Saldiva remembers that "air pollution can not be solved with medication or health campaigns." It involves urban planning, issues related to mobility, studies on land use and occupation.

According to the researcher, while cigarette smoking is seen as a public health issue, air pollution is still not, even though about 14,000 people die early because of it only the city of São Paulo every year.

Saldiva's research integrates the USP Global Cities Program, which aims to draw scientifically sound proposals that can improve the quality of life in cities.

Physicist José Goldemberg, an honorary professor of the IEA-USP, has been appointed President of FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) by State Governor Geraldo Alckmin. The nomination was published in the "Official Gazette of the State of São Paulo" on August 22. Goldemberg replaces jurist Celso Lafer, who has chaired the foundation since August 2007.

Alckmin chose Goldemberg from a list of three set by the Foundation's Board, which he heads. The list also contained sociologist José de Souza Martins, a frequent collaborator of the IEA-USP, and physiologist Eduardo Moacyr Krieger, also an honorary professor of the Institute and currently deputy president of FAPESP.

Goldemberg is a researcher and professor emeritus from the USP's Institute for Energy and Environment (IEE), and professor emeritus from the USP's Institute of Physics (IF). Since the establishment of the IEA-USP (during his term as president of USP), Goldemberg participates in activities related to environment, energy, sustainability and higher education. He was Secretary of Science and Technology, Secretary of the Environment and Minister of Education of the federal government, Secretary of the Environment of the State of São Paulo and president of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC).

"Time" magazine chose Goldemberg as one of the "heroes of the environment" in 2007. In 2008 he received the Blue Planet Prize, awarded by the japanese foundation Asahi Glass to personalities with outstanding work in research and in the formulation of public policies in the environmental area. In 2013 he won the Zayed Award for Energy of the Future, granted by the United Arab Emirates to professionals focused on renewable energy. Last year he won the "Education warrior" trophy, an award given by the newspaper "O Estado de S.Paulo" and by the School-Enterprise Integration Center (CIEE).

Photo: Mauro Bellesa/IEA-USP