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Daily Archives: 03/11/2011



NEW VALUES Perhaps no car symbolizes the changing order like the Cygnet, left, from Aston Martin, the British ultraluxury brand. (Photography: Matthew Lloyd / Bloomberg News)

FROM tailfin Cadillacs to the Hummers of the S.U.V. heyday, the principles of auto luxury have been passed down like slab-sided commandments: bigger, stronger, faster.

But with new environmental regulations staring them in the face, luxury carmakers are trying on a new set of values — smaller, humbler and more fuel-efficient — that might shock a large-barge traditionalist.

Downsizing is the rage among luxury cars, from slimmed-down bodies to smaller four-cylinder engines and hybrid or electric power.

Land Rover’s striking, $44,000 Range Rover Evoque crossover is the lightest, most fuel-efficient Rover in history. Powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder rather than a beefy V-8, the Evoque earns a federal highway rating of 28 m.p.g.

Lexus bills its CT 200h as the world’s first compact luxury hybrid hatchback. BMW plans to begin leasing small numbers of its Active E, an all-electric version of its perky 1 Series coupe, in urban markets. Small sedans, crossovers or hatchbacks are in the works from Cadillac, Mercedes, Lincoln, Porsche and more.

Even an imposing sport sedan, the exotically styled Fisker Karma, goes for a tiny game-changer under the hood: A two-liter G.M. four-cylinder mated to a plug-in hybrid system, good for 403 total horsepower.

In some ways, industry downsizing is a do-it-or-else proposition. A federal target of 54.5 m.p.g. by 2025, along with anticipated carbon dioxide emissions rules in Europe, have even deluxe brands scrambling to increase fuel efficiency.

But a question remains: Shy of $6-a-gallon gasoline, are enough Americans willing to spend big bucks on a little car?


(Photography: Matthew Lloyd / Bloomberg News)

Smaller luxury cars, many powered by frugal diesels, have proliferated in Europe. But Americans have rarely seen the point of buying less car, especially when a roomier version can be had for roughly the same price.

“We’re still a bit in the experiment stage,” said Jeff Schuster, director of forecasting for J. D. Power & Associates.

The list of America’s most notorious luxury failures is littered with small, entry-priced models. Lower the bar too far in styling, features or power, and American critics and buyers quickly sniff out a designer impostor.

In the ’80s, Cadillac dressed up a rattletrap Chevrolet Cavalier and called it the Cimarron. Consumers weren’t fooled.


The Range Rover Evoque is the most fuel-efficient Rover in history. (Photography: Arne Dedert / European Pressphoto Agency)

Cadillac will look to correct that mistake with the ATS sedan, a taut-bodied BMW 3 Series fighter that goes on sale next year. Caddy is also developing a compact plug-in hybrid based on the Chevrolet Volt’s system.

As with the Cimarron, a cut-rate luxury car can tarnish the image of an entire brand. That’s what happened when Jaguar — desperate for its own entry-level rival to the BMW 3 Series — disguised a Ford Mondeo sedan with leather and a feline “leaper” badge and tried to pass off the shoddy result as the 2001 X-Type. The Jag later joined the Cimarron on a Time magazine list of the 50 worst cars of all time.

Yet automakers and analysts say that much has changed. Soaring fuel prices and concerns over climate change have even wealthy customers checking their wallets or questioning consumption.

Mr. Schuster notes that, in contrast to the social climbers of yesteryear — conspicuously rebadged versions of mainstream models — new versions tend to be sophisticated, stand-alone designs. The success of BMW’s Mini has also helped make the market safe for premium small cars, for both automakers and buyers.

For Mercedes, the German automaker has long restricted its affordable, front-drive A-Class hatchback and B-Class minivan to foreign markets, suspecting that Americans would reject these practical-yet-frumpy machines.

But Mercedes has radically revamped these small cars with Americans in mind. At New York’s auto show in April, Mercedes showed a stunning A-Class concept, which along with a more-stylish B-Class, is being readied for America in 2013. Small four-cylinder turbo engines will power those models, which analysts expect will start around $30,000, and Mercedes plans hybrid or electric variants.

