Brazil

Last edited: 14 June 2020

Brazilian garbage scavengers make solar cookers from scavenged materials using plans that they found here.

Online events[edit source]

Carnegie Science Center Café Scientifique

NEW: Monday, 2 November 2020 (7-9 p.m. EST, 11 p.m.-1 a.m. GMT): D.A.R.E to Solar Cook - The Physics of Cooking with Sunshine - The Carnegie Science Center is sponsoring a Café Scientifique. Solar advocates Mary Buchenic and Jennifer Gasser will share their experiences promoting the solar cooking STEM curriculum, and Dr. Alan Bigelow, SCI Science Director, will discuss the technical details of solar cooking and incorporating the science of materials and light optics. Participation in the event is free, but pre-registration is required. Registration information

NEW: 3-6 November 2020: The 5th International Conference on New Energy and Future Energy Systems - A scientific interchange among researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners from around the world. They gather to share their latest achievements, and discuss the possible challenges for current energy and future energy systems. More information...

Mexico online presetation, 23-27 Nov. 2020.png

NEW: 23 - 27 November 2020: 1er. Congreso Nacional de Secado Solar y Cocción Solar de Alimentos - Presentación en línea de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), en español. Contacto: ensycsa@ier.unam.mx

December 2020: SWC50 – The Century of Solar - In 1970 solar research pioneers met at the first International Solar Energy Society (ISES) Conference in Melbourne Australia. ISES is commemorating this Conference with a special 50th Anniversary Conference and Display, called the Solar World Congress at 50 (SWC50). The face-to-face conference, originally scheduled for 2-4 December 2020, will be replaced by a series of eight virtual conferences over the course of the month in December 2020. It will include the same panel sessions that were planned for the in-person planned event. More information...

Have your event listed here by emailing webmaster@solarcooking.org.

See also: Global Calendar of Events and past events in Brazil

News[edit | edit source]

March 2020: Prof. Elmo Dutra Filho – Teaching Solar Cooking to Poor People in Brazil - SunPod

August 2019: Elmo Dutra, from Fogão Solar, represented solar cooking at the seminar on sustainable urban management in the legislative assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil on August 8th.

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June 2017: New solar cooks in Morro da Cruz - Long time thermal solar advocate, Professor Elmo Dutra, conducted a solar cooking workshop in Morro da Cruz on the basics of how to construct and use solar panel cookers. The simple cookers were able to reach 180 °C (356 °F). Happy with the results, the new solar cooks are enthusiastic to show others what they have learned.

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May 2017: Contribute your data: Drive solar cooking results - Solar cooking contributes to long-term progress from cleaner, more efficient, sustainable cooking solutions worldwide. It is crucial to convey the positive health, economic, and environmental impacts of solar cooking to government agencies and other stakeholders. To help build this case, SCI is reaching out to all solar cooking partners. SCI invites your input in the form of data on baseline information, number and type of solar cookers, number of years of the project, location, outcomes, etc. With your help, we can work to include solar-thermal cooking in national energy and sustainability plans. You provide
- Number of solar cookers
- Type
- Location
- Time period
- Distributed
- Sold
- Manufactured

Submit your solar cooking data by filling out a simple form on the Solar Cookers International website or email info@solarcookers.org.

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History[edit | edit source]

Main article: History of solar cooking

Archived articles

Climate and culture[edit | edit source]

Solar Cookers International has rated Brazil as the #7 country in the world in terms of solar cooking potential (See: The 25 countries with the most solar cooking potential). The estimated number of people in Brazil with fuel scarcity but ample sun in 2020 is 8,400,000.

In Brazil, huge areas are being transformed into deserts, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul and in the Northeast. By percentages, the state most affected by the desertification is Rio Grande do Norte, with 80.5% of its territory virtually transformed into desert, followed by Pernambuco with 75.2%, Paraiba with 70.3%, Ceara with 59.7%, and Sergipe with 31.3%.

Brazil loses about 300 million dollars annually due to the desertification that takes place principally in the states of the Northeast region and in the north of Minas Gerais. The Brazilian Government’s Annual Report, regarding the major flora of the world, shows that the destruction of the Amazon’s flora continues in a constant rhythm with the growth inspection around the risk areas. The Brazilian Amazon lost 16,926 km2 from the forests between 1998 and 1999.

But the actions up until that time put into effect by the Department of the Environment contributed to a strong reduction in the areas of the Amazon forest that were cleared, and already saw a fall of 90% in 2009.

The reduction of these extensive green areas is responsible for the reduction of rainfall levels, for the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which ultimately causes the greenhouse effect, even turning soil vulnerable to erosion.

The daily demand of firewood per family would be 3.1 kg (6.8 lbs), which is near 1131.5 kg (2489.3 lbs) annually. This reasoning assumes that the mass use of firewood is for food preparation.

According to the UN "one forth part of the Brazilian territory is threatened by the process of accelerated desertification." The introduction and use of solar cookers represents a priceless contribution to reducing desertification, soil erosion, and assuring the survival of the people, animals, and natural resources.

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