Francisco Arthur da Silva Vecchia

Thermal Behavior of Green Roofs Applied to Tropical Climate

The main goal of this paper is to present results on an experimental field about the green roofs thermal behavior, compared to other traditional roof covering systems. On the one hand, it intends to describe shortly the constructive system of a green roof with a lightweight building system, which has a sustainable building materials character and, on the other, it worries with the water reuse and with the run-off delay. The main methodological procedure adopted to study the thermal behavior of green roof was installing thermocouples to collect surface temperatures and indoor air, later comparing them with existing prototypes in an experimental plot. The thermal behavior analysis of cover systems was assessed by a representative episode of the climate fact, based on the dynamic climate approach. The experimental results from internal air temperature measurements show that the green roofs applied to warm and dry climates also provide an interesting time lag with surface and internal air temperature reduction.

AS ABORDAGENS CLÁSSICA E DINÂMICA DE CLIMA: UMA REVISÃO BIBLIOGRÁFICA APLICADA AO TEMA DA COMPREENSÃO DA REALIDADE CLIMÁTICA

The present study aimed to elaborate a critical analysis about thetwo most disseminated climate approaches in Brazil: the traditional view(classic climatology) and the dynamic one (dynamic climatology). Thiswork was done by using a literature review, as well as the state of the art ofthe subject that was studied. The evolution of climate conceptions is showedin a chronological way, presenting the most important ideas of differentauthors. Besides, the procedure methods adopted in each approach, theclassic one and the dynamic one, are showed with critical analysis. It waspossible to observe that traditional approach is still dominant and manyteaching institutions have largely been using it. Nevertheless, the dynamicapproach has progressively been acquiring space when the interdependencyof climate elements is considered to better understand the processes, in anintegrated way.

Thermal Response to Heat in Buildings with Green Covers for Tropical Climate: Green Facades and Green Roofs

The main aims of this paper were to study and demonstrate the benefits the plant systems can provide indoors in a critical heat day. This study proposed an experimental method to try to understand the thermal response to heat of four different systems: a prototype called control (no vegetation) and three with different combinations of vegetation (green roofs and green facades) installed in a tropical climate region. The experiments were developed in four test cells with dimensions 2.0 m × 2.50 m × 2.71 m. Measurements of internal surface temperatures and internal air temperatures were collected with the use of specific equipment, a data logger (CR1000, Campbell Scientific Inc.), connected with two multiplexers 32 channels (416AM Campbell Scientific Inc.). Data were recorded over a year and a critical day heat was selected, which was September 24, 2015.The results show that the use of plant systems in buildings establishes a passive technique in reducing energy consumption because of the high incidence of summer solar radiation which is reduced and simultaneously, it maintains thermal internal conditions more pleasant than external ones, because of the best thermal behaviour, which was observed in the test cell with vegetation on both roofs and facades. The biggest difference between maximum internal air temperatures registered was 2 °C.

Evolução (2004-2017) do interesse mundial pelas mudanças climáticas e aquecimento global: influência da ciência, mídia, política, economia e controvérsias

O crescimento das discussoes ambientais na decada de 1980 gradualmente fez crescer a notoriedade publica e o interesse pelo tema das mudancas climaticas e aquecimento global. Para rastrear a evolucao desse interesse publico no periodo de 2004 a 2017, utilizaram-se series do Google Trends contendo o historico de buscas por palavras associadas ao tema. Como resultado, graficos permitiram identificar eventos marcantes em dois momentos distintos. O primeiro episodio foi o auge do interesse pelo tema em 2007, influenciado por tres fatos: o lancamento do filme Uma Verdade Inconveniente, de Al Gore, agraciado com o Oscar de 2006; a publicacao de Relatorio do IPCC, e o Premio Nobel da Paz concedido ao IPCC e a Al Gore. O segundo episodio marcante envolveu um escândalo cientifico (Climategate), em 2009, no auge de uma crise economica que, ao trazer desemprego, desviou o foco da atencao das pessoas para questoes economicas e reduziu o nivel de preocupacao com questoes do clima. O declinio do interesse pelas mudancas climaticas foi analisado segundo o “ciclo de problema-atencao”, no qual as mudancas climaticas como principais noticias sofrem limitada capacidade de atencao publica diante da concorrencia de noticias associadas a questoes economicas prioritarias. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Efeito estufa, comunicacao, entendimento publico da ciencia

