At the IPMA – the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (1), ECO123 talked with Dr. Pedro Viterbo, a member of the IPCC – the International Panel on Climate Change (2) in order to find out more details on the IPCC’s report and its conclusions. We also questioned him about the role of the IPCC in government decisions and sought to learn more about the actions necessary to fostering sustainability in the economy and its ecology without mortgaging the future of generations to come. ECO123: What is the IPCC? Pedro Viterbo: The IPCC is a panel set up …
Read More »Rediscovering the past of a profession with a future.
The Cobbler Shoes of one sort or another are as old as the need to protect our feet from the climate and the surrounding territory. From this need emerged the profession of the cobbler. The estimated date for a shoe found in Armenia in 2008 by a group of scientists from the University of Cork (Ireland) come in at around 5500 BC. Despite the art of shoemaking commonly being attributed to ancient Egypt, there is evidence from Palaeolithic paintings found in caves in the south of France that their history actually stretches back to 10000 BC. According to “legend”, in …
Read More »Rui André
President of Monchique municipal council: ECO123: How can we create a Portugal without forest fires? Rui André: In Monchique, there have been a number of fires, but the strategy of a very powerful initial attack has enabled almost all of them to be put out right at the start. Given the vulnerability of the region, we see these results as being very positive, but we have also been quite lucky. In other places, and with the same strategy, unfortunately this year there have been fires like the ones here in 2003. There’s a lot of work ahead of us. There are …
Read More »João Manuel Antunes
Lieutnant-Colonel; Chief of the Nature and Environment Protection Service ECO123: In your opinion, what it the solution for the forest fires in Portugal? GNR: Allow me to begin my response by stating that fires are not fought, fires are avoided. This leads us to the prevention phase. Immediate prevention, let’s call it, which implies raising the awareness of people who live in the rural areas so as to draw attention to behaviours which should be avoided and to prevention campaigns which must be implemented periodically before the summer period. For short- to medium-term results, campaigns and awareness-raising among the young …
Read More »Fernando Castelo
ECO123: What is needed in order not to have forest fires in Portugal in 2014? Fernando Castelo, former chief of the voluntary fire-fighters of Portimão, in the senior officers reserve, responded: More inspection activity is needed, for example in the case of burning and clearing the land, and penalising those people who do not comply with the law. T his is the work of the security forces, especially the GNR, but there should be a role involving more intervention by the fire brigades, through a change in the law. There should also be information and training campaigns carried out among …
Read More »José Realinho
Commandant of the Special Firefighting Force – National Civil Defence Authority ECO123: What is needed for there to be no forest fires in Portugal? That’s impossible, whatever we do from 2013 to 2014, it’s impossible. In any case, we must firstly try to minimise forest fires, mainly the number, because our country has a very large number when compared with the rest of Europe. By reducing the number of fires, we will be more effective in firefighting as there will be more resources available, and we will certainly be able to respond in a more appropriate and balanced manner. To …
Read More »Vítor Vaz Pinto
The Operations Commander of the Algarve District Group of the ANPC (National Civil Defence Authority) Vítor Vaz Pinto, explained to ECO123 what measures had been taken to avoid fires in the Algarve in 2014: There is a concerted effort for fire prevention, the responsibility of three bodies: the Nature Conservation Institute, for the structural and awareness-raising part; the National Republican Guard (GNR), for prevention activities, namely vigilance, detection and inspection; and the National Civil Defence Authority for the coordination of the firefighting work, reflash watch and vigilance after the fire. Based on civil defence operations recorded in 2012, the District …
Read More »Doutora Cristina Soeiro
Doctor Cristina Soeiro – Coordinating Psychologist of the Psychology and Selection Office of the Higher Institute of the Criminal Police and Sciences The reduction in the problem of fires in a forestry context in Portugal involves multi-disciplinary and integrated intervention involving, in the short term: Penalising risk behaviours demonstrated by the general population; A plan for forestry management – which involves analysing the species of trees that should be planted bearing in mind the different types of land and climate that exist in the country; Clearing the forested areas adequately and at the right time; Working more closely with offenders …
Read More »Almeida Reis
Captain Almeida Reis – Head of pilots and jointly in charge of the air activities of INAER (1) ECO123: What is needed for there to be no fires in Portugal? As far as firefighting is concerned, it is completely in our interests that the fires are reduced as much as possible, the industry has no interest in fires per se. It is a dangerous situation, the danger increases and other factors come in that are not favourable. In personal terms, I think that the question about not having fires will always be linked to issues of prevention or behaviour, not …
Read More »The market in the service of people?
ECO123 was present at the International Meeting of Commissions of the Economy of Communion, which took place between 18th and 20th October in Abrigada. During the short breaks, it was possible to hold short interviews with two notable participants, with the aim of finding out more about the meaning and the motivations of the initiative. ECO123 talked to Luigino Bruni, the international head of the Economy of Communion and professor at the University of Florence, and with António Faria, managing partner of the Group Faria & Irmão, Lda. (one of the companies in Portugal participating in the Economy of Communion …
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