The Maré Complex produces a large amount of waste daily. Part of this material is being transformed into bio-jewelry thanks to a project by Tiago Carlos do Nascimento. On November 14th and 15th, the environmental activist, along with other members of the Young Scientists program, will showcase his creations at the Science for Climate Festival in the Quinta da Boa Vista Imperial Park in São Cristóvão. Sponsored by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, through the Municipal Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SMCT), in partnership with the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC), the third edition of the festival will feature exhibitions, immersive experiences, educational and interactive games, discussion panels, and performances by the groups Samba do Sacramento and Samba Solto. All free of charge.
"Science is a great ally in transforming the planet. And, to have a more just, developed, and sustainable city, we need our young scientists, especially those who live in the territories that most need interventions and innovations from the public authorities," said the Secretary of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Tatiana Roque.
Born and raised in Baixa do Sapateiro, in the Complexo da Maré, environmental activist Tiago Carlos do Nascimento, 28, is part of the second edition of the Young Scientists of Rio program. Conceived by SMCT, in partnership with the Integrated Center for Studies and Programs of Sustainable Development (Cieds), the program distributed scholarships of R$ 800 for six months to students to develop their innovative ideas in 12 different Knowledge Centers.
– Last year, we created Recriando Maré, which transforms waste into opportunities. The collective's mission is to address two major challenges in the area: the excess of solid waste and the economic vulnerability of community residents. With this dual objective, the first workshops on environmental education and sustainable entrepreneurship emerged, such as those on bio-jewelry, created from used coffee capsules, which combined income generation and environmental care – explained Tiago, who is in his final year of Marine Biology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
According to the environmental activist and UN-Habitat consultant for the new PAC (Growth Acceleration Program) in Maré, the Recriando Maré project can be taken to other communities.
– What I want most is to take the project to other territories. Maré isn't just about violence. There are people there who are thinking about sustainability and developing technologies to mitigate the effects of climate change.
More than 20 institutions, NGOs, and collectives are participating in the two-day festival at Quinta da Boa Vista. Topics to be discussed include environmental education in the city's poorest and most vulnerable areas, public funding policies for science, the creation of green jobs, and ways to increase climate resilience in Rio de Janeiro, among others.
There will be 21 educational and research institutions, civil society organizations, and collectives committed to knowledge and the future of the planet gathered there. All will offer activities for festival participants. In addition to UFRJ and Uerj, representatives from Fiocruz, Colégio Pedro II, the Brazilian Center for Physics Research (CBPF), the Museum of Earth Sciences (MCTer), the Rio Planetarium, Sesi-RJ, the Instituto Ciência Hoje, Espaço Ciência Viva, and others will be present in São Cristóvão.
Agenda
Day 14
10:00 AM – Roundtable discussion: “Environmental education in favela territories against climate racism”
11:00 AM – Roundtable discussion: “What opportunities for economic development and the creation of green jobs can be developed in Rio?”
14 PM – Screening of the play “Céu de Pindorama” – Instituto Ciência Hoje
15 PM – Roundtable discussion: “What are the impacts of climate change on the Rio de Janeiro coastline?”
16 PM – Roundtable Discussion: “How to increase climate resilience in the city of Rio de Janeiro?”
17 PM – Roundtable Discussion: “Public Funding Policies for Science”
18 PM – Samba circle: Performance by the Samba do Sacramento group
Day 15
10:00 AM – Roundtable discussion: “Popularizing science as a territorial strategy for social inclusion”
11:00 AM – Roundtable discussion: “Science education against denialism”
13 PM – Roundtable discussion: “Impacts of climate change on the oceans”
14 PM – Roundtable discussion: “Young Scientists of Rio Program – “The new frontier of science communication: social media”
15 PM – Roundtable discussion: “Young Scientists of Rio Program – “Educating for tomorrow: ethnic-racial relations, territory and climate of transformation”
16 PM – Roundtable discussion: “Young Scientists of Rio Program – “The drumbeat educates: samba, education and memory as knowledge of the territory”
17 PM – Samba Circle: Performance by the group Samba Solto
Science for Climate Festival
Days: November 14nd and 15rd
Free entry
Hours: 10am to 18pm (Friday, the 14th) – 10am to 17pm (Saturday, the 15th)
Location: Quinta da Boa Vista Imperial Park in São Cristóvão – in front of the Temple of Apollo
Address: Av. Pedro II, s/n, São Cristóvão