“If you’re half-hearted about downsizing, people perceive that model as being less,” said Donna Boland, a spokeswoman for Mercedes. “But these cars will be every inch a Mercedes.”

For leading luxury brands, entry-priced sedans or crossovers at roughly $30,000 to $50,000 — including the 3 Series, Audi Q5 and Mercedes C-Class — have become crucial drivers of sales and profits. But as these cars have grown larger and costlier, automakers see a fertile niche just below and a chance to capture younger buyers, perhaps for life.

As Mercedes developed its premium small-car strategy, the automaker identified a mass of buyers from Generation X and Y entering peak earning years of roughly age 40 to 54, even as baby boomers eased into retirement.


MERCEDES The carmaker showed an A-Class concept vehicle in New York. (Photography: Marcus Yam / The New York Times)

“This is a different buyer group than what we’ve dealt with for decades, with different ideas on what and how they want to drive,” Ms. Boland said.

The numbers appear promising. J. D. Power projects sales of small premium cars to reach 450,000 by 2015, from just 100,000 in 2005. Pint-size models would account for nearly one in five luxury sales, up from one in 20 in 2005.

Perhaps no car symbolizes the changing order like the Aston Martin Cygnet. The British ultraluxury brand, famed for six-figure Grand Touring cars, has given the Toyota iQ, a tiny city car in the vein of the Smart, an opulent makeover. The resulting Cygnet, powered by a mere 1.3-liter engine, is on sale in Europe for about $48,000. Aston may consider bringing the microcar to big-city markets here in coming years.

Since the negative fallout over the X-Type, Jaguar has never again tried a compact model. But Ian Callum, Jaguar’s influential chief designer, has acknowledged the lineup’s glaring lack of a small sedan or crossover and suggests those holes may soon be filled.

Author: Lawrence Ultich
Source: The New York Times
Original: http://nyti.ms/pU8JC9


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Vereador considera “muito positivo” o número de candidatos

A Câmara Municipal de Lisboa recebeu 495 candidaturas à cedência de 42 terrenos disponibilizados para hortas urbanas. O período de candidaturas fechou a 20 de Outubro e a selecção decorre até ao início de Novembro. O principal critério de selecção é a proximidade geográfica da residência do candidato, segundo o vereador responsável, José Sá Fernandes.

Os terrenos indicados são os parques hortícolas de Campolide e da Quinta da Granja, em Benfica. O vereador do Ambiente Urbano, Espaços Verdes e Espaço Público, considera o número de candidaturas “muito positivo”, porque reflecte “a existência de uma necessidade por suprir”.

Sá Fernandes frisa que o principal critério é o “da residência do candidato ser ou não próxima do parque”, de forma a assegurar a continuidade da utilização dos terrenos.

A inauguração do parque da Quinta da Granja realiza-se a 29 de Outubro. Inicialmente estavam a concurso 15 dos 38 talhões construídos, sendo que os restantes foram atribuídos automaticamente aos agricultores que já utilizavam o espaço para cultivo antes das obras. Destes, cinco desistiram de manter as parcelas após a intervenção municipal, aumentando para 20 o número de talhões disponíveis. Com cerca de 150 metros quadrados, cada talhão terá um custo anual de 55 euros.

No parque hortícola de Campolide, junto às instalações da Polícia Municipal, foram a concurso 22 talhões para hortas de recreio. Aqui, o valor a pagar por talhão vai variar entre 55 euros e 100 euros por ano.

José Sá Fernandes realça a importância deste projecto “a nível social e também ambiental, com o melhor aproveitamento dos solos de Lisboa”. O vereador salienta ainda o papel que estes espaços verdes podem desempenhar “no lazer e tempos livres da população, especialmente a mais idosa”.

Autor: Fábio Rodrigues
Fonte: Ecosfera / Público
Original: http://bit.ly/rbtdjt


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A team from Japan won a world solar car race through Australia’s outback on Thursday, after battling more than 3,000 km (1,800 miles) of remote highways, dodging kangaroos and other wildlife and avoiding a bushfire.

Race officials said the team from Tokai University, near Tokyo, finished the race from the northern city of Darwin to the southern city of Adelaide at about noon on Thursday.

The teams set off on Sunday.

