Read the following interview with a patronage couple who supports one of the traditional agricultural families in the Itacaré/Serra Grande Environmental Protection Area that participates in the Social Carbon Program. The patrons, Sandra and Ubaldo decided to become “Patrons for Life of our APA”.  More

In your opinion, what are the main social-environmental problems that need to be confronted?

The large inequality in income across the world exacerbates, every day, the social-environmental problems, for example, global warming and the inappropriate treatment of waste. The excessive consumption of people with high incomes exhausts the planet’s natural resources, whose ecological footprint today already represents 30% of the global deficit.

 

What motivated you to join the program for neutralization and reduction of carbon emissions?

To be able to really compensate for our daily emissions, since we use energy, in particular our use of personal cars, we also use water etc. Also, the desire to be able to help a project like Patrons for Life, which brings together environmental preservation with the improvement of the quality of life for the rural community of Serra Grande and Itacaré.

 

How was the family you adopted chosen?

It was easy, we just visited two, and the one that seemed to us to be the neediest, with children, was chosen. We really liked the energy of this family.

 

In your opinion, what does the financial support that you donate to the family represent?

It represents the possibility to improve the self-esteem of these people that will preserve nature without having to hunt or use native wood for firewood. They will be able to enrich the forest, grow organic produce etc.

 

Is your participation only financial, or do you plan to have a closer relationship with the adopted family?

Despite the geographical distance, we plan to get to know the family, visit them once and while, absorbing their positive energy, which is a joy for us.

 

What are the expectations, in relation to the results, of this program for the region?

We hope that other people and companies adopt more and more families, so that this region can be greatly different in the near future, proving that it is possible to construct a better world.

 

Do you have any suggestions as how to improve the development of the program?

Distribute information abundantly, using the internet, friend networks and word of mouth.

 

What is the message that you would like to give to the people reading this interview?

A sustainable future demands immediate action. Mankind has already devastated nature way too much and actions to minimize these damages have to be taken now. We cannot wait any longer for the government, a company or a neighbor to take initiative. Adopt a family, get to know the project and get excited, helping the people that coordinate the NGO to build a healthier planet for this and future generations.

 
Sandra Marchesini and Ubaldo Ferreira have been married for many years, are both native of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, both received a bachelor’s degree in electric engineering and have worked at Coelba – the electricy company of the State of Bahia for many years and are retired now. Both are currently working as volunteer for Patrons for Life and Art for Life