Recently, São Paulo recorded a “power outage.” First, due to high consumption due to the extreme heat that overburdened the power system, the subsequent heavy rains left several municipalities in the interior of the state without electricity, as well as several neighborhoods in the capital, São Paulo.
Also recently recorded was the first transatlantic flight (London-New York) of Virgin Atlantic (read Richard Branson), using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF, in English), composed of 88% residual fats and 12% vegetable sugars.
At the end of the same month, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the so-called COP 28, was launched in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), which aims to discuss and propose concrete solutions to mitigate the effects of global warming.
The burning question is: What do these very different events have in common? The answer that unites the above events is the word energy.
Since the discovery of fire, through the industrial revolution and the dawn of artificial intelligence, humanity has become dependent on energy for its survival and quality of life. The case of São Paulo confirmed this statement.
The possibility of depleting non-renewable energy sources and their impact on the climate as a result of their large consumption has led to the search for sustainable alternative sources with less environmental shocks. In this sense, Brazil has the best conditions to become one of the largest producers of sustainable energy. In addition to its territorial reach, it has an excellent system in terms of exposure to sunlight, wind, ethanol production, and water availability.
Thus, for example, areas of the semi-arid zone, which are considered unviable from an economic point of view, but with high exposure to sunlight, can become an important source of photovoltaic energy production with the aim of promoting a leap in the quality of life of the local population., As a result of exploiting this Renewable energy.
Finally, if we look at COP 28, what stands out is that its host is one of the world’s largest oil producers. It can be seen that its participation in this event has a forward-looking outlook, as without giving up its main wealth (oil), it is already building the bases for its potential replacement. Here’s a tip for all of us!
*Professor at Faculdade Presbiteriana Mackenzie Brasília (FPMB) and Coordinator of the Legal Practice Lab
