This study aims to deepen the understanding of the role of the urban mobility sector in the current and future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a middle-sized city of Brazil, which is also a developing economy. With the cross-reference between road and rail mobility data, governmental mobility planning, the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission quantification methodology, and the creation of scenarios for up to 10 subsequent years, it is possible to verify that individual motorized transport accounts for 60% of the total emissions from the urban transportation sector, with the largest amount of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO_2eq) emissions per passenger among all of the forms of mobility. However, in the case of this study, government mobility planning, by not encouraging more energy-efficient transport and non-motorized modes, ends up aggravating GHG emissions in the scenarios considered for 2020 and 2025. In turn, the mitigation scenarios proposed herein integrate public transport and non-motorized transport solutions that would reduce the total of equivalent carbon dioxide (tCO_2eq) by at least 45,000 tCO_2eq per year by 2025. This cross-referencing of the environmental impact of government mobility policies can be replicated in other cities in developing countries that do not yet present municipal inventories or emission monitoring.

The energy sector and electricity generation in particular, is responsible for a great share of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. World electricity generation is still largely based on the burning of fossil fuels. However, Brazil has already a very low electricity carbon intensity due to the country’s large hydropower capacity. In countries with low grid carbon intensities such as Brazil, the investment in photovoltaic solar systems (PVSS) even if it is cost-effective, might become challenging as any new generation competes essentially against other renewable generation and the carbon offset is not a key driver for investment anymore. This study builds further upon that case to examine if national renewable energy incentives could actually lead to an increase of global net carbon emissions from the installation of PVSS in countries with a low grid carbon intensity. The study presents a life cycle analysis (LCA) of ten photovoltaic systems representative of the different operational conditions in regions across Brazil. It was found that the average energy payback time of the studied PV plants is between 3 and 5 years of operation. This result shows the feasibility and viability of such investments in the Brazilian context. When the LCA was integrated into the analysis though, the results showed that the “local” direct emissions avoidance from two out of ten studied PV plants would not manage to offset their “global” life cycle emissions due to the 2020 projected Brazilian grid emission factor which is already low. It is important to recognize that public policies of unrestricted, unconditional stimulus to photovoltaic systems investment might not help towards reducing global net emissions when the PV systems are installed at countries with a low carbon emission electric matrix. That is also something to consider for other countries as the carbon intensity of their grids will start reducing at levels similar to Brazil’s. It is likely that in the near future, the real net carbon offset achieved by PV systems at the global level will be largely defined by the manufacture procedures and the production’s carbon intensity at the country of origin of the PV panels.

O processo de registo técnico de um edifício já construído, normalmente denominado “As built”, envolve a mobilização de equipes para registo fotográfico, medição de ambientes, levantamentos topográficos e caracterização de sistemas construtivos. Este processo de captação de dados torna-se mais complexo quando se tratam de edificações com interesse histórico e que utilizam técnicas construtivas da época. Nesse contexto, foi desenvolvido o Projeto Mais Incra, projeto de extensão que envolveu alunos e professores do curso de Engenharia Civil do IFRN e o Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária (INCRA), com o objetivo de elaborar propostas técnicas para utilização de edificações existentes em assentamentos selecionados do INCRA no Rio Grande do Norte. As edificações selecionadas foram antigas casas de propriedades rurais, que passaram a ter um uso não adequado às necessidades dos assentamentos rurais constituídos. Este artigo apresenta a ferramenta de otimização de projeto para um edifício denominada gêmeos digitais. Foi criado um modelo digital do ambiente construído, obtido através da plataforma Matterport para geração de gêmeos digitais, utilizando uma câmera 360º e seu software nativo de processamento de imagem. O modelo digital do ambiente construído possibilitou reduzir o número de visitas a campo e aprimorar os relatórios técnicos e plantas gerados.

Environmental awareness in high school is essential for the development of responsible citizens, capable of understanding and acting on environmental issues. Pollution is one of the greatest challenges faced globally, affecting human health and the environment. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of high school students from a state school in Natal (RN, Brazil)) about the types of pollution. The research was conducted with the participation of 89 students. The results indicated that, although there was a good understanding of pollution, some misconceptions were observed. The study is aligned with the SDGs, highlighting the importance of integrating these concepts into daily school life.

A evolução e dispersão da humanidade deu origem a diversas modificações nas relações oriundas da dicotomia entre sociedade e natureza, especialmente no que diz respeito ao uso e cobertura da terra. Atualmente, tais transformações estão presentes por todo o planeta, causando alterações no equilíbrio dos ecossistemas naturais. No Brasil, o planejamento ambiental emergiu em meio ao golpe militar, durante a década de 1970 e evoluiu de forma gradual nos últimos 50 anos, frequentemente deslocado da realidade e ocupando lugar secundário nas pautas políticas e econômicas. Nesse cenário, o presente artigo propõe, por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica, discutir a evolução do planejamento costeiro no Brasil, particularmente diante da ótica turística presente na Vila de Pipa, em Tibau do Sul, no estado do Rio Grande do Norte (RN). O objetivo principal da pesquisa é identificar lacunas, que deem suporte a uma gestão mais eficiente e equitativa dos recursos naturais em áreas litorâneas, particularmente aquelas com falésias vivas. Os resultados apontam para a falta de articulação entre os atores responsáveis pelo gerenciamento dessas porções do território, repercutindo na deterioração da qualidade ambiental nessas localidades. A pesquisa sugere a necessidade de uma abordagem mais integrada e coordenada para a gestão costeira no Brasil.