Thermal Behaviour in Buildings with Green Covers Combined with Natural Ventilation, Green Facades and Green Roofs

The main aim of this paper was to study the influence of ventilation during a typical experimental day, in the internal air temperature as well as in internal surface temperatures under the conditions of the outer environment, using an experimental method which allows a comparison of the thermal performance between four cell tests: a prototype called control (no vegetation) and three with different combinations of vegetation (roofs and facades) installed in a region of tropical climate. The experiments were developed in four test cells with dimensions 2.0 m × 2.50 m × 2.7 m. Measurements of internal surface temperatures and internal air temperatures were collected with the use of specific equipment, a data logger (CR1000, Campbell Scientific Inc.), connected with two multiplexers 32 channels (416AM Campbell Scientific Inc.). Data were recorded over a year and a typical heat day was selected, which was September 24, 2015. The results show that ventilation affects the internal temperature of the air, so that this gets even surpass the external temperature. Regarding surface temperatures, increased temperature, except those which are provided with vegetation, namely, the surfaces which have green walls and green roofs file the lower temperatures. Therefore, we can confirm the ability of vegetation to maintain more pleasant internal conditions compared to the test cells built with conventional materials, thus it can reduce cooling load efficiency.

A EDUCAÇÃO NO CONTEXTO DO AQUECIMENTO GLOBAL: DA IGNORÂNCIA E ANALFABETISMO CIENTÍFICO AO RACIOCÍNIO CRÍTICO E LITERACIA CLIMÁTICA

No Brasil, indicadores de educacao mostram que a situacao do pais esta entre as piores posicoes em rankings internacionais. A falta de qualidade educacional reflete diretamente na incapacidade do publico em entender temas e conceitos cientificos. Nesse contexto, as mudancas climaticas representam um tema complexo, dificil de ensinar e de compreender. Explorando o baixo grau de instrucao da populacao em geral, em sua maioria analfabeta em temas cientificos e climaticos, a midia tem conseguido embutir um medo descabidamente exagerado nas pessoas, ao noticiar previsoes de climas futuros de forma extremamente alarmista. Consequentemente, disturbios psicologicos estao sendo relatados em pessoas apavoradas pelas noticias de aquecimento global. Para reverter esse quadro geral, a apresentacao de informacoes com maior diversidade de visoes e o incentivo do raciocinio cientifico e critico pelos professores e jornalistas representam um rumo para alcancar a literacia climatica. EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL WARMING : THE IGNORANCE AND SCIENTIFIC ILLITERACY THE REASONING AND CRITICAL LITERACY CLIMATE ABSTRACT In Brazil, educational indicators show that the countrys situation is among the worst positions in international rankings. The lack of educational quality directly reflects the publics inability on understanding scientific concepts and issues. In this context, climate change is a complex issue, difficult to teach and to understand. Exploring the low level of education among the population, which are mostly illiterate in scientific and climate issues, the media has managed to embed an unreasonably exaggerated fear in people by reporting future climates predictions in an extremely alarmist way. Consequently, psychological disorders are being reported in people terrified by global warming news. To reverse this general framework, the presentation of information with greater diversity of views and the promotion of scientific and critical thinking by teachers and journalists represent a direction for achieve climate literacy. EDUCACION EN EL CONTEXTO DEL CALENTAMIENTO GLOBAL: LA IGNORANCIA Y LA CIENCIA ANALFABETISMO EL RAZONAMIENTO Y CLIMA ALFABETIZACION CRITICA RESUMEN En Brasil, los indicadores educativos muestran que la situacion del pais se encuentra entre las peores posiciones en los rankings internacionales. La falta de calidad de la educacion se refleja directamente la incapacidad del publico a entender los problemas y conceptos cientificos. En este contexto, el cambio climatico es un tema complejo, dificil de ensenar y entender. Explorando el bajo nivel de educacion de la poblacion, en su mayoria analfabeto en cuestiones cientificas y climaticas, los medios de comunicacion han logrado insertar un miedo injustificado exagerado en las personas, a traves de noticias con predicciones muy alarmistas de climas futuros. En consecuencia, los trastornos psicologicos estan siendo reportados en personas aterrorizadas por la noticia del calentamiento global. Para revertir este marco general, la presentacion de informacion con mayor diversidad de puntos de vista y la promocion del pensamiento cientifico y critico por los profesores y periodistas representan una forma de lograr la alfabetizacion climatica. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: ensino e educacao, mudancas climaticas, aquecimento global, climatologia