Effects of Orientations, Aspect Ratios, Pavement Materials and Vegetation Elements on Thermal Stress inside Typical Urban Canyons

The analysis of local climate conditions to test artificial urban boundaries and related climate hazards through modelling tools should become a common practice to inform public authorities about the benefits of planning alternatives. Different finishing materials and sheltering objects within urban canyons (UCs) can be tested, predicted and compared through quantitative and qualitative understanding of the relationships between the microclimatic environment and subjective thermal assessment. This process can work as support planning instrument in the early design phases as has been done in this study that aims to analyze the thermal stress within typical UCs of Bilbao (Spain) in summertime through the evaluation of Physiologically Equivalent Temperature using ENVI-met. The UCs are characterized by different orientations, height-to-width aspect ratios, pavement materials, trees’ dimensions and planting pattern. Firstly, the current situation was analyzed; secondly, the effects of asphalt and red brick stones as streets’ pavement materials were compared; thirdly, the benefits of vegetation elements were tested. The analysis demonstrated that orientation and aspect ratio strongly affect the magnitude and duration of the thermal peaks at pedestrian level; while the vegetation elements improve the thermal comfort up to two thermophysiological assessment classes. The outcomes of this study, were transferred and visualized into green planning recommendations for new and consolidated urban areas in Bilbao.The work leading to these results has received funding from COST Action TU0902, the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement No. 308497, Project RAMSES—Reconciling Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable Development for Cities (2012–2017) and Diputación Foral de Bizkaia Exp. 6-12-TK-2010-0027, Project SICURB-ITS- Desarrollo de Sistemas para el análisis de la Contaminación atmosférica en zonas URBanas integrados en ITS (2010–2011)

Antivivissecção na educação científica : uma proposta didática para a licenciatura em ciências biológicas

No contexto do presente trabalho, o termo vivissecção se refere a experimentos realizados com animais não humanos vivos no ensino visando observação, indução, ou constatação de fenômenos. O principal objetivo foi favorecer, através de uma estratégia didática, a construção de conceitos sobre antivivissecção pelos interlocutores da pesquisa. O trabalho foi desenvolvido durante um curso de formação ministrado a acadêmicos e professores da área de Licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas. O instrumento de coleta de dados consistiu em um questionário com questões abertas e fechadas. Os resultados chamam a atenção sobre a efetividade do planejamento e seleção adequada de recursos para a compreensão de conceitos sobre antivivissecção na Educação Científica. Também fornecem subsídios para se pensar a visão hegemônica utilitarista e especista no Ensino de Ciências