Abstract

The debates around health risks and the environment are, frequently, associated, in their negative aspects, with human tragedies, ignorance and the disregard for the other and nature. But also, in their positive aspects, to the learning potential and the possibility of choosing another development course which makes us healthier, happier and worthier. After all, development, risk and tragedy define the human being in the same way that conscience, freedom and responsibility do.

This presentation is based on the book "Por uma Ecologia Política dos Riscos” [Toward a Political Ecology of Risk] (Editora FIOCRUZ), written with the purpose of contributing to the work and dialogue of different people, organizations and institutions researching and facing health, work and environmental problems in so-called vulnerable contexts. Such contexts are defined by environmental injustices and are present not only in the Brazilian reality but also in several Latin-American, African and Asian countries, although the proliferation of socioenvironmental inequalities are also found in several of the so-called more developed countries. The book explores concepts like the complexity, uncertainties and vulnerability, and presents several ethical and methodological principles which contribute to integrated and contextualized analyses of environmental issues toward health and environmental justice.

Biographic Note

Marcelo Firpo Porto is a principal researcher at the Centre for Work Health and Human Ecology Studies at the National School of Public Health (ENSP), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation for Research (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has experience in the field of Collective Health, with special focus on Environmental Health and Work Health, being currently working on the following areas: risk integrated approaches; environmental justice and political ecology; social vulnerability; complexity, risks and uncertainties; principle of prevention; health promotion in vulnerable urban areas. He lectures at the Post-Graduate programme in Public Health at ENSP/FIOCRUZ, in the field of "Health-Illness Process, Territory and Justice". He is the author of, among other titles, the book " Uma ecologia política dos riscos: princípios para integrarmos o local e o global na promoção da Saúde e da justiça ambiental" [A political ecology of risk: principles for the integration of the local and global in the promotion of health and environmental justice]. He is, also, a consultant at the CES on-going research project "Science Engaging Society: Life Sciences, Social Sciences and Publics (BIOSENSE)”, coordinated by João Arriscado Nunes.

Organization: Rita Serra and João Arriscado Nunes (Risk Observatory – OSIRIS and Research Group on Science, Economy and Society – NECES)