Paulo Nogueira Neto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paulo Nogueira Neto
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Paulo Nogueira Neto at the ECO World Conference 2008
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| Secretary of the Environment | |
| In office 1974–1986 |
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| Succeeded by | Roberto Messias Franco |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 April 1922 São Paulo, Brazil |
| Died | 25 February 2019 (aged 96) São Paulo, Brazil |
| Occupation | Environmentalist |
| Known for | National Environmental Policy Law 6.938/81 |
Paulo Nogueira Neto (born April 18, 1922 – died February 25, 2019) was a very important Brazilian environmentalist. He led Brazil's first government agency focused on protecting the environment. This agency later became today's Ministry of the Environment. He was also part of a special group at the United Nations called the Brundtland Commission. This group worked on how to protect our planet. Paulo Nogueira Neto had a huge impact on Brazil's laws about the environment.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Paulo Nogueira Neto was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on April 18, 1922. He came from a well-known family. Some of his relatives were famous people like José Bonifácio de Andrada, a leader who helped Brazil become independent.
Paulo went to high school at São Bento Gymnasium in São Paulo. His family owned a farm in Campinas. There, he met Lucia Ribeiro do Valle, whose family also had a farm. They became friends and later married in 1944. They had three children: Paulo Júnior, Luiz Antônio, and Eduardo Manoel.
During World War II (1939–1945), Paulo joined the cavalry as a volunteer. Luckily, he did not have to go overseas to fight. In 1945, he finished his studies at the University of São Paulo (USP). He earned a degree in Legal and Social Sciences.
Becoming a Biologist
In 1954, Paulo Nogueira Neto started one of Brazil's first environmental groups. It was called the Association for the Defense of the Environment (ADEMA-SP). This showed his early passion for nature.
He went back to the University of São Paulo to study Natural History. In 1963, he earned his doctorate by studying how bees build their nests. He then became a teacher in the university's Department of Zoology.
In the late 1960s, Paulo led a group of scientists. They worked to create the Federal Biology Council (CFBio). This council helps guide biology studies and work in Brazil. Paulo became its first president. He became an expert in animal behavior, how land ecosystems work, and climate change. He also helped create a new department at the university focused on general ecology.
Leading Environmental Efforts
In 1974, Paulo Nogueira Neto was chosen to lead the Special Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA). This was Brazil's very first federal agency for the environment. He stayed in this important job for over twelve years, working for different governments.
When he started, SEMA was very small. Paulo remembered having only five employees and three rooms to deal with environmental problems for all of Brazil! Even though it was a tough job, he worked hard. He was asked to join the government's political party twice, but he always said no. He wanted to focus only on protecting the environment, not on politics.
Paulo Nogueira Neto was the main person behind Brazil's most important environmental law. This law, called the National Environmental Policy Law 6.938, was passed in 1981. It set up the rules and structure for what is now the federal Ministry of the Environment. This law was supported by almost everyone in the government.
Under his leadership, SEMA started creating special protected areas called ecological stations (ESECs). These areas are set aside to protect different types of ecosystems in Brazil. The goal was to save examples of all the natural environments across the country. During his time, about 3 million hectares (that's like 7.4 million acres) of ecological stations and reserves were created. He also helped create 1.5 million hectares (about 3.7 million acres) of environmental protection areas.
He also started and was the first president of the National Environment Council (CONAMA). This council helps make decisions about environmental policies.
Later Work and Achievements
From 1984 to 1987, Paulo Nogueira Neto was a member of the United Nations Brundtland Commission. This commission, led by Gro Harlem Brundtland from Norway, studied how to balance development with protecting the environment. They came up with the idea of "sustainable economic development." This means meeting today's needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Paulo helped calm things down during a visit to the Amazon. Some members of the commission were upset because a local governor had said protecting forests was "nonsense." Paulo helped smooth things over, making the visit a success. The commission realized that poverty was a big reason for population growth and environmental problems. They saw that "sustainable economic development" was the key to solving these issues.
Paulo Nogueira Neto was also elected Vice President twice for the Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO. This program works to improve the relationship between people and their natural environments.
He was also a vice president for important environmental groups like the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation and WWF-Brazil. Even at 88 years old in 2010, he was still an active professor and president of the Forest Foundation of the State of São Paulo. He was generally hopeful about the environment, but he still worried about problems like deforestation.
Paulo Nogueira Neto received many important awards for his work. These include the Order of the Southern Cross, the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize, and the Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Award. He passed away on February 25, 2019, in São Paulo, at the age of 96. His life showed how one person can make a huge difference in protecting our planet.
Sources
- "Ambientalista Paulo Nogueira-Neto morre aos 96 anos" (in pt-br). Globo1. 25 February 2019. https://g1.globo.com/sp/campinas-regiao/terra-da-gente/noticia/2019/02/25/ambientalista-paulo-nogueira-neto-morre-aos-96-anos.ghtml. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- "Donos da EPTV controlam usina que tenta despejar assentamento" (in pt-BR). Repórter Brasil. 23 January 2013. https://reporterbrasil.org.br/2013/01/donos-da-eptv-controlam-usina-que-tenta-despejar-assentamento-milton-santos/. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
- "Morre Paulo Nogueira Neto, criador da política ambiental brasileira" (in pt-BR). Folha de S.Paulo. 25 February 2019. https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ambiente/2019/02/morre-paulo-nogueira-neto-criador-da-politica-ambiental-brasileira.shtml. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
