Ênfase em prevenção

Entrevista com a Dra. Elisabete Weiderpass, médica e diretora-geral eleita da Agência Internacional de Pesquisa em Câncer (Iarc, sigla em inglês), para a revista Rede Câncer, do Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva (Inca), edição 42, Novembro 2018.

por Jaqueline B. Ramos

A partir de janeiro de 2019, a Agência Internacional de Pesquisa em Câncer (Iarc, na sigla em inglês), ligada à Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) e um dos principais institutos de investigação em câncer no mundo, será comandada por uma brasileira. A epidemiologista gaúcha Elisabete Weiderpass assumirá o cargo de diretora-geral da Iarc, sendo a primeira mulher eleita para o posto nos 53 anos de história da instituição.

Graduada em Medicina na Universidade Federal de Pelotas, em 1992, Elisabete Weiderpass tornou-se mestre em Epidemiologia pela mesma instituição dois anos mais tarde. É PhD em Epidemiologia do Câncer pelo Instituto Karolinska, na Suécia, onde é professora do Departamento de Epidemiologia Médica e Bioestatística. Atua nos países nórdicos também como pesquisadora no Registro de Câncer de Oslo, como professora de Epidemiologia Médica na Universidade da Noruega e no Samfundet Folkhälsan, organização não governamental finlandesa que promove estudos científicos e campanhas de disseminação de informações sobre saúde e qualidade de vida. Desde 2015, é membro do Comitê Científico da Iarc, onde já havia trabalhado nos anos 1990 e 2000.

Com a brasileira na liderança da Iarc, a expectativa é que a agência se volte ainda mais para a América Latina e para os países que necessitam de maior suporte para prevenir e conter casos de câncer. Elisabete já está há muitos anos fora do Brasil, mas afirma que acompanha o dia a dia do País nos temas relacionados à saúde e, em particular aos avanços nas áreas de prevenção e controle do câncer. “O Brasil é minha origem indissociável, onde vivi boa parte da minha vida e construí os valores que compõem parte im-portante da minha identidade. Por isso, me sinto muito próxima aos desafios que o País enfrenta”, ressalta, com orgulho. 

“A América Latina terá que enfrentar cada vez mais a situação de lidar comum número crescente de casos de câncer. Além de eventuais particularidades em cada região, os grandes desafios são a sensibilização quanto às políticas de prevenção e a necessidade de adequar a infraestrutura à capacidade de atendimento”
Elisabete Weiderpass

Confira a entrevista da médica à REDE CÂNCER.

Brazilian rupestrian grasslands suffer dangerous threat and represent a critical conservation agenda

By Jaqueline B. Ramos *

This article was also published @The Ecologist - https://theecologist.org/2018/jul/30/rupestrian-grasslands-brazil-face-dangerous-threat-writes-jacqueline-b-ramos

Are forests the richest areas in terms of biodiversity and deserve all the attention and priority for conservation programs and sustainable use? The answer is: not necessarily...

In Brazil, researchers from UFMG - Federal University of Minas Gerais, Unesp-Rio Claro and Stanford University warn about the serious threats to the country’s rupestrian grasslands (photo), which are ancient and mega diverse vegetational complexes, harbouring more than 5000 plant species and one of the highest levels of endemic species in the world. In Brazilian soil, this unique ecosystem occupies an area of ​​about 83000 km2 in quartzite and iron mountaintops of Minas Gerais and Bahia states, most of which are located in the Espinhaço mountain range.

According to the scientific study "The deadly route of collapse and the uncertain fate of Brazilian rupestrian grasslands", released in May, if land use forms remain unsustainable and considering the effects of ongoing climate change, the prediction is the loss of up to 82% of this ecosystem by 2070. This will impact ecosystem services in a regional scale, including water supply and food security, and will potentially affect more than 50 million people in Brazil.

"Mining is one of the activities that causes negative impacts. Others are badly managed and planned road building, biological invasion, urban sprawl, and the complete inability of public environmental agencies to monitor and act due to lack of information about this ecosystem. Unrestrained tourism and forestry are other vectors of great relevance. Everything has synergy and collaborates to a route of collapse”, explains Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, one of the authors of the study.

Cascading effects on biodiversity

Like forested areas, rupestrian grasslands suffer the cascading effects on biodiversity when there is uncontrolled human activity. "Species do not exist alone and many depend on others for their survival," warns Fernandes. "The withdrawal of vital species results in a cascade of events that can lead to the collapse of the entire ecosystem and the change in the production of natural resources."