The Nuon Solar Car Team from the Netherlands came second, while a U.S. team from the University of Michigan finished third.

Nuon’s driver Javier Sint Jago said he had to avoid a bushfire, wallabies, cattle, sheep and lizards on his marathon drive, although the biggest challenge was to fight the strong winds which buffeted his 140 kg (300 lb) vehicle.

“It was pretty rough. The side winds were 50 to 60 km an hour (30-40 mph), and can easily push you off the side,” he said.

“It was just so much concentration.”

Thirty-seven cars from 21 countries started off in Darwin, heading south and using only the power generated by the sun in the 11th running of the annual race.

High-tech solar cars use public highways on the trek, with teams camping out by the road overnight as their cars run out of power after dark.

Along the way, they dodge other traffic, as well as kangaroos, camels and other wildlife wandering the outback deserts.

This year’s race was made more dangerous by bushfires in the remote Northern Territory, which forced some cars to stop racing on Tuesday and camp out at a police roadblock as the fires crossed the highway, 300 km north of the central town of Alice Springs.

One car from the Philippines burst into flames early in the race when its battery exploded. No team members were injured, the fire was extinguished and the car resumed the race with a replacement battery pack.

The race is a favorite for university teams and researchers looking for new green sources of energy to fuel cars.

Author: James Grubel
Editing: Elaine Lies and Ron Popeski
Source: Reuters
Original: http://reut.rs/rqmYv7


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Iniciativa visa combater o desperdício e substituir o uso do carvão em fornos e caldeiras de empresas locais


Descarte de galhos de árvores e restos de madeira usados na construção civil passará a ser feito em ecoponto

São Paulo – Em Araçatuba, interior de São Paulo, toda a madeira descartada como lixo será transformada em energia limpa. A iniciativa visa combater o desperdício e substituir o uso do carvão em fornos e caldeiras de empresas locais.

Já foi instalado um ecoponto na cidade. Desta forma, o descarte de galhos de árvores e restos de madeira usados na construção civil passará a ser feito da maneira correta. Os moradores terão direcionamentos sobre a nova prática e serão orientados a descartar o material neste local. Posteriormente, a empresa Monte Azul transformará o material em energia. Atualmente, a companhia já é responsável por coletar e tratar o lixo.

Segundo o presidente da Monte Azul, Fernando Daud, a empresa investiu R$ 200 mil em equipamentos para todo o processo. A energia será vendida para uma fábrica de cerâmica e abastecerá fornos e caldeiras que atualmente utilizam o carvão como combustível.

Daud afirma que a usina processará até 150 metros cúbicos de madeira por hora, calcula-se que esta quantidade represente 25 caçambas de lixo cheias. Desta forma, haverá um ganho considerável tanto para a empresa quanto para o meio ambiente.

Para o secretário do meio ambiente de Araçatuba, Jorge Hector Rozas, o benefício com o novo sistema, além das questões ambientais, será reduzir os agentes vetores que proliferam na matéria orgânica. Neste ano, pelo menos 16 pessoas já foram contaminadas pela doença, que pode ter os cães como hospedeiros, além de poder provocar a morte.

“Vamos ter uma cidade mais limpa, porque estes materiais descartados ficavam expostos ao meio ambiente, teremos menos queimadas e, com certeza, vamos reduzir a proliferação de vetores”, afirmou o secretário.

Fotografia: Henrique / Wikimedia Commons
Fonte: Exame / CicloVivo
Original: http://bit.ly/oH6lUu


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Sales of Chevrolet’s Volt and Nissan’s Leaf are low so far, yet curiosity surrounding the cars can lead to sales of the carmakers’ other models and win them customers from other brands, analysts say.

Electric vehicles are giving automakers a boost — in marketing appeal.

Although sales haven’t exactly been electrifying, the vehicles are helping auto companies draw more shoppers to their showrooms, something that would not have happened without the curiosity over the new autos.

“There is such a halo effect,” said Oliver Hazimeh, an automotive industry consultant at PwC’s PRTM Management Consulting. “These cars appeal to the cool tech-savvy consumer segment.”

