Homework #8

Upon arrival at the office of the secretary, there was a great contrast between the poverty stricken area surrounding the office and the luxurious setup of the conference room. I feel that this may be telling to a misappropriation of social funds by the state government of Sao Paulo, however the state is certainly appropriating a correct portion of funds toward renewable energy resources. I was thoroughly impressed by nearly 60% of their energy resources being renewable. This is remarkably ahead of the rest of the world.

It's no surprise because the state of Sao Paulo has capitalized on their abundant sugar cane and hydroelectric resources. Their initiatives with tax incentives, electric company competition, and microgeneration are simple methods that have made a world of difference. They are also not stopping their renewable resource expansion anytime soon. Most importantly, the state serves as a role model for local municipalities across the world. While other states may not have the same resource possibilities as Sao Paulo, they proved that only a few powerful resources can lead to sustainability.

Nonetheless, they are starting to heavily pursue solar energy resources to broaden their portfolio. While this is not the most powerful resource, I admired their ability to learn from their experience with the drought. With the addition of solar, Sao Paulo would be more able to sustain their energy during a drought, whereas biomass, biofuels, hydroelectric, and forestry are greatly susceptible to drought.

Speaking of forestry, I did not know about trees being used as biomass. While it should have been self explanatory, I just never saw the growth time for trees as making it a viable energy resources. I am also interested to know the efficiency of this process because of the long gestation that is required, as well as the carbon dioxide output of burning this timber.

In the end, I could talk about the intriguing aspects of this trip for pages, but I want to make sure that I express how honored I am to have experienced this. Being able to pick the brains of these respected guides of the state of Sao Paulo was a spectacular experience that I will not forget.