campus made me want to throw up, but I'm sure (I hope) you'd get use to it if exposed to that sensory overload on a daily basis. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see most of the plant's operations, as the areas were too dangerous for us to enter. We were primarily limited to seeing the infrastructure only, while the guides explained what section of the process each machine fulfilled.

Sugarcane Harvester 

The tour concluded with a walk through the nearby sugarcane fields. We were able to see the harvesting process in action, which was done using this bad larry (left). Saws above cut the cane to the appropriate height, while the 'drill' looking machines direct the cane under the machine where it is cut and ultimately shot out of a shoot in the back into large canisters (similar to a lawnmower), which are towed parallel during the operation. Paulo, one of our tour guides, cut some of the raw sugarcane for us to taste and/or eat. It was sweet, but I could take it or leave it. I'd give it a 5/10 tasty-rating.