1MW in the world – Brazil by Bronte Hogarth – 1MW International Correspondent
Hi 1 Million Women.
It’s been a big week for me again here in Brazil. Hope you caught my post – Brazil’s foundations for a big future in Solar.
So what’s been happening? I’ve been discovering the climate change and environment organisations located here in Brazil (which I was surprised to find there are not so many). I made a beautiful looking spreadsheet of them all, and I’m ready to start making contact about what I’m doing here for 1 Million Women.
Once I finished my spreadsheet, I was feeling good, really organised! Looking at my spreadsheet (definitely the nicest one I ever made) I then remembered the biggest challenge facing me here right now…a BIG language barrier!
As I said in my last post, my Portuguese is getting better (luckily I already knew how to speak Spanish before I arrived here, which has helped me a lot). I am understanding quite easily when people speak slowly, and reading is going well, but I’m not at the level yet where I can just call up an organisation and have a fluent conversation in Portuguese.
So to get me started making connections, I need help. What I need is a translator (and not Google Translator, it’s great, but often get’s things very wrong). So to avoid awkward situations that may come from bad translations, luckily I know someone who can help me. Luiz, my boyfriend. In Portuguese you say – meu namorado. His English is great, and obviously so is his Portuguese.
I have written an email in English to be translated into Portuguese which I will send out to the organisations- introducing myself, 1 Million Women and asking how we could help each other out. Along with writing posts about Brazil’s environment news and my own research pieces, my goal is to start meeting the influential and inspiring women in this country who are acting on climate change. Within these organisations I’m sure there are many.
The reason for this post being called Another Sunburnt Country is because this week I was lucky enough to go camping. The city I am living in here is called Uberlandia. Just outside of this city, there are many farms. It’s a great region for farming because of the red earth, which I commented driving past “I feel like I am in Australia”, the rich red soil reminding me of the sunburnt country that is my home. These fertile soils or areas of terra roxa (red earth), are found largely in the states of Parana and Sao Paulo, and in some areas of Minas Gerais where Uberlandia is located.
It made me think just how diverse the different regions of Brazil are. It’s no wonder the government have difficulty creating an environment policy for whole country when there are so many different environments within, and a land mass that covers nearly half of South America. From the Amazon jungle, to the drier inland farming areas, to the coastal zones which are noted for thousands of kilometers of tropical beaches interspersed with mangroves, lagoons, dunes and numerous coral reefs.
As I commented last week, Brazil’s policies regarding the environment are generally advanced, although their implementation and the enforcement of environmental laws is what needs greater attention. I am hoping to gain more knowledge on the policies from talking with the environment organisations.
For next week, I am working on another Brazilian inspired recipe for Foodie Weekender, and by working on yes I mean cooking and eating, so I hope you all get excited to try a new recipe next week too.
Here are some photos below from my first camping experience in Brazil!
Until next week, Ate logo!
Bronte xxx
We are daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers getting on with practical climate action to live better for us and the planet. Join the movement at www.1millionwomen.com.au
1 Million Women 