O risco das falsas controvérsias científicas para as políticas ambientais brasileiras

Fake controversies have influenced policy making on health and environmental issues for decades, resulting in major implementation setbacks worldwide. As a case study, in this paper we examine fake controversies produced by a small group of active Brazilian researchers that have seriously impacted environmental conservation, particularly in issues related to deforestation and climate change. Based on the literature, we develop a typology of strategies deployed in fake controversies, which include manufacturing uncertainty, misusing scientific credentials, and disregarding scientific literature. Afterwards, we examine the influence of this group of contrarians at the National Congress. We then analyze the fake controversies promoted by these contrarians and argue that, to properly understand them, we need to consider a strategy so far overlooked in the literature: the manufacture of “pseudo-facts”, namely, affirmations at odds with the established literature but that strives to appear as scientific facts. Unlike other contexts, in which contrarians have mainly sought to cast doubt on consensual issues by arguing that there are still considerable uncertainties surrounding them, in Brazil pseudo-facts on deforestation have been produced and published outside the peer-reviewed literature. We conclude the study with recommendations on how to oppose fake scientific controversies that threaten environmental conservation in general.Falsas controvérsias têm influenciado a elaboração de políticas sobre questões ambientais e de saúde há décadas, resultando em grandes retrocessos na implementação dessas políticas em todo o mundo. Utilizando um estudo de caso, neste artigo são examinadas falsas controvérsias produzidas por um pequeno grupo de pesquisadores brasileiros que têm afetado seriamente a conservação ambiental, particularmente em questões relacionadas ao desmatamento e às mudanças climáticas. Com base na literatura, foi desenvolvida uma tipologia das estratégias empregadas em falsas controvérsias, que incluem a fabricação de incertezas, o uso indevido de credenciais científicas e a desconsideração da literatura científica. Posteriormente, foi examinada a influência desse grupo de negacionistas no Congresso Nacional. Analisam-se, então, as falsas controvérsias promovidas por esses negacionistas e argumenta-se que, para entendê-las adequadamente, é necessário considerar uma estratégia até agora negligenciada na literatura: a criação de “pseudofatos”, ou seja, afirmações em desacordo com a literatura científica já estabelecida, mas que são mascaradas para parecerem fatos científicos. Ao contrário de outros contextos, nos quais os negacionistas têm procurado principalmente lançar dúvidas sobre questões já consensuais, argumentando que ainda existem incertezas consideráveis em torno delas, no Brasil foram produzidos e publicados pseudofatos sobre o desmatamento fora do âmbito da literatura revisada por pares. Concluímos o estudo com recomendações sobre como se opor às falsas controvérsias científicas que ameaçam a conservação ambiental em geral

O risco das falsas controvérsias científicas para as políticas ambientais brasileiras

Versão traduzida do artigo “The risk of fake controversies for Brazilian environmental policies”, publicado no periódico Biological Conservation, v. 266,em fevereiro de 2022. Disponível em: .Tradução de Evandro L. T. P. Cunha e Letícia Santos de Lima.Falsas controvérsias têm influenciado a elaboração de políticas sobre questões ambientais e de saúde há décadas, resultando em grandes retrocessos na implementação dessas políticas em todo o mundo. Utilizando um estudo de caso, neste artigo são examinadas falsas controvérsias produzidas por um pequeno grupo de pesquisadores brasileiros que têm afetado seriamente a conservação ambiental, particularmente em questões relacionadas ao desmatamento e às mudanças climáticas. Com base na literatura, foi desenvolvida uma tipologia das estratégias empregadas em falsas controvérsias, que incluem a fabricação de incertezas, o uso indevido de credenciais científicas e a desconsideração da literatura científica. Posteriormente, foi examinada a influência desse grupo de negacionistas no Congresso Nacional. Analisam-se, então, as falsas controvérsias promovidas por esses negacionistas e argumenta-se que, para entende-las adequadamente, é necessário considerar uma estratégia até agora negligenciada na literatura: a criação de “pseudofatos”, ou seja, afirmações em desacordo com a literatura científica já estabelecida, mas que são mascaradas para parecerem fatos científicos. Ao contrário de outros contextos, nos quais os negacionistas têm procurado principalmente lançar dúvidas sobre questões já consensuais, argumentando que ainda existem incertezas consideráveis em torno delas, no Brasil foram produzidos e publicados pseudofatos sobre o desmatamento fora do âmbito da literatura revisada por pares. Concluímos o estudo com recomendações sobre como se opor às falsas controvérsias científicas que ameaçam a conservação ambiental em geral