Just having those vehicles in the showroom can translate into sales of other models, Hazimeh said. Shoppers come in to check out the electric vehicles but then drive off with something else if they find they can’t afford the premium for the new technology.

Electric vehicles also are helping both Chevrolet, which makes the Volt plug-in hybrid sedan, and Nissan, manufacturer of the all-electric Leaf, win customers from other brands, according to an analysis of initial sales data by auto information company R.L. Polk & Co.

Through the first nine months of this year, Chevrolet has sold just 3,895 Volts and Nissan has sold only 7,199 Leafs, according to Autodata Corp. By comparison, Chevrolet sells about 20,000 of its similar-sized Cruze sedans every month.

But the Volt is a lot more likely to attract the attention of a shopper who previously didn’t consider Chevrolet. About 78% of Volt buyers — based on data from the first half of this year — didn’t own a Chevrolet at the time of the purchase, said Barbara Keys, a Polk consultant.

That means that the Volt is luring customers of other brands at almost twice the rate of other Chevrolet models. On average, 43% of Chevrolet buyers are so-called conquests.

The Leaf has an even stronger trend line for sales conquests over other brands.

About 90% of Leaf buyers didn’t own a Nissan previously, according to Polk data. That’s much better than Nissan’s average conquest rate of 52%.

Nissan said that 18% of its Leaf buyers are trading in a Toyota Prius. And 38% are trading in a Prius or another Toyota.

The most frequent car traded in for a Volt is also a Prius, which accounted for 7% of all Volt sales, according to General Motors Co., which owns the Chevrolet brand. German cars also were comparatively frequent trade-ins. The BMW 3 series, the Audi A4 and the Volkswagen Jetta were traded in for a combined 6% of Volt sales, GM said.

About 60% of Leaf buyers live in California. Sales of the car are helped by rules that allow the Leaf with a solo driver into carpool lanes. The Volt is expected to get similar certification sometime next year.

About 37% of Volt buyers are from California, which for decades has been one of Chevrolet’s worst sales regions.

Keys looked at other new models from Chevrolet and Nissan and found that their electric vehicles were attracting customers of other brands in bigger percentages. The Chevrolet Cruze and Nissan Juke, conventional gasoline engine cars and new models, had lower conquest rates of 48% and 65%, respectively.

The Volt and the Leaf, Keys said, “have been successful in bringing new customers to the brand, and that may have long-term benefits in terms of make loyalty and customer retention.”

GM spent $1 billion developing the Volt, a huge investment for a car that so far has sold only a few thousand.

The big investment is starting to pay off for the automaker, said Mark Reuss, president of GM’s North American operations.

“Is the Volt economically good for the company? Yes, we are using the car to change the company,” Reuss said.

The experience building the Volt also translates into better electric vehicle technology — batteries, motors and control systems — allowing GM to push electric and hybrid systems into a broader range of its vehicles, Reuss said.

GM is adding a light hybrid system to its Buick LaCrosse and Regal models, as well as the new generation Chevrolet Malibu that debuts in the coming months, a move that increases fuel economy by 20% to 25%.

Author: Jerry Hirsch
Photography: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg
Source: Los Angeles Times
Original: http://lat.ms/qWGiJD


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Equipamento tem capacidade para transformar uma tonelada de material orgânico em biogás em, no máximo, 60 dias e sem necessidade de aterros


Criador do Alt-Lix, Marco Antonio de Mieres, explica que desenvolveu um processo em que o biofermentador transforma todo o material orgânico em gás

Rio de Janeiro – Um equipamento com capacidade para transformar uma tonelada de material orgânico em até 600 m³ de biogás em, no máximo, 60 dias e sem necessidade de aterros. O Alt-Lix é um biofermentador desenvolvido pela Ambiente Moderno Consultoria, empresa da Vila Valqueire, na zona norte do Rio de Janeiro.

O produto inédito no País é apresentado no espaço de exposição da Semana Sebrae de Tecnologia e Inovação, do Sebrae no Rio de Janeiro. O evento acontece no Centro Cultural Ação da Cidadania, na Saúde, bairro da zona portuária do Rio, até sexta-feira (21).

