A look back at the February 9 conference

CONFERENCE by Professor J.Louis BANTIGNIES at the IUT de NÎMES :

Understanding the Anthropocene: challenges for a sustainable future

On Thursday February 9, the Nîmes IUT welcomed University Professor J.Louis BANTIGNIES from the Polytech school of the University of Montpellier for a conference on man's footprint on the planet, defining a new geological era called ANTROPOCENE. This conference, organized by the Science and Materials Engineering (SGM) department as part of its sustainable development program, was attended not only by all SGM/Nîmes students, but also by SGM students from the Blois, Chartres, Forbach and Nantes IUTs. The conference provided an overview of major study reports from various sources (IPCC....) showing how human activities have upset the planet's natural balance. Thanks to an entertaining and interactive presentation, Mr. Bantignies succeeded in motivating the audience by posing the key question of the compatibility of exponential degradation of all environmental indicators with sustainable development in a finite system (the planet). The global answer to this question is that mankind must adapt, and within a short timeframe.

This eloquent lecture, presented to a young audience, raised everyone's awareness and provoked a number of reflections and questions.