SENAT
Report n° 230 (2006-2007) by M. Christian GAUDIN, Senator (for the parliament office for the evaluation of scientific and technological choices)
Disponible au format Acrobat (12 Moctets)
PART TWO: OFFICIAL OPENING SESSION
Introduction by Bruno ROUGIER, journalist
The opening of the fourth International Polar Year (IPY) is a major scientific event. During the first IPYof 1882-1883, geophysical and astronomical phenomena were studied. The second IPY of 1932-1933 was dedicated to meteorology, geomagnetism and the atmospheric sciences. During the third IPY of 1957-1958, various data on the atmosphere, the icecaps and continental drift was collected.
Now it is time for the fourth International Polar Year, which, just like its predecessors, in fact covers a period of two years. That won't be too much time to carry out the 209 IPY-certified projects, 45% of which deal with the environment and sustainable development, 45% with the space sciences and 10% with the social sciences.
I would now like to hand over to Christian Gaudin, Senator for the Loire Valley region, the first and only member of the French parliament to have visited Antarctica. Mr. Gaudin is the rapporteur of the study carried out for the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST) on evaluating French polar research, which was presented only last week. I therefore risk a poor play on words by pointing out that this report is perfectly "fresh".
I. INTRODUCTION
A. MR. CHRISTIAN GAUDIN, SENATOR, RAPPORTEUR FOR THE OPECST
Your Serene Highness,
Honourable Ambassadors,
Madam President,
Mister Secretary-General,
My fellow members of Parliament,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great honour for me to open this afternoon's solemn session during which Mr. Christian Poncelet, President of the Senate, will officially open for France the International Polar Year of 2007-2008.
In this opening talk, I would like to take the opportunity to share with you three convictions that I acquired during my parliamentary work on the polar regions. First of all, I would like to tell you of the exceptional nature of these regions. I would then like to testify to the excellence of French polar research. Finally, I would like to emphasize the necessity for stronger European and international collaboration.
Senate rapporteur for the 1991 Madrid Protocol transposition law, I was immediately made aware of the necessity to protect the Antarctic and, more generally, the poles.
These regions must be protected, because they play an essential role for our planet.
They act as indicators and evidence of major changes in our planet's climate and biodiversity and even in our societies.
It is our responsibility to collect this information, and to then interpret and learn from it. Placed at the disposal of both scientists and ordinary citizens, it's an invitation for us to exercise our responsibility freely, but with full knowledge of the facts.
Men once thought that the wealth of the poles lay in the unlimited exploitation of its natural resources. In concrete terms, the hunting of seals and whales came to a halt following the near-extinction of these species - a sad example of our capacity for destruction.
Antarctica, the only continent set up as a nature reserve to serve humanity, peace and science, is a precious heritage. It's also a fragile heritage, because, let's be honest, its protection greatly depends upon its inaccessibility.
But it's science that reveals to us the true wealth of these regions.
In this regard, the year I just spent preparing my report for the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST) by meeting with the scientists and by visiting with our international partners after travelling myself to Antarctic, as Bruno Rougier pointed out, has made me certain of the excellence of the French research teams and of the logistical support they are provided with.
In several major domains, such as climatology and biology, our researchers are among the very best in the world.
However, French polar research is not limited to these two flagship fields - far from it. Whether in the study of the Earth and of the universe or in anthropology, this research is extraordinarily rich.
The French bases, with the support of both the TAAF (French Austral and Antarctic Territories) and the Paul-Emile Victor Institute (IPEV), are extremely valuable places for researchers in the Antarctic Ocean, as on the continent or in Svalbard.
I wrote it in my report and I'm repeating it to you today: to remain excellent, our research needs better support.
Finally, in these regions that are so vast and difficult to access, it is undoubtedly impossible to imagine any more work being done without strong international collaboration. This collaboration is already an integral part of everyday life in the realm of polar research.
I would particularly like to underline the fact that France has led the way in developing a closer European cooperation by building, in partnership with Italy, the Concordia research base and by fusing with the German base in Svalbard. Today, these two processes must be combined to serve as a centrifugal force for European cooperation. As Jean Monnet pointed out, in the polar domain as well, Europe is built on concrete interdependences. It is both pragmatic and necessary, but it also represents a clear political commitment.