One of the important points highlighted by the study, which includes data collected for about 30 years, is to consider the sustainable use and conservation of rupestrian grasslands respecting their characteristics. That is, do not treat them like they were forests.

Rupestrian grasslands are millions of years old and there are no soil conditions to keep a forest on stone. There is a harmony between their natural forces that allows the survival of certain species. To remove them and to plant trees, according to Fernandes, only serves economic interests.

"More than creating conservation parks, our plan is to establish with the society and decision makers a pact proposal for the rational use of the rupestrian grasslands, based on scientific knowledge, and to work together with all the stakeholders. Otherwise, political measures may not be effective”, concludes the researcher.

Link to the original paper - https://www.dropbox.com/s/jids0n1i49qh5yt/Fernandes_et_al-2018-Biodiversity_and_Conservation.pdf?dl=0

Brazilian rupestrian grasslands in images - Photos by Ricardo Solar

*Environmental journalist (Ambiente-se Comunicação Socioambiental) and Communications Manager of GAP Project International

Campos rupestres brasileiros sofrem ameaça perigosa

Por Jaqueline B. Ramos*

Florestas são as áreas mais ricas em biodiversidade e merecem toda a atenção e prioridade para conservação e uso sustentável? A resposta é: não necessariamente… 

No Brasil, pesquisadores da UFMG - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, da Unesp-Rio Claro e da Universidade Stanford fazem um alerta sobre as graves ameaças aos campos rupestres (foto), complexos vegetacionais muito antigos e megadiversos, que abrigam mais de 5000 espécies de plantas vasculares e um dos níveis mais altos de endemismo no mundo. Em solo brasileiro, ocupam uma área de cerca de 83 mil km2 em montanhas de quartzo e ferro nos estados de Minas Gerais e Bahia, sendo a maior parte localizada na Serra do Espinhaço.

Segundo o estudo científico “The deadly route do collapse and the uncertain fate of Brazilian rupestrian grasslands”, divulgado em maio, se as formas de uso da terra continuarem insustentáveis e considerando os efeitos das mudanças climáticas em curso, a previsão é a perda de 82% desse ecossistema até 2070. Isso comprometerá os serviços ecossistêmicos em escalas regionais, incluindo fornecimento de água e segurança alimentar, e afetará potencialmente mais de 50 milhões de brasileiros.

“A mineração é uma das atividades que causam impactos negativos. Outras são construções mal planejadas de estradas, invasão biológica, expansão urbana e a total incapacidade dos órgãos ambientais de fiscalizar e agir devido à ignorância sobre o ecossistema. O turismo predatório e a silvicultura são outros vetores de grande relevância. Tudo tem sinergia e colabora para uma rota de colapso”, explica Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, um dos autores do estudo.

Efeito cascata na biodiversidade

Assim como as áreas florestadas, os campos rupestres sofrem o efeito cascata dos impactos na biodiversidade quando há atividade humana descontrolada. “Espécies não existem sozinhas e muitas dependem de outras para sua sobrevivência”, alerta Fernandes. “A retirada de espécies vitais resulta em uma cascata de eventos que pode levar ao colapso de todo o ecossistema e à mudança na produção de bens naturais”.

Um dos pontos importantes destacado pelo estudo, que inclui dados coletados há 30 anos, é considerar o uso sustentável e a conservação dos campos rupestres respeitando suas características. Ou seja, não tratá-lo como floresta.

Os ambientes de campos rupestres têm milhões de anos e não há condições de solo para manter uma floresta sobre pedra. Há uma harmonia entre as forças naturais que permite a sobrevivência de determinadas espécies. Retirá-las e plantar árvores, de acordo com Fernandes, atende apenas a interesses econômicos.

“Mais do que ter áreas preservadas em formato de parque, nosso plano é estabelecer com a sociedade e tomadores de decisão uma proposta de pacto pelo uso racional dos campos rupestres, baseada em conhecimento científico, e trabalhar em rede com as partes interessadas. Do contrário, medidas políticas podem não ser efetivas”, conclui o pesquisador.

