Gabriela Sá Pessoa is a journalist passionate concerning the intersection of human rights and local weather change. She got here to MIT from The Washington Submit, the place she labored from her residence nation of Brazil as a information researcher reporting on the Amazon, human rights violations, and environmental crimes. Earlier than that, she held roles at two of essentially the most influential media shops in Brazil: Folha de S.Paulo, protecting native and nationwide politics, and UOL, the place she was assigned to coronavirus protection and later joined the investigative desk.
Sá Pessoa was awarded the 2023 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship by the Worldwide Girls’s Media Basis, which helps its recipient with analysis alternatives at MIT and additional coaching at The Boston Globe and The New York Instances. She is at present primarily based on the MIT Heart for Worldwide Research. Lately, she sat down to speak about her work on the Amazon, current modifications in Brazilian politics, and her expertise at MIT.
Q: One focus of your reporting is human rights and environmental points within the Amazon. As a part of your fellowship, you contributed to a current editorial in The Boston Globe on preventing deforestation within the area. Why is reporting on this matter vital?
A: For a lot of Brazilians, the Amazon is a distant and distant territory, and folks dwelling in different components of the nation aren’t absolutely conscious of all of its issues and all of its potential. That is just like the US — like many individuals right here, they do not see how they could possibly be associated to the human rights violations and the destruction of the rainforest which might be taking place.
However, we’re all complicit within the destruction in some methods as a result of the financial forces driving the deforestation of the rainforest all have a market, and these markets are in every single place, in Brazil and right here within the U.S. I believe it’s a part of journalism to point out individuals within the U.S., Brazil, and elsewhere that we’re a part of the issue, and as a part of the issue, we ought to be a part of the answer by being conscious of it, caring about it, and taking actions which might be inside our energy.
Within the U.S., for instance, voters can affect coverage like the present negotiations for monetary help for preventing deforestation within the Amazon. And as customers, we will be extra conscious — is the meat we’re consuming associated to deforestation? Is the timber on our building websites coming from the Amazon?
Fact is, in Brazil, we now have turned our backs to the Amazon for thus lengthy. It’s our responsibility to guard it for the sake of local weather change. If we do not deal with it, there shall be critical penalties to our native local weather, our native communities, and for the entire world. It is an enormous matter of human rights as a result of our dwelling is determined by that, each domestically and globally.
Q: Earlier than coming to MIT, you have been at The Washington Submit in São Paulo, the place you contributed to reporting on the current presidential election. What modifications do you count on to see with the brand new Lula administration?
A: To local weather and atmosphere, the primary indicators have been optimistic. However the optimism didn’t final a semester, as politics is imposing itself. Lula is dealing with growing issue constructing a majority in a conservative Congress, over which agribusiness holds great energy and affect. As we converse, environmental coverage is beneath Congress’s assault. A committee within the Home has simply handed a ruling drowning energy from the environmental minister, Marina Silva, and from the lately created Nationwide Indigenous Folks Ministry, led by Sonia Guajajara. Each Marina and Sonia are international ecological and human rights champions, and I ponder what the influence could be if Congress ratifies these modifications. It’s nonetheless unclear how it will influence the efforts to struggle deforestation.
As well as, there may be an inside dispute within the authorities between environmentalists and people in favor of mining and large infrastructure initiatives. Petrobras, the state-run oil firm, is making an attempt to get authorization to analysis and drill offshore oil reserves within the mouth of the Amazon River. The federal environmental safety company did a conclusive report suspending the operation, saying it’s vital and threatens the area’s delicate atmosphere and indigenous communities. And, after all, it will be one other supply of greenhouse gasoline emissions.
That stated, it isn’t a denialist authorities. I ought to point out the fast response from the administration to the Yanomami genocide earlier this yr. In January, an unbiased media group named Sumaúma reported on the deaths of over 5 hundred indigenous youngsters from the Yanomami group within the Amazon over the previous 4 years. This was an enormous shock in Brazil, and the administration responded instantly. They despatched activity forces to the area and at the moment are expelling the unlawful miners that have been bringing illnesses and have been finally chargeable for these humanitarian tragedies. To be clear: It’s nonetheless an issue. It isn’t solved. However that is already instance of optimistic motion.