James Cook, who failed to discover Antarctica in 1773, once wrote: "If any one should have resolution and perseverance to clear up this point by proceeding farther than I have done, I shall not envy him the honour of the discovery; but I will be bold to say, that the world will not be benefited by it."
Several generations of scientists have already proven him wrong. The International Polar Year that opens today will demonstrate, I believe, just how important the evidence from the poles still is for mankind.
I thank you for your attention.
Bruno ROUGIER
Honourable Senator, we thank you for your speech. I now propose that we listen to Catherine Bréchignac, member of the Academy of Sciences, specialist in aggregate physics, President of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), President of the Board of Directors for the Palais de la Découverte and, as of next year, President of the International Council for Science (ICSU).
B. MS. CATHERINE BRECHIGNAC, PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS)
Your Serene Highness,
Ladies and gentlemen, senators and deputies,
My dear colleagues and friends,
This International Polar Year is in keeping with the previous IPYs. As has already been pointed out, the first International Polar Year was held in 1882 to study the climate and magnetism at the poles. Twelve countries participated in carrying out thirteen projects in the Arctic and two in the sub-Antarctic.
Fifty years later, in 1932, the second International Polar Year was dedicated to meteorology and magnetism, as well as to studying the ionosphere. Indeed, it had been discovered during the First World War that the ionosphere garbled radar emissions. Therefore, one wanted to better understand these phenomena.
The third IPY was launched not fifty by 25 years later, in 1957. This year was basically dedicated to geophysics, due to the particularly heavy solar activity at the time.
Fifty years later, 63 countries are participating in this new International Polar Year. Those of you who attended this morning's ceremony for the world opening of the IPY at the Palais de la Découverte were able to observe firsthand the necessity for all of these countries to work together.
Scientists work continuously, rather than every fifty years. I would like to remind you of what Jean-Louis Etienne and Claude Lorius pointed out during lunch: scientists need a lot of time to collect data and make progress. Taking a long-term view has allowed us to reach our current level of understanding: this is the message that should permeate this new International Polar Year.
Six themes have been chosen for 2007-2009:
- the poles themselves;
- the pertinence and understanding of the data, which entails worldwide cooperation;
- the connections between the poles and the rest of the planet;
- biodiversity;
- the observatories, which allow us to make progress in the accumulation of data;
- the social sciences - in other words, the lives of the polar region populations.
This project necessitates very strong logistics and organization and the use of leading-edge technology. At the world level, two organizations have joined forces in support of this effort: the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Next, each country implements its own coordination: in France, this is the responsibility of both the Comité de l'Année Polaire (Polar Year Committee), headed by Claude Lorius under the aegis of the Academy of Sciences, which has always supported our work, and the Paul-Émile Victor polar Institute (IPEV). In this regard, I would like to thank Gérard Jugie, who has handled all the logistics of cooperation on French territory. We must also thank the various research bodies, as well as the scientists; it's thanks to their work that progress is made in our understanding of climate.
Indeed, there is a definite "climate connotation" to this International Polar Year: we must take great care of our ice, because it contains our planet's climate records.
Lastly, I would like to thank the Senate and, in particular, Senator Gaudin, who welcome us here today. This afternoon will be dedicated to scientific presentations.
I thank you for your attention.
Bruno ROUGIER
Thank you, President Brechignac. This International Polar Year will be a new, wonderful opportunity to attract the public's attention to global warming. In this regard, it is therefore particularly important to welcome Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization.
C. MR. MICHEL JARRAUD, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
Your Serene Highness,
Honourable Ministers and Members of the Senate and of the National Assembly,
Ladies and gentlemen,
My dear colleagues and friends,
On behalf of the World Meteorological Organization, it is a great honour and pleasure to be invited to speak here today, on the occasion of the launch of this International Polar Year in France, which has as its theme: "The poles: indicators and evidence for mankind".
I would first like to thank Mr. Poncelet, the President of the Senate, and through him Senator Gaudin, as well as Mr. Revol, for having invited us to participate in this important event.
Indeed, the WMO supports all efforts whose aim is to promote this exceptional scientific initiative, which it got going with the International Council for Science.
