210
C. V. B. Prates et al.
In my opinion the resistance is in the initial barrier, in the first step. Whether it is by inertia
and a tendency to want to continue with the same habits, or by the financial contribution
necessary for this first step. As soon as this first barrier is overcome, the tendency to continue
and even the search for other forms of a more sustainable life becomes evident. (Man, 35)
I believe that even today the subject of sustainable practices is little talked about and does not
reach many people. Even when we see reports on the subject, they do not help us understand
how to begin to change our daily practices and it seems very difficult to make these changes.
When we talk about sustainable practices, I feel that we indicate a specific lifestyle, with
which only a portion of the people seems to identify. In this sense, the challenge may be
to address these issues in a way that indicates that it is not a lifestyle, a drastic change in
the system, but routine little practices that help us take care of the environment. To do so, I
believe that public or private policies at the municipal level would reach the population more
through the dissemination of possible practices, as well as facilitating selective collection.
(Woman, 33)
When they were approached about which factor they were able to point out as
what most prevented them from proceeding with this continuous process of personal
environmental improvements, all put the Brazilian state as not fomenting such a
theme. On the contrary, many centralized that the high tax rates imposed in Brazil
were the main disincentives of personal projects of sustainable lifestyle.
I intend to over time adhere to new sustainable practices, but the state also has to contribute.
(Man, 40)
I think there is a lack of support from the government in order to be able to encourage
these sustainable practices more. Guide more people, disseminate more information. The
government and the state should focus more on this, instruct the Brazilian more to adopt
these measures more. (Man, 35)
I think what else prevents the person from putting this type of project in your house, and I
think everyone has desire, it is the price that is still high, in Brazil the tax rate is very high,
so this makes it a bit difficult, but I’m sure everyone feels like it. (Man, 33)
I believe that the greater difficulty of the use by the people is the high cost still, because the
material has to be imported. (Man, 43)
Although government intervention is legitimate, it is not trivial. In the case of conservation of
biological diversity, intervention is even more complex since our theoretical and managerial
knowledge is still insufficient. (Motta 1998)
In addition to being linked to the fact that the state has a fundamental role in relation
to socio-environmental issues, respondents also expressed a significant concern about
the lack of knowledge on the part of the population of the financial return that some
initiatives offer. One of the interviewees presents himself as an investor when he
comments on his installation of photovoltaic panels and says:
The greatest resistance that the population has today to creating a solar system is the lack of
knowledge, taking as an example my own experience, you see, my system cost me a value
of 21,000.00 reais. This money spent on savings would give me an average of 78.00 reais a
month, but saving is not an investment. So putting a value of 1 percent per month, which is a
considered high value, we will put this investment of mine, returning me 210.00 reais. That
is a more expressive value than the savings, but what saves monthly with value of energy
bill is around 480.00 reais. So in my opinion, the population did not mind that fact. (Man,
40)
C. V. B. Prates et al.
In my opinion the resistance is in the initial barrier, in the first step. Whether it is by inertia
and a tendency to want to continue with the same habits, or by the financial contribution
necessary for this first step. As soon as this first barrier is overcome, the tendency to continue
and even the search for other forms of a more sustainable life becomes evident. (Man, 35)
I believe that even today the subject of sustainable practices is little talked about and does not
reach many people. Even when we see reports on the subject, they do not help us understand
how to begin to change our daily practices and it seems very difficult to make these changes.
When we talk about sustainable practices, I feel that we indicate a specific lifestyle, with
which only a portion of the people seems to identify. In this sense, the challenge may be
to address these issues in a way that indicates that it is not a lifestyle, a drastic change in
the system, but routine little practices that help us take care of the environment. To do so, I
believe that public or private policies at the municipal level would reach the population more
through the dissemination of possible practices, as well as facilitating selective collection.
(Woman, 33)
When they were approached about which factor they were able to point out as
what most prevented them from proceeding with this continuous process of personal
environmental improvements, all put the Brazilian state as not fomenting such a
theme. On the contrary, many centralized that the high tax rates imposed in Brazil
were the main disincentives of personal projects of sustainable lifestyle.
I intend to over time adhere to new sustainable practices, but the state also has to contribute.
(Man, 40)
I think there is a lack of support from the government in order to be able to encourage
these sustainable practices more. Guide more people, disseminate more information. The
government and the state should focus more on this, instruct the Brazilian more to adopt
these measures more. (Man, 35)
I think what else prevents the person from putting this type of project in your house, and I
think everyone has desire, it is the price that is still high, in Brazil the tax rate is very high,
so this makes it a bit difficult, but I’m sure everyone feels like it. (Man, 33)
I believe that the greater difficulty of the use by the people is the high cost still, because the
material has to be imported. (Man, 43)
Although government intervention is legitimate, it is not trivial. In the case of conservation of
biological diversity, intervention is even more complex since our theoretical and managerial
knowledge is still insufficient. (Motta 1998)
In addition to being linked to the fact that the state has a fundamental role in relation
to socio-environmental issues, respondents also expressed a significant concern about
the lack of knowledge on the part of the population of the financial return that some
initiatives offer. One of the interviewees presents himself as an investor when he
comments on his installation of photovoltaic panels and says:
The greatest resistance that the population has today to creating a solar system is the lack of
knowledge, taking as an example my own experience, you see, my system cost me a value
of 21,000.00 reais. This money spent on savings would give me an average of 78.00 reais a
month, but saving is not an investment. So putting a value of 1 percent per month, which is a
considered high value, we will put this investment of mine, returning me 210.00 reais. That
is a more expressive value than the savings, but what saves monthly with value of energy
bill is around 480.00 reais. So in my opinion, the population did not mind that fact. (Man,
40)