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Conference addresses changes in the relationship between man and nature

by Richard Meckien - published Aug 22, 2014 05:55 PM - - last modified Aug 28, 2014 04:54 PM

Ricardo Abramovay - Perfil
Ricardo Abramovay

The threats to social life caused by the advance of man on ecosystem boundaries in the last two centuries have contributed to the emergence of movements committed to reconnect ethics and economics, society and nature. The idea will be the starting point of the exhibition of Ricardo Abramovay, professor of USP’s Economics, Administration and Accounting Faculty (FEA) at the conference “The Human Being and Nature”. Held by the IEA-USP, the event will take place on September 3, at 3 pm, in the Congregation Room of USP’s Institute of International Relations (IRI).

To discuss this approximation, Abramovay will address the changes raised by new forms of decentralized social cooperation, and by scientific achievements and innovative technologies, which, according to him, "have begun to revolutionize the way matter, energy and biotic resources are used in contemporary societies."

The exhibition will focus on two key issues: 1) Does the environmental awareness question the traditional view of science as the controller of nature? 2) Can the awareness of environmental problems produce a new sense of collective life?

This will be the third conference of the cycle “In Search of Lost Meaning: Interdisciplinary Dialogues on Science and Transcendence”, coordinated by Bernardo Sorj, visiting professor at the IEA-USP. The panelists will be Dalia Maimon, a professor at the Institute of Economics (IE) of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and John Wilkinson, a professor at the Department of Development, Agriculture and Society (DDAS) of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ). Moderation will be in charge of Sorj.

EXHIBITOR

Ricardo Abramovay is a professor at IRI and at FEA, where he coordinates the Center for Social and Environmental Economics (NESA). His research is focused on economic sociology, ecological economics and sustainable development, especially on the behavior of social actors against contemporary social and environmental challenges, and processes of transition to a low carbon economy. Abramovay is the author of “Muito Além da Economia Verde” ("Far Beyond the Green Economy") (2012) and “Lixo Zero: Gestão de Resíduos Sólidos para uma Sociedade Mais Próspera” ("Zero Waste: Solid Waste Management for a More Prosperous Society") (2013).

The event will be broadcast live on the web.