O criador do Alt-Lix e um dos sócios da empresa, Marco Antonio de Mieres, explica que desenvolveu um processo em que o biofermentador transforma todo o material orgânico em gás. Segundo ele, o equipamento dispensa a criação de aterros sanitários. Deposita-se o lixo em containeres, levados para a usina sem risco de contaminar solo ou lençol freático.

Como base de comparação, o empresário explica que em um grande aterro sanitário são necessários dois anos para se começar a produzir gás, captado por meio de dutos, e 20 anos para encerrar as atividades na área.

“O Alt-Lix acaba com o lixo e, segundo nossas pesquisas, não existe nada parecido no mundo. O processo ainda pode ser feito por módulos, adequado à demanda. Num grande evento, todo o lixo se processaria numa semana para gerar energia no local”, afirma Mieres.

Patente

A empresa, criada há apenas dois anos, desenvolveu a ideia com recursos do Prime – Programa da Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (Finep) e da Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Faperj). Ela está no processo final para se tornar uma das incubadas do Instituto Alberto Luiz Coimbra de Pós Graduação e Pesquisa de Engenharia da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Coppe/UFRJ).

“Recebi uma proposta milionária de um país europeu para vender a patente, mas recusei. O processo do Alt-Lix evita odor, é ambientalmente correto, resolve o problema do lixo, acaba com os aterros sanitários e não produz chorume, líquido altamente tóxico”, informa. “Sei que isso vale muito e já registrei a patente em 144 países”, revela.

Autor: Regina Mamede / Agência Sebrae de Notícias
Fotografia: Getty Images
Fonte: Exame / Agência Sebrae de Notícias
Original: http://bit.ly/pa9BJO


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It might surprise you to hear that the U.S. military may be advancing the field of alternative fuels.

But rising petroleum costs and a desire to cut dependence on oil have pushed the military to take alternative biofuels very seriously. In fact, a recent Bloomberg interview shows that the Air Force plans to certify all of its aircraft models to burn biofuels, especially those derived from animal fats and plants, by 2013. That figure is three years ahead of previous targets.

While biofuels currently cost too much for the military to consistently use, officials feel they can “create a market,” and drive down the price of such materials. In January, The New York Times reported that the military’s current plans to use biofuels were unlikely to be cost-effective, but recent progress shows that may not be the case.

“Reliance on fossil fuels is simply too much of a vulnerability for a military organization to have,” U.S. Navy Secretary Raymond Mabus said in an interview with Bloomberg. “We’ve been certifying aircraft on biofuels. We’re doing solar and wind, geothermal, hydrothermal, wave, things like that on our bases.”

NPR has also reported that the Air Force and the Navy have been testing fuels based on plants and animal fats recently, and have been showing tremendous promise. Bloomberg shows that these fuels have other benefits than cost:
The armed forces say they’ve been successful testing fuels produced from sources as diverse as animal fat, frying oils and camelina, an oil-bearing plant that’s relatively drought- and freeze-resistant.

While the big problem right now is cost, a large military contract may be just what biofuel companies need to get off the ground. “You can’t take a 10-year contract from an American airline to the bank and get the financing that you need,” James Rekoske, vice president of renewable energy at Honeywell’s UOP unit told Bloomberg. “You can if you have a 10-year contract from the U.S. Navy.”

With money for more refineries, the price of these fuels may quickly decrease, according to NPR. Additionally, the government has begun to offer incentives for farmers who have begun to grow camelina, which is used for some fuels.

The military isn’t the only organization thinking about the future. The Huffington Post’s Rebecca Dolan detailed the airline industry’s attempts to focus on biofuels, as companies also look to reduce emissions and dependency on oil.

Author: Dean Praetorius
Source: The Huff Post Green
Original: http://huff.to/r6hBvz


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O 11º Desafio Solar Mundial começou no último domingo e contém equipes que representam universidades de todo o mundo


A ideia da disputa é a gestão de energia. Os carros só podem circular com energia proveniente de fontes renováveis e totalmente limpas

São Paulo – A Austrália sediou uma corrida de automóveis, ambientalmente correta. A ideia da disputa é a gestão de energia. Os carros só podem circular com energia proveniente de fontes renováveis e totalmente limpas.

