Dr. Patrícia Morellato participates in the “Ask a Scientist” project about the climate emergency

Imagine having the opportunity to ask a scientist your questions directly! That's what the project "Ask a Scientist" proposed, by the Via Saber organization — an initiative that brings the public closer to science through conversations with experts on topics that impact our daily lives. 

By: Gabriela Andrietta

On May 4, Sunday, from 11 am to 1:30 pm, in front of Sesc on Paulista Avenue, the guest was the director of CBioClima, Professor Dr. Patrícia Morellato, a leading researcher in phenology and climate change. The project promotes meetings between members of the Academy and the general public to discuss scientific topics. In this edition, the intention was to bring content related to the topic of the climate emergency, dialoguing with the 5th National Conference on the Environment and COP 30.

Isaac de Souza e Vera Lúcia Lima Santos conversam com Patrícia sobre alimentos trangênicos

Patrícia answered questions about a very current topic: agriculture and climate change, and highlighted the value of the initiative: “It’s really cool to be able to get closer to people, they ask questions, interact. We need to do this more often.”

O projeto contou com a presença ilustre da Dra. Ester Sabino.

The event also featured a special guest appearance by Dr. Esther Sabino, a Brazilian scientist who led the sequencing of the coronavirus genome at the beginning of the pandemic. Esther Sabino also stressed the importance of direct contact between scientists and the public: “Communication is super important and people can ask their questions in person, because sometimes they get information on the internet and it’s not the same thing. It’s a really cool initiative.”

During the conversation, several topics were discussed — from the impacts of El Niño and La Niña to changes in the flowering cycles of plants such as coffee and cocoa. Dr. Patrícia explained, for example, that coffee depends on climate predictability to flower properly. The lack of this regularity can affect production and, consequently, increase the product’s prices on the market.

Isaac de Souza and Vera Lúcia Lima Santos commented: “Definitely enlightening. It demystifies. Sometimes the conversation happens in a bar and talking to a scientist is better.” Natasha Martins and Giulia Martins also praised her: “We loved it. We talked about coffee and cocoa. She explained about coffee flowering and how the climate affects production.” Agnaldo Fukuwara was interested in the explanations about extreme events: “A great talk about El Niño, La Niña, climate change and floods in Rio Grande do Sul. My question was whether in the past, when the first floods happened, it was for the same reason as now. It’s always good to talk to someone who knows more.” Mari Fukuwara highlighted the learning: “She explained everything about coffee – pure and mixed – and also talked about the climate.”

Agnaldo Fukuwara e Mari Agnaldo Fukuwara tiraram dúvidas sobre mudanças climáticas

João Whitaker, who has worked with seed improvement and currently works as a market analyst in the fashion industry, said: “It was great. Very enlightening. She has a good social, economic and political perspective. She talked about commodities and the concern of producing in large quantities, but in a sustainable way.”

Families with children also participated. Iara Gamero brought her daughter Alice, 13, who dreams of being a scientist and is interested in physics. Dr. Patrícia suggested the remake of the Cosmos series, presented by Carl Sagan in 1980 as inspiration. Pamela Hata, who participated with her three children, highlighted: “We always involve children in environmental issues. It is very important for them to have contact with a scientist and understand that these people exist.” Raquel Baracho, a businesswoman, was present with her daughter Heloise, 11, who asked questions about forests and environmental issues. “We really enjoyed it. It is important to preserve and care for the environment. These moments help to clear up doubts,” said Raquel. “I like science and new discoveries,” added Heloise.

Famílias e crianças também participaram do evento

At the end of the meeting, Patrícia Morellato stressed that conversation is essential. For her, keeping spaces open for dialogue is essential, as solutions need to be collective. She highlighted that conversation circles like that offer hope and that abandoning dialogue can increase conflicts. She also noted that we are heading towards a time of much discussion, such as COP 30, and that any initiative that encourages listening and debate should be valued.