Tuesday 23 April: meeting on forests at 12pm

As part of the Forests Cycle organised by the library, we invite you to a discussion on forests and the ecological issues they raise, with Charlotte Glinel, doctoral student at the CSO, Clara Arnaud, author of novels, and Gwenn Dubourthoumieu, photographer. The discussion will be moderated by Ninon Vandebeulque, a student on a BASc double degree in 'environment and sustainable societies' and a member of Sciences Po Environnement.

Where: Lobby of the Saint Thomas General Library
When: Tuesday 23 April at 12pm

Forests account for 31% of land area and are home to over 80% of the world's biodiversity. They play an essential role in climate regulation, absorbing and storing billions of tonnes of CO². 

In 2023, tropical regions lost 3.7 million hectares of primary forest, the equivalent of 10 football fields per minute, despite political ambitions to curb this loss. In Europe, forests appear to be less affected by this phenomenon, but they are also under threat. In France, although forest cover is increasing, there is no longer any primary forest: 79% of our forests are now less than 100 years old. 

But what are forests? What are the threats to these ecosystems? How can their future be safeguarded? What is the right balance between using and protecting forests?

Registration (compulsory registration for external visitors). 

Charlotte Glinel is a sociologist at the Centre de Sociologie des Organisations (UMR CNRS-Sciences Po). She is working on a thesis entitled "Les forêts françaises au service de la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique. Sociologie de la gouvernance et du travail forestier" under the supervision of Sylvain Brunier and Jean-Noël Jouzel. She is interested in the transformation of forests through the definition of public policies, socio-technical controversies and the transformation of work.

Clara Arnaud is the author of a first novel, L'Orage, published by Gaïa in 2015, as well as two stories about journeys on foot, with horses, in the Caucasus and western China. She has worked for ten years in the field of cooperation, with expertise in education and youth issues, and has lived in China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Honduras. After La Verticale du fleuve (2021), Et vous passerez comme des vents fous (2023) is her second novel published by Actes Sud. She is also a member of the Loire Sentinelle collective, which brings together artists and scientists to explore a "living culture of the Loire", and the Grande Cordée of Mountain Wilderness France, a group of sports, artistic and scientific personalities working to protect the mountains. She now lives in a high-altitude hamlet in Ariège for much of the year.

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu is an international award-winning photographer who has worked in Africa for humanitarian NGOs and continued his commitment as a photographer. Her committed documentary work on social and human rights issues has been widely published in the French and international press. Her work on the social consequences of copper mining in the DRC is part of the permanent collection of the Library of Congress in the United States.

Other events in the Forests cycle:

• Photo exhibition The Congo Forest, the planet's last green lung from 12 April to 12 May on the Saint-Thomas campus (1 place Saint-Thomas d'Aquin)
  • From Thursday 12 April to Sunday 21 April in the B104 Science Lounge (accessible from the Grand Staircase)
  • From Tuesday 23 April to Saturday 12 May in the Library's antechamber 
• Guided tours of the exhibition by Sciences Po students.
• Thematic selection on forests from Monday 15 April

Contact : delphine.lereculeur@sciencespo.fr