Nesta semana, as equipes de corrida, com veículos movidos energia solar, enfrentaram fogo, calor escaldante, baterias de carros explodindo e cangurus bebês ao longo da rodovia, durante todo o trajeto do Outback australiano.

O 11º Desafio Solar Mundial começou no último domingo (16) em Darwin. As equipes, que representam universidades de todo o mundo percorreram quase três mil quilômetros de terreno acidentado pelo coração da Austrália. Atingindo a velocidade máxima de mais de 70 quilômetros por hora. Cada carro solar foi acompanhado por veículos de apoio, os quais deveriam parar todas as tardes, às 17h e acampar à noite, onde quer que estivessem.

Durante o percurso há sete pontos de verificação obrigatória quando os observadores são alterados e os gerentes da equipe podem se atualizar com as últimas informações sobre o tempo e sua própria posição no campo. Neste local as equipes podem realizar somente o mais básico de manutenção – a verificação e manutenção de pressão dos pneus e limpeza das peças do veículo.

Há também pontos de verificação não revelados que podem ser impostos pelos oficiais do evento, para garantir conformidade regulatória.

O diretor da corrida, Chris Selton, disse que o objetivo não só coroa um vencedor, mas também promove a ideia de usar o sol para dirigir carros em longas distâncias.

“O grande objetivo é desafiar as percepções das pessoas sobre os transportes e os combustíveis que usamos”, disse Selton logo após a partida. “Eles estão aperfeiçoando a fabricação de veículos elétricos mais eficientes. Vê-los em nossas cidades em estradas rápidas com um par de kilowatts é absolutamente fantástico.”

A corrida é baseada na ideia de que um carro movido a mil watts de energia solar (a quantidade utilizada em um secador de cabelo) completaria a jornada em 50 horas. Os carros solares são permitidos armazenar 10% desse valor (5 kw/h de energia) para ser usada quando o ângulo do sol é baixo ou quando formam-se nuvens ou chove. Todas as outras energias devem vir do sol ou serem recuperadas a partir da energia cinética do veículo.

As restrições da competição levaram a alguns projetos de veículos incomuns, que tiram proveito do mais recente material de carbono de fibra leve, células fotovoltaicas e tecnologia de baterias.

Das 37 equipes que começaram a corrida, 22 acabaram, incluindo a Universidade de Michigan, Stanford, MIT e Faculdade Principia. A equipe da UC Berkeley, nos Estados Unidos, saiu no início desta semana, enquanto Michigan se manteve em terceiro lugar, apesar de ter a calota danificada.

“Corremos um risco calculado e aumentamos nossa velocidade para alcançar a equipe japonesa”, disse Chris Hilger, gerente de negócios da equipe de Michigan, por telefone via satélite. “Fomos mais rápidos do que o que tínhamos sido antes e alguns ventos contra danificaram nossa calota. Isso nos custou uma hora de corrida.”

Ao longo das estradas vazias do Outback, Hilger e os outros membros da equipe de Michigan se esquivaram de cangurus, emus, vacas e lagartos. Eles acamparam em estradas de terra durante a noite e pela manhã, equipes inclinavam o coletor solar compacto do veículo para pegar os primeiros raios de luz solar para produzir energia.

A Universidade japonesa Tokai venceu a corrida de cinco dias, seguido por uma equipe holandesa. A universidade norte-americana de Michigan ficou com a terceira colocação, após levantar mais de um milhão de dólares em patrocínios para construir o veículo “Quantum”, de cinco metros de comprimento, que pesa 145 kg e pode atingir velocidade máxima de 168 km/h por hora em pista fechada.

“O que nós provamos é que se você ultrapassa seus limites e empurra a tecnologia, você pode ir a uma enorme distância e utilizar muito pouca energia”, disse Hilger.

A equipe pode trazer de volta algumas lições para a indústria automobilística. “Há um monte de relevância para o consumidor”, disse Hilger. “Esta corrida serve para mostrar que o transporte sustentável, não está muito longe se o consumidor estiver disposto a fazer alguns sacrifícios no conforto.”

Fotografia: Divulgação
Fonte: Exame / CicloVivo
Original: http://bit.ly/qYHWsl


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