Sustentabilidade atmosférica em Belo Horizonte mediante iniciativa de mitigação de emissões advindas do setor de transporte terrestre

Abstract

The atmosphere is an essential part of life on the Planet. It results from the interaction between biotic and abiotic environments which, if remain in a balanced dynamic, they favor the continuity of the biosphere. Therefore, the large increase in the human population, situated under the predominant validity of capitalist premises, has caused disturbances arising from the negative repercussions of industrial and technological advances and the inconsequential demographic dynamics. These issues lack effective and efficient sustainability actions. Anthropogenic practices without correct reflection of impacts are factors that have unbalanced biogeochemical cycles, as they drive greater gas emissions, causing alteration, degradation and pollution of the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that raising public awareness about pollution problems and the government's focus on emission mitigation actions considering local contexts can reverse the current situation and encourage significant changes. The focuses of the work were: i) understand how the composition and quantity of polluting gases in the atmosphere have become urgent topics, considering mainly public health; ii) observe the relationship between the activity of the transport sector and the concentration of polluting gases in the atmosphere and design strategies that can help achieving environmental sustainability; and iii) analyze land transport policies in Belo Horizonte to determine what the current modal priority is and which locations are most in need of intervention. In this scenario, the idea of changing the public service’s vehicle energy matrix was prioritized. Metro lines based on a renewable and clean system were considered, in addition to their due expansion. To analyze the amount of emissions, documents and databases from the “Fundação Estadual do Meio Ambiente” (FEAM) were consulted, aiming to observe the most emitted gases and study the possible improvement of the atmosphere by encouraging the use of public transport. The results were positive, indicating that the implementation of new transport can contribute to reducing atmospheric pollution.