Ladies and gentlemen, you are undoubtedly familiar with Pytheas, the sailor, explorer and geographer who lived in the Greek colony of Massilia between 380 and 310 BC. His legendary voyages of exploration took him very close to the "roof of Europe". He most probably circled Great Britain and observed the midnight sun, the aurora borealis and polar ice. He can probably be considered one of the very first polar explorers, as well as a very early example of European cooperation, between Gaul and Greece.
Starting in the 16 th century, French sailors went adventuring in the far south - for instance, Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, who in 1739 discovered the island that was later named after him. However, the isolated observation of natural phenomena does not necessarily result in a global vision. As Henri Poincaré said: "Science is built upon facts, as a house is built with stones. An accumulation of facts is no more a science than a pile of stones is a house." Only interdisciplinary work coordinated at the international level can increase our knowledge: this is the objective of this new International Polar Year.
The first international meteorological congress, which was held in Vienna in 1873, gave birth to the International Meteorological Organization (OMI), the precursor to the WMO. The OMI made the important decision to organize the very first International Polar Year.
During the second congress, which was held in Rome in 1879, first eleven and then twelve countries agreed to participate in this project by establishing polar stations, two of which were set up in the southern hemisphere. France was one of these countries: it sent a sloop, La Romanche , to Tierra del Fuego. This polar mission established a base in Orange Bay, where some thirty men spent the winter and carried out a scientific programme on meteorology, magnetism and astronomy. The active phase of this International Polar Year covered two years, from 1882 to 1883.
The second International Polar Year, as Ms. Bréchignac pointed out, was held fifty years later, in the same spirit of international cooperation and with a complete sharing of all data, which Jean-Louis Etienne mentioned during lunch. Once again, it was the OMI that launched this project, which was also aimed at strengthening and expanding the meteorological and magnetic observation networks set up in the polar regions. Naturally, France participated in this project, with Greenlandic and Arctic missions. During this International Polar Year, Commander Charcot, the doctor and explorer, played a major role with his ship, the Pourquoi pas?
In 1957-1958, the WMO, which had succeeded the OMI in 1950, joined the International Council for Science in organizing the International Geophysical Year. This was probably one of the greatest examples of international cooperation in the scientific domain. The observations, studies and activities were much more complete than during the precedent International Polar Years. They also included a wider range of disciplines. It was during this International Geophysical Year that the first artificial satellite was launched. The programme concentrated its efforts on the Antarctic, where twelve countries, including France, set up stations. Unfortunately, the death in Adélie Land of the French meteorologist André Prud'homme cast a shadow over this IPY.
Ladies and gentlemen, upon the launch of this International Polar Year, the World Meteorological Organization is pleased to renew its collaboration with the International Council for Science. At the world level, the WMO has at its disposal a scientific infrastructure operational in its 188 member-countries and which will be put at the service of the IPY's objectives - because the weather, climate and water cycle know no political or economic boundaries.
Finally, I would like to point out that by taking part in this coordinated effort in the polar regions, the WMO also hopes to reach a better understanding of these regions' influence on the entire climate system, as well as the other regions' influence on the climate of the polar regions.
I once again thank you for your invitation and I propose that we meet once again in 25 years, for the 150 th anniversary of this event, or perhaps in 50 years, for the next International Polar Year.
I thank you for your attention.
Bruno ROUGIER
As Michel Jarraud has just reminded us, France boasts a great tradition of Antarctic research, which goes all the way back to the discovery of Adélie Land in 1840 by the Frenchman Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville. It can be said that, ever since then, France has maintained close ties with this region of the world via its polar stations: Port-Martin in 1949, Charcot, Dumont d'Urville and, most recently, Concordia.
What is France's current programme, in particular in the Kerguelen, Crozet, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam archipelagos? François Baroin, Minister for the Overseas Territories, had meant to answer this question for us; however, as you are well aware, the minister has been busy dealing with the catastrophe that recently hit the island of Réunion. Mr. Baroin has only just recently returned and much work remains to be done. Therefore, Senator Christian Cointat has agreed to take his place at this meeting. Mr. Cointat represents French citizens living abroad and presides over the Arctic, Antarctic and TAAF task force, which gives him full legitimacy to speak for François Baroin.
