The“The Sixth Extinction” science café will take place on Thursday, January 13, 2022, at 8:00 p.m. at the MJC in Chambéry.
Admission is free. A valid health pass will be required for entry.
ABOUT CAFÉ SCIENCE
Over the past 500 million years, life on Earth has undergone five so-called mass extinction events. The most recent one, 65 million years ago, led, for example, to the end of non-avian dinosaurs. Today, extinction rates measured across the globe raise fears that we are entering a new major phase of extinction, driven primarily by human activities, prompting some researchers to speak of the early stages of a sixth mass extinction. Combined with unprecedented global warming in geological history—for which human activities are also the primary cause—this observation reminds us just how capable our species is of altering our planet’s habitable surface, leading several scientists to propose the definition of a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene, “the Age of Man.”
Can we already speak of a sixth mass extinction? What data do we have to assess it? What are the impacts of a massive decline in biodiversity? Is humanity at risk of becoming a victim of its own environmental negligence? Life is, however, highly resilient, and there may still be time to reverse course. How can we prevent such a decline in biodiversity? Regulating fishing, changing agricultural and industrial methods, limiting deforestation… Come discuss all these questions at the next science café.
In the presence of:
- Fabien Arnaud: CNRS Research Director at the EDYTEM laboratory, Chair of the Scientific Council of the Ecrins National Park
- André Miquet: Head of Biodiversity and Land Use at the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels (CEN) Savoie
- Marc Peyronnard: Vice President of France Nature Environnement (FNE) Savoie and FNE AuRA Agriculture Liaison
- Sophie Vallée: Project Manager in the Conservation Department at the National Alpine Botanical Conservatory (CBNA)
- Glenn Yannic: Associate Professor and Researcher at the Alpine Ecology Laboratory (LECA) at the University of Mont-Blanc (USMB)