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What can companies learn from environmental disasters? Quote: If you have been paying attention to the news in recent years, you know that Brazil has been facing extremely impactful and damaging natural and environmental disasters. Both nature and the Brazilian population are harmed. For example, the collapse of dams in Minas Gerais and the crude oil spill that polluted the coast have immeasurable consequences and can take up to decades to be reversed.
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What are these disasters? Why do they occur?
Some calamities are strictly natural in character, such as tsunamis, landslides, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions. The occurrence of some of these catastrophes, like tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, happens because of the movement of the Earth's crust and the consequent collision between tectonic plates (upon which several regions and continents of the planet lie). Fortunately for us, Brazilians, there is almost no record of these types of tragedies happening in our country, due to geographical and geological factors that favor us, for example, a strategic position in the center of a tectonic plate. The formation of major storms, although rare, is the most recurrent type in Brazil, but almost never hits the coast or causes major damage thanks to the low sea temperature. When they do occur, it is usually because of some phenomenon like El Niño or anomalies in ocean currents that cause sea temperatures to rise, favoring the formation of cyclones, typhoons, and tropical storms. The Brazilian territory is fortuitously situated for natural prevention of these tragedies; environmental incidents of large proportions are, for the most part, caused by human interference. Climatic phenomena like the greenhouse effect and global warming are also being aggravated by neglect regarding the fragility of our planet's natural resources. Consequently, this attitude fosters the circumstances for more ecological and environmental tragedies to happen. For some Brazilians, such as the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, suffering from landslides and floods is almost a routine in the summer. The frequency is so high that the period of the year when these accidents normally happen was nicknamed "águas de março" (waters of March), in allusion to the famous song composed by Tom Jobim about the extremely rainy month.
Are companies engaged?
Faced with an increasingly adverse scenario, it is important to think about what companies can learn and do from these environmental tragedies. What can be done to prevent or mitigate the consequences and impacts of these events on people's lives? In a context of innovation and expansion of Industry 4.0, where the future is characterized by a greater role for machines, is environmental preservation being taken into consideration? There is no definitive answer, as this is a complex and subjective scenario. The truth is that nature preservation is a recurring theme in many spheres of global society. The debate has resurfaced with more force, especially due to the increase in the intensity and recurrence of environmental catastrophes. People are assimilating how threatened indispensable conditions and resources for human survival are, such as climate balance and drinking water reserves. It is also the responsibility of large companies, together with each State, to think and develop strategies for preservation and sustainable use of resources and raw materials. Since then, the number of companies and startups adhering to a model aiming at the sustainability of activities only increases, in addition to companies fully focused on environmental protection. This results in a joint force between the business and government sectors to study, explore and invest in alternative ways of dealing with nature, minimizing or, if possible, eliminating impacts on nature.
Innovation = Preservation
Palliative measures do not solve the problem, however. It is necessary to go beyond banning plastic straws in restaurants, for example. It will take years of awareness and a deep change in collective thinking for the results to be positive. However, the commitment of the economic and scientific sector to the environmental cause is notable. The use of technology in fundamental areas for preservation is already part of many business manuals: • New ways of consuming and disposing of waste;
• Investment and accessibility of clean and renewable energies, such as wind farms, solar panels, and biofuels;
• Sustainability and reuse of raw materials, in addition to the development of biodegradable materials;
• More efficient and faster prevention and warning systems;
• Optimization in containment measures for natural elements, such as stronger walls and dams and remote inspection;
• Technology applied in agriculture and forest management, reducing food waste and optimizing reforestation.
In the same way that nature needs balance, so it is with societies. There must be no conflict between the environmental, social, political, and economic aspects of a population so that crises of energy, food, and unemployment, for example, do not break out. This is where scientific and technological innovations come in. To help people care for and deal with nature in a more conscious and rational way. Pix Force, for example, uses Computer Vision to develop solutions that fit the Industry 4.0 model without neglecting the environment. One of our most recent cases consists of a solution to quickly detect oil spills in the ocean, based on the analysis of images obtained by thermal cameras and radars. This solution enables fast and efficient responses to minimize impacts on the environment.
Cooperation is the key
Within a society, each sector functions like a gear. For everything to work in the best possible way, it is necessary for everyone to understand that their acts and enterprises generate consequences and effects on the environment in which we are inserted. The losses and damages to human and natural life are incalculable and, depending on the severity, irreversible. Therefore, it is essential that governments, entrepreneurs, producers, and service providers understand that the mindset needs to be readjusted so that the creation of innovation goes hand in hand with the ideal of conservation. Moments of catastrophe teach humanity to value balance and care for nature. The main lesson is that we cannot forget our role so that our entire ecosystem functions in harmony, providing a better future for humanity.
Fabio Caraça
Fábio Caraça is the Chief Growth Officer at Pix Force. He leads Pix Force's transformation into a scalable SaaS operation, combining strategic vision, culture, and high-impact execution.
