A realidade da educação ambiental no sistema de gestão ambiental: Votorantim Metais – um estudo de caso

Abstract

The extent to which humanity becomes conscious of the importance of social conditions and the corporate role in changing these conditions has recently come into question as a result of negative socio environmental impacts caused by our collective way of life. The investments made by some corporations are examples of possible contributions. The present research focuseson the activities of one company of the Votorantim Group, Votorantim Metais, located in Vazante, MG. The objective of the study is to describe the environmental education program in view of the fact that the function of the company is basically exploratory: to extract zinc from the local environmental. It was thus considered criticai to determine the priority givem to envoronmental education within the envoronmental manegement system of the firm. informal interviews were conducted with employes and residents of the city of Vazante, MG. During 14 months a total of 13 activities in the area of environmental education were planed and and conducted with the envolvement of employees and community residents. These activities stressed recognition of the human aspects of environmental programs and their objecives. The routine activities of the company, however, were found to restrict planning and elaboration of education oriented to protecting the envoronment. Display of the environmental activities for employees and the community using photographs, posters, and the Internet were the measures used by the envoronmental manegement system of the company to make its efforts known. This campaign, unfotunately, proved to be the termination of such activities rather than the beginning of innovative environmental education.