Or rather meio-dia elétrico! For our first meet & greet during lunchbreak, we are happy to welcome REVOLUSOLAR

Revolusolar is an electricity cooperative for and by residents of the Favela de Babilônia in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). In a city that gets 90% of its electricity from renewable resources, and that has 2500 hours of sun per year (Brussels barely 1500 !), you would think that sun and electricity are almost synonymous. Think again.

Rio's electricity grid was put in place a century ago, and still struggles with the profit making interests of its founders (among others Belgian investment companies). Illegal tapping of electricity is still common practice, yet not so much anymore by black cats (what used to be the name of Favelians taking the electricity they could not buy for want of citizenship), but more so by black panters (industry using unpaid electricity on a larger scale). Since production and distribution of electricity have long been a loss making business in Rio, there was no incentive for innovation and investment, and production relied mainly on hydropower from huge dams built in the 1960s. Yet, the changing climate means the reservoirs behind those dams are running dry, and other sources need to be addressed.

During a visit to Rio de Janeiro in 2018, City Mine(d) had chance to talk to several active and driven citizen groups concerned about the energy question. Several, like Revolusolar, but also INSOLAR are combining struggles for environmental and social justice with practical solutions to problems of everyday. See also the map City Mine(d) made for Rio.

We are very pleased to have Juan Cuervo of REVOLUSOLAR with us for our first Midi Électrique. He will explain where thet are at with putting solar panels on schools and houses in the favela de Babilônia. In return he wants to hear experiences from solar and energy cooperatives in Europa. Now that is what we call South - North exchange !

Don't miss it:

BOOK FREE PLACE HERE:

Monday 17 June 2019 12:30 Rue Emile Feron 106 1060 St Gilles

Bring your own lunch, we will have water, coffee, tea (but let us know if you take milk or sugar, we tend to forget)