D. MR. CHRISTIAN COINTAT, SENATOR, PRESIDENT OF THE ANTARCTIC AND ARTIC STUDY GROUP
In the absence of Mr. François Baroin, Mr. Christian Cointat, Senator representing French citizens living abroad, reads the Minister's speech.
Your Serene Highness,
President of the Senate,
Honourable Ministers,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Ladies and gentlemen,
As has just been explained, I will be speaking to you on behalf of François Baroin. I am also Overseas Rapporteur for the Commission on Senate Laws, and it was for this reason that he chose me as his representative. This is a very great honour and pleasure for me. Therefore, by my voice, Mr. Baroin addresses you directly.
« First of all, I would like to say that it would have been a great pleasure for me to be with you today to open the International Polar Year.
2007 has a special significance, for it marks the one-hundred-year anniversary of the birth of Paul-Emile Victor.
I would therefore like to take this opportunity to draw attention to the work carried out by the Paul-Emile Victor Institute and by its director, Mr. Gérard Jugie, who, thanks to his remarkable work, continues the French tradition of excellence and innovation in the domain of polar research. I salute the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, who accomplished the feat of being the first head of state to reach the North Pole and who, thanks to the Albert II of Monaco Foundation, has helped to raise international awareness of environmental issues, which are crucial for the polar regions. I would also like to express my gratitude to Senator Christian Gaudin for his work carried out for the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices concerning France's position in the international issues surrounding polar research.
France's presence in the austral and polar regions dates back to the great scientific expeditions which began in the 18th century, those of Marion-Dufresne, Charcot and Dumont d'Urville. For many years after their discovery by Yves Joseph de Kerguelen de Trémarec, the archipelago that today carries his name was known as the Islands of Desolation. Up until the beginning of the 20th century, the occupation of these islands was marked by the massacre of it terrestrial and aquatic animals.
Today, Kerguelen and all the other austral and Antarctic territories governed by France represent a formidable research potential. It is our responsibility to pay particular attention to their protection. This approach by France to its territorial holdings is in line with the philosophy of the explorers and pioneers who gave these lands their names.
I would here like to salute Jean-Louis Etienne and Nicolas Hulot, for both their competence and their talent as educators. Both men are in keeping with this prestigious tradition. While France may have inherited its presence in the Antarctic, it also inherited the responsibility of ensuring the reasonable development of certain economic activities, as well as these regions' research conditions and the preservation of these unique ecosystems.
French sovereignty in these territories guarantees the carrying out of both these missions. This sovereignty translates as the maintenance of law and order in these areas, as the installation of logistics and infrastructure to make these territories habitable, and, finally, as the maintenance of international relations. It's up to the Ministry of Overseas Territories to ensure that the international agreements are respected and to allow the researchers from all the different countries to carry out their work in the best possible conditions. To do this, it is essential that the Ministry of Overseas Territories, in partnership with all the ministerial departments and public bodies, sees to the respect of our sovereignty and ensures our presence in this zone.
To that end, France has created a specific government service for these regions, whose acronym you are all familiar with: the TAAF (French Austral and Antarctic Territories). A prefect, a senior administrator, directs state services, ensures the maintenance of law and order, and watches over the general interests of these territories. This rather particular service will evolve: the law on statutory and institutional measures for the overseas territories, recently passed by Parliament and promulgated by the President of the French Republic, modernizes the law of 1955 on the status of the TAAF. In this perspective, I set up a task force to reflect upon the TAAF and the means assigned to them, in partnership with the ministries and various other bodies which are active in these territories.
The relations between the TAAF and the Paul-Emile Victor Institute are of fundamental importance for the French presence in the austral regions. The new convention that unites these two bodies, signed on 27 December, defines and above all perpetuates each actor's role. Thus, the Institute is in charge of selecting and running the research programmes, while the TAAF is in charge of providing logistical support.
The actions of the two emblematic vessels that are the Astrolabe and the Marion Dufresne is a deciding factor in guaranteeing the French sovereignty of those polar zones under French protection. The first vessel provides access five times a year to the Dumont d'Urville station in Adélie Land. The second vessel acts as a passenger ship, a cargo ship, an oil tanker, a heliport and a scientific research vessel and sees to the provision of the TAAF. Together, they symbolize the important means dedicated by the French government to these regions.