CUBES : the Cassegrain U-band Efficient Spectrograph

In the era of Extremely Large Telescopes, the current generation of 8-10m facilities are likely to remain competitive at ground-UV wavelengths for the foreseeable future. The Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES) has been designed to provide high-efficiency (> 40%) observations in the near UV (305-400 nm requirement, 300-420 nm goal) at a spectral resolving power of R >20, 000 (with a lower-resolution, sky-limited mode of R ~7, 000). With the design focusing on maximizing the instrument throughput (ensuring a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) ~20 per high-resolution element at 313 nm for U ~18.5 mag objects in 1h of observations), it will offer new possibilities in many fields of astrophysics, providing access to key lines of stellar spectra: a tremendous diversity of iron-peak and heavy elements, lighter elements (in particular Beryllium) and light-element molecules (CO, CN, OH), as well as Balmer lines and the Balmer jump (particularly important for young stellar objects). The UV range is also critical in extragalactic studies: the circumgalactic medium of distant galaxies, the contribution of different types of sources to the cosmic UV background, the measurement of H2 and primordial Deuterium in a regime of relatively transparent intergalactic medium, and follow-up of explosive transients. The CUBES project completed a Phase A conceptual design in June 2021 and has now entered the detailed design and construction phase. First science operations are planned for 2028

Contabilizando a natureza: abrindo a caixa preta do mercado de REDD+ no Brasil

Exportado OPUSMade available in DSpace on 2019-08-14T16:28:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_camilla_marcolino.pdf: 2808393 bytes, checksum: ae2c6973a15f4e3da8d29ede7df887c5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 25O desmatamento é uma das principais causas das mudanças climáticas em escala global, visto a grande quantidade de dióxido de carbono (CO2) emitida pela mudança do uso do solo, contribuindo assim para o efeito estufa. No cenário mundial, os mecanismos de redução de emissões por desmatamento e degradação florestal (REDD+) vêm ganhando grande espaço. Em paralelo às negociações internacionais Convenção-Quadro das Nações Unidas sobre Mudança do Clima, alto número de organizações não governamentais, governos locais e empresas e comunidades locais criaram um mercado voluntário que transaciona créditos gerados por projetos de REDD+. O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar de forma crítica a criação de projetos de REDD+, o mercado de carbono voluntário e suas metodologias. Para isso, o estudo busca inspiração na Teoria Ator-Rede para compreender as múltiplas inscrições, traduções e alinhamentos que permitem o estabelecimento de projetos de REDD+ e a venda de carbono provindo de desmatamento evitado e a compra de créditos de carbono para empresas que se apresentam como carbono neutro. Este estudo também mobiliza a perspectiva dramatúrgica proposta por Erwin Goffman para analisar como os grupos que produzem e vendem créditos de carbono provindos de um projeto de REDD+ gerenciam autoimagens contraditórias em que as populações locais são ao mesmo tempo cowboys prontos para desmatar toda a floresta e índios lutando para preservá-la. A partir desta pesquisa, buscou-se compreender como surgem e são resolvidas na prática as contradições sociotécnicas inerentes ao pagamento por serviços ambientais, indo além das perspectivas que criticam esses mecanismos pela sua virtualidade ou pela sua ligação com o capitalismo e neoliberalismo. Dessa forma, o estudo enfatiza a importância de se estudar o mercado de carbono em ação e, a partir dessa compreensão, buscar novas formas de governança climática.Deforestation is one of the major cause of climate change on a global scale, given the large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by land-use change, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect. In the world scenario, mechanisms for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD +) have been gaining a lot of space. In parallelto the UNFCCC on Climate Change negotiations, a large number of non-governmental organizations, local governments and local businesses and communities have created a voluntary market that transients credits generated by REDD + projects. The present study aims to analyze the creation of REDD + projects, the voluntary carbon market and its methodologies critically. For this, the study seeks inspiration in the Actor Network Theory to understand the multiple inscriptions, translations and alignments that allow the establishment of REDD + projects and the sale of carbon from avoided deforestation and thepurchase of carbon credits by companies that present themselves as "neutral carbon". This study also mobilizes the dramaturgical perspective proposed by Erwin Goffman to analyze how the groups that produce and sell carbon credits from a REDD + project manage contradictory self-images in which local populations are at the same time "cowboys" ready to deforest the entire forest and "Indians" struggling to preserve it. From this research, we sought to understand how the sociotechnical contradictions inherent to payment for environmental services arise and are resolved in practice, going beyond the perspectives that criticize these mechanisms for their "virtuality" or their connection with capitalism andneoliberalism. Thus, the study emphasizes the importance of studying the carbon market "in action" and, from this understanding, try to discover new forms of climate governance