Resumo em imagens

1. Os campos rupestres são complexos vegetacionais muito antigos e megadiversos, que abrigam mais de 5000 espécies de plantas vasculares

2. Se as formas de uso da terra continuarem insustentáveis, serviços ecossistêmicos como fornecimento de água ficarão comprometidos

3.  Os campos rupestres sofrem com o efeito cascata dos impactos na biodiversidade quando há atividade humana descontrolada e não devem ser tratados como florestas 

4. Os pesquisadores pretendem apresentar uma proposta de acordo para o uso racional dos campos rupestres baseada em conhecimento científico e trabalhar em rede com todas as partes interessadas

Crédito das fotos: Ricardo Solar

Link para o artigo original (em inglês, PDF): https://www.dropbox.com/s/jids0n1i49qh5yt/Fernandes_et_al-2018-Biodiversity_and_Conservation.pdf?dl=0

*Jornalista ambiental (Ambiente-se Comunicação Socioambiental) e Gerente de Comunicação do Projeto GAP Internacional

Campos rupestres brasileños están amenazados

Por Jaqueline B. Ramos*

Los bosques son las areas mas ricas en biodiversidad y deben tener toda la atención y prioridad para conservación y uso sostenible? La respuesta es: no necesariamente... 

En Brasil, investigadores de Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais, Unesp-Rio Claro y Universidad Stanford hacen un alerta acerca de las graves amenazas sufridas por los campos rupestres (foto). Estos son complejos vegetacionales muy antigos y megadiversos, que albergan mas de 5000 especies de plantas vasculares y tienen uno de los niveles mas grandes de endemismo del mundo. En el suelo brasileño, ocupan cerca de 83 mil km2 en montañas de quartzo y fierro en los estados de Minas Gerais y Bahia. 

De acuerdo con el estudio científico "The deadly route to collapse and the uncertain fate of Brazilian rupestrian grasslands”, publicado en Mayo, si las formas del uso de la tierra continúen insostenibles, y además considerando los efectos de el cambio climático, se prevé una pérdida de 82% de ese ecosistema hasta 2070. Por consiguiente, servicios ambientales como distribución de agua y seguridad alimenticia se quedarán comprometidos, lo que afectará mas de 50 millones de brasileños. 

“La minería es un de los usos negativos. Otros son construcciones mal planeadas de carreteras, invasión biológica, expansión urbana, el turismo exploratório, la silvicultura y la total incapacidad de órganos ambientales de el Gobierno para fiscalizar y actuar por falta de conocimiento de el ecosistema. Todo contribuye para la ruta de colapso”, explica Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, uno de los autores de el estudio. 

Efecto catarata en la biodiversidad 

Como los bosques, los campos rupestres sufren con el efecto catarata de los impactos en la biodiversidad cuando hay actividad humana sin controle. “Las especies no existen solas y muchas dependen de otras para su supervivencia”, Fernandes alerta. “La retirada de especies importantes genera una catarata de acontecimientos que pueden llevar a un colapso de todo el ecosistema y a un cambio de los recursos naturales.” 

Uno de los puntos importantes informados en el estudio es la necesidad de tener en consideración el uso sostenible y la conservación de los campos rupestres respetando sus características; o sea, no tratarlos como bosques. 

Los ambientes de campos rupestres tienen millones de anos y no hay condiciones en sus suelos para mantener árboles sobre piedras. Hay una harmonia de las fuerzas naturales que permiten la existencia de especies especificas. Retirar estas especies y plantar árboles, de acuerdo com Fernandes, solamente se hace por intereses económicos. 

“Mas que crear áreas de preservación como parques, nuestro plano es presentar para la sociedad y los sectores que toman decisiones una propuesta de acuerdo para el uso racional de los campos rupestres, basada en conocimiento cientifico, y trabajar en rede con todas las partes interesadas. De lo contrario, las medidas políticas de conservación no serán efectivas”, finaliza. 

Resumen en imágenes

Crédito de las fotos: Ricardo Solar

1. Los campos rupestres son complejos vegetacionales muy antigos y megadiversos, que albergan mas de 5000 especies de plantas vasculares

2. Si las formas del uso de la tierra continúen insostenibles, servicios ambientales como la distribución de agua se quedarán comprometidos

3. Los campos rupestres sufren con el efecto catarata de los impactos en la biodiversidad cuando hay actividad humana sin controle y no deben ser tratados como bosques

4. Los investigadores planean presentar una propuesta de acuerdo para el uso racional de los campos rupestres basada en conocimiento cientifico y trabajar en rede con todas las partes interesadas

Link para el artículo original (em ingles, PDF): https://www.dropbox.com/s/jids0n1i49qh5yt/Fernandes_et_al-2018-Biodiversity_and_Conservation.pdf?dl=0

* Periodista ambiental (Ambiente-se Comunicação Socioambiental) y Gerente de Comunicación del GAP Project International

“I respect animals and appreciate their beauty”

Interview with Mio Hashimoto, artist and sculptor. 

