ETH-Zurich; ULB / Global change ecology
The translation of this testimony was generated automatically by a translation program. Thanks for your understanding.
I’m working on adressing climate
change from the fundamental understanding of global forest ecology.
I study the impact of climate change on the global state of forests
(carbon, biodiversity, ..) and I’m also studying how those change would affect
back the climate (change in phenology, photosynthesis, respiration).
The main work I’m currently developping concerns the estimation of the
Earth’s tree carrying capacity. My aim is here to provide a global assessment
of the importance of forest restoration in the combat vs. climate change. My
intention is to continue on that direction, in the sense that I would like
that my work, as a scientist, contributes directly to the combat vs. climate
change.
I see my work at the interface between fundamental and applied
sciences.
I want my work to be directly understandable to the public. I do not
believe anymore in the link [scientists -> policy makers -> politics
-> citiizens (cf. UN institutions, where I have worked for 2 years). I
believe now that we, as scientists, can directly communicate to the public,
so that society forces politics in the right direction. But for that to
happen, we, as scientists have to take a bigger responsability in the way we
are communicating our results. Our results need to be understood by citizens.
I also intend to limit as much as I can my personnal footprint (I m in
between Zurich and Brussels, and I take only the train). I ll try to only by
local food, decrease the quantity of meat I eat, limit the use of
electricity.
The main difficulties I encounter are just habits strongly beared in me or
within our society. Why are plastic bags still allowed? Why public transport
are not better developped? Why don’t we have propre bike lanes? Why cannot we
have better online conference and workshop? etc. etc. Some steps are
difficult to take because we have to act in spite of existing policies which
are not really helping. It would be much easier if we were encouraged by the
state… which instead loses precious time in trying to maintain a system
that is destroying our planet…
Climate change is about the long (not that long anymore actually) term. The
politic system is not built to favor long term decision. It is time for the
politic system to be reconsidered and rebuilt, so that the long term is
priviledged vs. short term.
Originally posted 2018-09-27 10:31:38.