Description
Mining and metallurgical companies are widespread in Minas Gerais, and their impact has left its mark on the state's landscapes. Faced with a series of socio-environmental crimes in recent years, such as the collapse of tailings dams, deforestation and air pollution, these industrial practices have been confronted with demands for "sustainability" and management of the waste generated by their processes. In this context, the industry has sought to invest in new technologies, such as "green steel", which is produced without the emission of greenhouse gases. In Brazil, the North American company Boston Metal is entering this new market by setting up a plant in the city of Coronel Xavier Chaves, in the micro-region of São João Del Rei, Minas Gerais. Its technology - Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) - has been developed to extract metals from the tailings of conventional mining using electrical energy. In this context, the project seeks to understand the landscape created by the use of this technology, taking into account its implications for the management of these wastes. By looking at the socio-technical controversies of this new project through documentary research, bibliographic reviews and ethnographic experience, the interest is to produce an ethnography that allows us to understand the political and technical aspects of this enterprise, as well as the issues involved. In December 2024, I carried out five days of fieldwork in Coronel Xavier Chaves, Minas Gerais, Brazil, where the Company plant is located, with the aim of making an initial assessment of the area. The idea was also to make contact with the local authorities - the town hall and the local departments. Now, I would like to delve deeper into the bibliography of STS, anthropology of mining and anthropology of science in relation to recent discussions on the global economy and sustainable development, considering that the context of this research has raised many questions about sustainability and the involvement of science in the production of new technologies and business projects.| Period | Oct 2025 → … |
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| Examinee | Carolina Suzuki de Matos |
| Degree of Recognition | International |