Combating deforestation within the Amazon and the Cerrado, one other biome vital to local weather regulation in Brazil, is not going to be straightforward. Rebuilding the environmental coverage will take time, and the companies chargeable for enforcement are understaffed. As well as, environmental crime has develop into extra refined, connecting with different main prison organizations within the nation. In April, for the primary time, there was a discount in deforestation within the Amazon after two consecutive months of upper numbers. These are nonetheless preliminary knowledge, and it’s nonetheless too early to substantiate whether or not they sign a turning level and should point out a bent for deforestation to lower. However, the Cerrado registered report deforestation in April.
There are issues in every single place within the financial system and politics that Lula should face. Within the first week of the brand new time period, on Jan. 8, we noticed an riot in Brasília, the nation’s capital, from Bolsonaro voters who wouldn’t settle for the election outcomes. The occasions resembled what Individuals noticed within the Capitol assaults in 2021. We additionally appear to have imported issues from the US, like mass killings in faculties. We by no means used to have them in Brazil, however we’re seeing them now. I am curious to see how the nation will deal with these issues and if the U.S. may encourage options to that. That’s one thing I’m serious about, being right here: Are there options right here? What are they?
Q: What have you ever realized so removed from MIT and your fellowship?
A: It is onerous to place every thing into phrases! I am principally taking programs and attending lectures on urgent points to humanity, like existential threats corresponding to local weather change, synthetic intelligence, biosecurity, and extra.
I’m studying about all these points, but in addition, as a journalist, I believe that I’m studying extra about how I can incorporate the scientific strategy into my work; for instance, being extra pro-positive. I’m already a rigorous journalist, however I’m serious about how I will be extra rigorous and extra clear about my strategies. Being within the tutorial and scientific atmosphere is inspiring that means.
I’m additionally studying loads about learn how to cowl scientific subjects and serious about how know-how can supply us options (and issues). I’m studying a lot that I believe I’ll want a while to digest and absolutely perceive what this era means for me!
Q: You talked about synthetic intelligence. Would you wish to weigh in on this topic and what you’ve got been studying?
A: It has been a very good semester to be at MIT. Generative synthetic intelligence, which turned extra in style after ChatGPT, has been a subject of intense dialogue this semester, and I used to be capable of attend many lessons, seminars, and occasions about AI right here, particularly from a coverage perspective.
Algorithms have influenced the financial system, society, and public well being for a few years. It has had nice outcomes, but in addition injustice. In style programs like ChatGPT have made this know-how extremely in style and accessible, even for these with no pc information. That is scary and, on the identical time, very thrilling. Right here, I realized that we’d like guardrails for synthetic intelligence, similar to different applied sciences. Consider the pharmaceutical or car industries, which have to fulfill security standards earlier than placing a brand new product in the marketplace. However with synthetic intelligence, it may be completely different; provide chains are very advanced and typically not very clear, and the pace at which new assets develop is so quick that it challenges the policymaker’s capacity to reply.
Synthetic intelligence is altering the world radically. It is thrilling to have the privilege of being right here and seeing these discussions happen. In spite of everything, I’ve a future to report on. No less than, I hope so!
Q: What are you engaged on going ahead?
A: After MIT, I’m going to New York, the place I will be working with The New York Instances of their internship program. I am actually enthusiastic about that as a result of it is going to be a special tempo from MIT. I’m additionally doing analysis on carbon credit score markets and hope to proceed that mission, both in a reporting or tutorial atmosphere.
Truthfully, I really feel impressed to maintain learning. I’d like to spend extra time right here at MIT. I’d like to do a grasp’s or be part of any program right here. I’m going to work on coming again to academia as a result of I believe that I must be taught extra from the tutorial atmosphere. I hope that it is at MIT as a result of truthfully, it is essentially the most thrilling atmosphere that I’ve ever been in, with all of the individuals right here from completely different fields and completely different backgrounds. I am not a scientist, nevertheless it’s inspiring to be with them, and if there is a means that I might contribute to their work in a means that they are contributing to my work, I will be thrilled to spend extra time right here.
