Clipping of news on Brazilian Culture, Law and Citizenship
04/09/2013
This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.
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Protest of the second study , only 32 % of consumers have acted to reduce the consumption of light in the last 10 years
Photo : Illustration by André Mello
Of ten Brazilians , only three have adopted some action to reduce the consumption of electricity in their homes in the last decade . The blackout in the nine states in the Northeast last week made a lot of people remember the rationing that affected the country in 2001 . Twelve years after being confronted by serious difficulties to maintain their habits , consumers today do not seem to give much more importance to the issue, according to a survey conducted by Protest - Consumers Association .
According to the survey conducted nationwide among members of the organization, only 32 % had taken some action to reduce electricity consumption since 2003 . In addition , 42 % said they had air - conditioning and more than half ( 24 % ) admitted using it not only on hot days , but also to warm environments during the winter .
The survey was also conducted in Belgium, Italy , Portugal and Spain. The only positive highlight , according to Protest was recorded between the Belgians : 58 % reported having taken at least one action in the past decade to save energy in their homes . In three other countries , the results were similar to those in Brazil .
For the institutional coordinator of Protest , Maria Ines Dolci , the conclusion of the survey is worrisome , especially since the Brazilian, in recent years , started to be able to acquire more electronics :
- Few realize the impact that excessive consumption of electrical energy have in your household budget. And who did not realize adopts measures thinking in sustainable consumption . Although the cost of energy is high, the Brazilian does not seem to be as concerned with the bill to pay at the end of the month .
The bill of Brazilians is not among the highest in comparison with other countries . While the average monthly cost is $ 118 per here , pay € 116.10 Spaniards and the Portuguese , € 91.90 . " And the Belgians and Italians have cost € 171.4 and € 131.7 , respectively , we must consider that the average European wage is higher than the Brazilian . And besides , these countries have winters much stricter than ours , requiring greater use of electricity for heating. Ie , use less and pay more , "says the Protest .
Melissa Reis , a researcher 's technical institution , says he was surprised with another aspect of the research. The fact that the Brazilian show interest in sustainable consumption and yet not to adopt attitudes that make a difference in the long run , both for the environment and for the household budget . Only 21 % of respondents have made at least one change of character energy for environmental reasons .
- The issue of sustainability is highly regarded by consumers , previous research confirm this. But at the same time, almost all respondents to this survey said they invest some money to reduce heat or warm the rooms of the house , for example. Attitudes most mentioned refer to installation of curtains in the windows - says Melissa .
Short-term thinking
According to the researcher 's Protest , the Brazilian is eager . If you do not see the possibility of immediate gain on an investment , it gives up . This would explain the fact that the use of solar panels for water heating have been mentioned by only 8 % of the survey participants . The majority ( 57 % ) continue to use electric showers .
- They think, why am I now spend only ten years from now I understand the economy ? So do not, for example, architectural designs that facilitate the movement of light and ventilation, which already reduces the need for equipment to cool environments - says Melissa .
The study also showed that lack of information on how to save , reduce the weight of consumption in the budget and still be sustainable without sacrificing comfort . Most respondents ( 75 %) consider their level of knowledge about energy saving low or medium .
The economist Sergio Besserman also highlights this problem . He said the installation of solar panels for water heating , for example, has not cost much - on average $ 5000 - as many consumers assume . The option for electricity makes the Brazilian still paying more .
- The price will rise . You need to see a way to not punish the poorest , however, no way, this is the cost . The government should encourage, for example, the adoption of solar panels in real estate program Minha Casa Minha Vida .
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Source : The Globe - Online
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This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.