The risk of fake controversies for Brazilian environmental policies

Fake controversies have influenced policy making on health and environmental issues for decades, resulting in major implementation setbacks worldwide. As a case study, in this paper we examine fake controversies produced by a small group of active Brazilian researchers that have seriously impacted environmental conservation, particularly in issues related to deforestation and climate change. Based on the literature, we develop a typology of strategies deployed in fake controversies, which include manufacturing uncertainty, misusing scientific credentials, and disregarding scientific literature. Afterwards, we examine the influence of this group of contrarians at the National Congress. We then analyze the fake controversies promoted by these contrarians and argue that, to properly understand them, we need to consider a strategy so far overlooked in the literature: the manufacture of “pseudo-facts”, namely, affirmations at odds with the established literature but that strives to appear as scientific facts. Unlike other contexts, in which contrarians have mainly sought to cast doubt on consensual issues by arguing that there are still considerable uncertainties surrounding them, in Brazil pseudo-facts on deforestation have been produced and published outside the peer-reviewed literature. We conclude the study with recommendations on how to oppose fake scientific controversies that threaten environmental conservation in general

The CUBES science case

International audienceWe introduce the scientific motivations for the development of the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES) that is now in construction for the Very Large Telescope. The assembled cases span a broad range of contemporary topics across Solar System, Galactic and extragalactic astronomy, where observations are limited by the performance of current ground-based spectrographs shortwards of 400 nm. A brief background to each case is presented and specific technical requirements on the instrument design that flow-down from each case are identified. These were used as inputs to the CUBES design, that will provide a factor of ten gain in efficiency for astronomical spectroscopy over 300-405 nm, at resolving powers of R ∼ 24,000 and ∼7,000. We include performance estimates that demonstrate the ability of CUBES to observe sources that are up to three magnitudes fainter than currently possible at ground-ultraviolet wavelengths, and we place its predicted performance in the context of existing facillities

CUBES, the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph

In the era of Extremely Large Telescopes, the current generation of 8-10m facilities are likely to remain competitive at ground-UV wavelengths for the foreseeable future. The Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph (CUBES) has been designed to provide high-efficiency (>40%) observations in the near UV (305-400 nm requirement, 300-420 nm goal) at a spectral resolving power of R>20,000 (with a lower-resolution, sky-limited mode of R ~ 7,000). With the design focusing on maximizing the instrument throughput (ensuring a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) ~20 per high-resolution element at 313 nm for U ~18.5 mag objects in 1h of observations), it will offer new possibilities in many fields of astrophysics, providing access to key lines of stellar spectra: a tremendous diversity of iron-peak and heavy elements, lighter elements (in particular Beryllium) and light-element molecules (CO, CN, OH), as well as Balmer lines and the Balmer jump (particularly important for young stellar objects). The UV range is also critical in extragalactic studies: the circumgalactic medium of distant galaxies, the contribution of different types of sources to the cosmic UV background, the measurement of H2 and primordial Deuterium in a regime of relatively transparent intergalactic medium, and follow-up of explosive transients. The CUBES project completed a Phase A conceptual design in June 2021 and has now entered the detailed design and construction phase. First science operations are planned for 2028