By Jaqueline B. Ramos*

When art speaks out for respecting all forms of living beings, the experience of sensing it is unforgettable. And kind of speechless… But to try to put on words the reasons behind the beauty, I talked to Japanese artist and sculptor Mio Hashimoto, who is famous in her country and abroad for her astonishing animal sculptures, and also for teaching and sharing her techniques in books and workshops. Yes Mio san, when you recreate the creatures untouched, people are moved. Thank you for that!

What’s the main motivation for your work of animals sculptures? How long have you been doing it?

動物の彫刻家として働くことの、最大の動機は何ですか？動物彫刻家としてのキャリア期間はどれくらいですか。

Since I was a little kid, I liked animals. I wanted to be a vet someday. However, things changed after the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake happened. I was 15 years old. A lot of animals disappeared. And I heard about the deaths of a lot of animals. That was my experience of "the sudden disappearance of beautiful lives I love." Medicines never help them get their lives back. 

What I loved about animals is the beautiful forms of lives in front of me.  I wanted to keep the forms as they were. I wanted to touch them again. That was my reason to be a sculptor who could create them as they are.

I became a professional sculptor when I was 26 years old. That was 12 years ago. I started sculpture when I was a student, 18 years old.  That was 20 years ago.

小さい頃から生き物が好きで、獣医になろうと夢見ていました。

しかし15歳の時に、阪神淡路大震災という、大きな地震にあい、たくさんのどうぶつたちの失踪や、死んでしまったお知らせを聞き、「大好きなうつくしい命の存在が、ある日突然消えてしまう」ということを体験しました。

医学では、なくなってしまった命を、取り戻すことはできない。私は、どうぶつたちの何が好きだったかというと、生きている目の前のうつくしいその姿が、とても好きだったのでした。命のそのままの形を残したい、もう一度触れたい、の思いから、どうぶつたちのそのままの姿を残す彫刻家になろうと、決意しました。

２６歳の時に彫刻家として独立したので、１２年になります。彫刻経験は学生時代から含めると１８歳からですので、２０年になります。

A lot of animals represented in the sculptures have their names presented. All of them are/were animals that you live/lived with. What about dog Tsuki, was he your pet-friend?

展示されていた彫刻の多くには名前がありました。全て一緒に住んでいたのでしょうか。月くんを飼っていたことはわかったのですが。

Tsuki

Those sculptures have models. They were pet dogs of somebody else in Japan.  They were stray cats.  Some of them live in zoo. One thing in common is that they were loved by somebody else and they have names. The only pet I lived with is Tsuki.

彫刻になってくれたどうぶつたちは、日本のどこかで誰かが飼っている犬だったり、野良猫だったり、動物園にいる子だったりします。みんな人のそばで愛された子たちなので、名前があります。一緒に住んでいたのは、月くんだけです。

About the apes/monkeys presented on your exhibition, are they animals you observed in zoos or sanctuaries? Can you tell about your “relationship” with chimpanzee Max, mandrill Manjuro and orangutan Kyu, for instance?

展示されていた類人猿や猿は動物園や保護区で観察したものですか。例えば、チンパンジーの「マックス」やマンドリルの「マンジュロー」、オラウータンの「キュウ」とあなたの関係性について教えてください。

Max family (2012)

Max and Kyu are in Tama zoo, Japan. Kyu is the son of Gypsy, the oldest orangutan in the world. I communicated with the keepers and I tried to recreate them as loyal as possible. I support Borneo Conservation Trust Japan, and I am especially focusing on making orangutan sculptures. Manjuro lives in Higashiyama zoo. I talked with the zoo director in order to put even Manjuro's personality in it.

チンパンジーのマックスくん、オランウータンのキューさんは、日本の多摩動物園で飼育されている子たちです。キューは、ジプシーという、世界最高齢だったオランウータンの息子です。飼育員さんたちと意見を交わし、そのままの姿をできるだけ忠実に再現しました。ボルネオトラスト協会というものがあり、そちらにも参加し、特にオランウータンの制作については力を入れています。

マンドリルのマンジュウロウさんは、東山動物園にいる子です。こちらも、園長さんに話を聞きながら、性格まで忠実に再現しました。

Kyu (2010-2013)

Do you believe that your work can help general public to realize and get aware about sentience of animals/non-human beings, their beauty, complexity etc?

あなたはあなたの仕事によって、ヒト以外の動物の感性や美しさ、その複雑さを、一般の人々に対して伝えることができると信じていますか。

Yes. I respect animals and appreciate their beauty. I believe they are more beautiful when they are untouched (as they are). So I believe that if I recreate them as they are, it conveys the excitement or certain impression to general public. I hope that when they see my sculptures, they could be moved as if they see the real creatures.