The seas under French control are natural treasures that must be managed in a sustainable manner within the framework of a reasonable exploitation. In this regard, fighting illegal fishing is a government priority and is carried out in the southern Indian Ocean, in partnership with the fishing industry. A surveillance system using two satellites, Radarsat and Envisat, was set up by Réunion's Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Sea Rescues. This system allows for a monitoring of illegal fishing throughout the French exclusive economic zone, as well as in the Australian zones of Heard and MacDonald. The French navy, thanks to its patrol boat the Albatross, dedicates 250 sea days per year to surveillance activities in this area, alongside Osiris, which carries out 150 surveillance days.
The subject of illegal fishing demonstrates the particularity of the French presence in these areas: national means are made available to international objectives. It is by a shared objective, as well as by shared means, that we will arrive at a sustainable development of the means for exploiting and developing the marine resources of these especially rich areas.
In our fight against illegal fishing in our exclusive economic zone, we are sometimes criticized for simply pushing this predatory behaviour outside our areas of control. In reality, this testifies to the quality and effectiveness of our activities, and encourages us to continue and extend efforts at international cooperation in this domain. Strengthened cooperation and consultation between countries is essential to ensure permanent service to these lands which are so difficult to access. I am pleased to observe that the Paul-Emile Victor Institute is currently seeking international partners capable of ensuring the continued service of the Astrolabe after March 2007.
Antarctica is the only region on Earth that is truly international.
Governed by the 1959 Treaty of Washington - initially signed by twelve countries, but today including 40 member nations - Antarctica is an important region with regard to France's global presence.
The objective of our presence is not simply to underline our territorial claims, but rather to preserve through our action this demilitarized and denuclearized region dedicated to scientific research. However, we must not only see the TAAF as a sterilized sanctuary.
The freedom to come and go must respect certain conditions: in delimited and regulated areas, it is important not to close all doors to the development of certain activities linked to these territories' resources or attractiveness as tourist sites. However, it is our responsibility to make preliminary plans for their supervision via the objectives for a sustainable, reasonable development that we apply today in all public policy.
France can be rightfully proud to possess these territories, because it places our country in control of undeniable geo-strategic, economic and scientific assets.
I would like to conclude by sharing with you both my concern and my passion for the austral and polar regions. These parts of the world - whose living conditions for man have ever made them lands for scientific missions and pioneers - are home to a fragile, but grandiose, nature. As the recent meeting in Paris of the IPCC once again demonstrated, this nature is the most exposed to climatic changes that we are aware of today. These areas remind us that it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to fight the ecological catastrophe which would inevitably occur if the polar ecosystems were to disappear.
In its austral territories, France has provided itself with the means to preserve these unique areas. In particular, I'm thinking of the TAAF Nature Reserve, by far the largest in France, with its 700,000 hectares covering certain parts - both on land and at sea - of the Crozet, Saint-Paul, Amsterdam and Kerguelen archipelagos. However, this effort must be planet-wide and France - in particular, thanks to the actions of the French President - is one of the countries to have done the most to place these issues in the limelight.
The coming years will be especially important in the fight against global warming. Scientific research must therefore pay particular attention to the poles. Indeed, it is in these regions, which are subject to the greatest climatic disruptions, that we can grasp the seriousness of this phenomenon and find the keys to solving and adapting to this problem.
The International Polar Year, therefore, plays a fundamental role. It must help to raise global awareness of these dangers, by calling upon the international community's conscience and sense of responsibility. It is high time that an unprecedented mobilization finally manifest itself. Each one of us - citizens, scientists, researchers, political leaders - must take advantage of this IPY to strengthen our efforts, in order to alert and convince everyone of the urgency of the situation.
The International Polar Year will effectively lend momentum to this movement. In this time of globalization, this realization and public mobilization clearly cannot be achieved independently of one another. It is our responsibility, each in his or her own domain, to find a citizen-based and global answer. »
That was the message François Baroin asked me to give you.
Bruno ROUGIER
Thank you very much. It is now time for us to welcome the President of the Senate, Christian Poncelet, who will officially announce the opening of the International Polar Year.