presented special programmes connected to the environment theme. He recently launched through the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) the book Espiritismo e Ecologia (Spiritism and Ecology), which is the main topic of the present interview.

O Consolador: How did the idea of launching the book Espiritismo e Ecologia (Spiritism and Ecology), by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) came through? 

I have been preparing lectures and seminars at spiritist centres since 2004 on this subject. The first invite came from our dear Luis Antonio Millecco, who suggested the theme "Ecology and Peace". This was the start of a project that has been awakening a lot of curiosity within me. I am really glad to see similar points between the Spiritist Doctrine and the ecological science. 

O Consolador: Can you please tell us about the programmes produced and exhibited by the media about this topic? 

My work entails TV, radio, internet, books and some articles I write for the press. I have been working as a journalist for 21 years. On the last 17 I have been studying sustainability. My understanding is that the social role of a journalist is to make people aware of what is wrong and show a different perspective for our society. I feel privileged to do what I like; plus, I feel I am doing something useful.  

O Consolador: Society enforces into us a need for things that are not essential for our daily lives. As a consequence, consumption has reached a level that generates waste and garbage. How can we find a balance between the progress of our civilization and Evolution? Would these be able to complement each other? 

We are living through a unique time in History. We need to become aware of that. We are obliged to take decisions that will have an impact on the future of this planet. Ethical, moral, social, economical and environmental issues are interlinked. They demand our ability to see systematically. Spiritism as well as Ecology demands from us a detailed observation. These questions are discussed on our book.  

O Consolador: Wouldn’t it be utopia to think we can live in a sustainable planet since evolution happens first on a conscious level?  

There are complementary processes. It is an ethical matter to make good use of natural resources. It a moral matter to look after the space created by God for us. We can’t separate humanity from the planet. Our Doctrine says the beings who live at each of the inhabited worlds are made of basic elements from those planets. We, for instance, are made of air, soil and water. If we pollute the water, the soil and the air, we will die. There will be no life without the environment. 

O Consolador: Wouldn’t it be natural to have integration between man and nature in our planet? 

This is why we need to start sustainable practices in our routine, since this come together with the ethical standards we want to follow regarding respect to life and other beings from the Universe. 

O Consolador: The technological evolution is happening on a really fast speed. Wouldn’t you say this technology revolution became a way to avoid talking about environmental issues? 

The biggest encouragers of the technological evolution are the weaponry companies. This shows us the moral level we are, as human beings. Therefore, the environmental crisis demands investment. I believe the construction of peace will take centuries to happen, but the good news is that we are evolving.

O Consolador: Allan Kardec used to say that education is essential for moral progress. There are, however, numerous challenges on the way. How can we help the communication resources to transmit the right message to the audience? 

At this digital communication time, every person has the right to create its own media. There are blogs in the United States where one million users access it every day. Thanks to twitter, Iran’s population was able to overcome censorship and protest against the fraud at elections. The conventional ways of communication are going through a massive shift. Every person can now provide information online and reach a piece of the market; therefore, we must do it with responsibility and commitment to the truth. 

O Consolador: The insane consumption is linked directly with the promotion of unsustainable economical growth that is promoted nowadays. What is the role of the media in this process? 

Our challenge is to reform the values present in our society that are around consumption. We need to redirect the marketing strategies, since exaggerated consumption doesn’t bring peace of mind. In addition, this consumption is not sustainable. It is our duty to find a creative and intelligent way to make the economy grow without making the audience an easy target for marketing campaigns. It is inevitable and urgent to rethink our ways of production and consumption. 

O Consolador: How do you see the level of consciousness amongst spiritists? 

One of the reasons I decided to write this book was to speed up this process within the spiritist movement. I believe we could improve, from my point of view. 

O Consolador: What references can you find in your book from other sources related to the spiritist literature, such as Allan Kardec? 

There are several references in the book to the work codified by Kardec. There are references to other incarnated and disincarnated authors as well. Some of the books mentioned are: Genesis, The Spirits' Book (chapters focusing on the Laws of Preservation and Destruction), Joanna de Ângelis, André Luiz, Carlos Torres Pastorino, Jorge Andréa dos Santos and many others. Spiritism has many references to the environment. 

O Consolador: How Can the Spiritists Contribute to a Sustainable World?   

There are several alternatives presented in the book. There are ways to promote Sustainability in the spiritist centres, on our daily practices. The book has quick tips for the centres plus a small environmental dictionary with 140 words which can be very useful for those who are interested in the subject.