私は、どうぶつたちをとても尊敬し、そのままの姿が一番うつくしいと信じているので、できるだけ自分の見えた素直な目でどうぶつたちの姿を再現すれば、それがたくさんの人たちにおなじ感動をもって伝わると信じています。私のつくった彫刻のどうぶつたちを見た時、その子そのものに出逢えたような感動を、見る人にも伝えたいと思って制作しています。

To know more about Mio Hashimoto’s work - http://kirinsan.awk.jp/pages_english/pages_e/home.html

Other images of Mio Hashimoto's exhibition

* Environmental journalist (Ambiente-se Comunicação Socioambiental) and Communications Manager for GAP Project International

"Doing good behavioral researches help to get good funds and also help developing their enrichment programs”

Interview: Fumihiro Kano, psychologist of primates, researcher in Kumamoto Sanctuary - University of Kyoto/Japan

By Jaqueline B. Ramos*

After United States, Japan has the largest number of captive chimpanzees in the world. According to GAIN (Great Ape Information Network), 316 chimpanzees currently live in 49 institutes (zoos, research centers and a sanctuary) - along with 6 bonobos, 21 gorillas and 45 orangutans.

This number is a inheritance of the dark times when chimpanzees were used in biomedical invasive experiments in the country. Studies show that, in the 1970’s, for instance, 150 chimpanzees were taken from the wild directly to Japanese laboratories for medical studies of Hepatitis B and C. In 1997, the country reached a peak of 393 chimpanzees in captivity. By that time, researchers and primates keepers joined in a strong effort to revert the situation, retire the chimps and provide them with humane treatment, socialization and environmental enrichment and life-long care.

Fortunately the result of so much work came in 2006, when the use of chimpanzees in labs definitely comes to an end in Japan. Six years later, the last three former exploited individuals were transferred to Kumamoto Sanctuary (KS), a facility run by University of Kyoto where the apes live their retirement.

KS is also a facility where behavioral specialists take their researches, as it is the case of Dr. Fumihiro Kano, psychologist and PhD in Biological Science, with concentration in Primatology and Comparative Psychology. He works with chimpanzees and other great apes - including humans! - and in this interview he talks a little bit about his main impressions on behavioral researches.

What are the main conclusions of your comparative psychology work with human and non-human apes? Is it possible to compare, generally speaking, chimpanzees to human infants and bonobos, orangutans and gorillas to human adults in terms of cognition and intelligence?

I mainly studied gaze pattern of great apes. Overall, great apes are similar to humans. For instance, they focus on others' faces and actions intensely when viewing others' images. They even anticipate others' actions based on others' goals and intentions. Also there are some differences between great apes and humans, and also among great ape species. For instance, bonobos view others' eyes while chimps view others' mouth when viewing others' faces. Such difference may be related to each species' unique temperament (e.g. bonobos may experience less pressure when facing others and therefore may produce more prolonged eye contact). 

Generally speaking, it is sometimes useful to compare between great apes and human adults. However, a big difference between human adults and apes/human infants is that human adults are extremely cultural. This includes the way of looking at movies. We consciously or unconsciously know how to view movies based on certain cinematographic rules. Apes and infants may not so much compared to us. 

You also have field experience in behavioral observation of wild chimpanzees and bonobos in Africa. Can you point any relevant difference in the behavior and general skills of the individuals in the wild and the ones in captivity (especially the ones retired from lab research)?

In the filed, compared to the captivity, I more easily see that many of chimps' or bonobos' behaviors are adapted to the forest lives. For instance, a chimp can climb the tree trunk very fast like running vertically on the tree, with their long arms and short legs. In the captivity, compared to the field, I more easily see their intelligence because I can more closely look at their behavior in controlled conditions, including cognitive tests. 

I think that the environment that they grew up either in forest or in captivity surely makes them different. But in terms of fundamental physical and cognitive capabilities, they are more or less similar in my feelings. Anyway, we cannot know such answers completely. 

The ones retired from lab research can be different from others for the same reasons, e.g. the ones socially isolated when youth can be socially less motivated even now, but they are not terribly different from others because, currently, and already for many years, they all live in the same enriched environment. 

Does your work support animal welfare or environmental enrichment programs for the apes who live at KS? 

For me, more or less indirectly. But directly, doing good behavioral researches help to get good funds and also help developing their enrichment programs.

More about Dr. Fumihiro Kano’s work - http://www.fumihirokano.com/p/main-page.html

* Environmental journalist (Ambiente-se Comunicação Socioambiental) and Communications Manager for GAP Project International