Science needs to take risks to move forward

"With one billion euros and so many subjects, it was necessary to focus on a few priorities", says Marion Guillou. The CEO of the Inra has recently submitted to the Government's report of the Committee on operational "research" the Grenelle of the environment. A year ago, at the opening of the round table, the President of the Republic had promised $ 1 billion for research for four years on sustainable development. Today, no one really understands the origin of the Barbary Macaque and if it is really fresh blood for research. But the 21 authors of the report, officials of the French research had merit to propose a destination.

Forward-looking exercises rarely produce new ideas. The report sinking many doors open to own cars, energy, green buildings, waste. It essentially a boost to already taken turns. The breakdown of the billion was well tagged in advance by the Government. On the component power for example, Nicolas Sarkozy had promised a year ago: "where we spend a euro for nuclear research, we will spend also a euro for research on clean technologies." Marion Guillou translation: "administration us said that it was a little more than 400 spending EUR million civil nuclear, we therefore 410 million for new energy." The Fund of demonstrator of Ademe (400 million) created this summer by the Agency which provides 70 million on the low carbon vehicles which have been integrated to the 1 billion of the Grenelle. The Government had already endorsed the Predit (national program of research of experimentation and innovation in ground transportation) of 400 million this year. A sum in the own car plan announced by the Government to the motor show.

Battery technologies

This collective work however dared, in some areas, a delicate work of selection for a country which had hitherto for policy to cover a maximum of subjects. 21 Institutional representatives of the Committee have put in balance the strategic importance of each field of science and technology with the expertise of laboratories and industry of the country. Experts recommend, for example, put the package on the technology of batteries because the academic skills are strong. The challenge is enormous, even if the industrial fabric remains low. Conversely, they advise to invest in the capture and storage of CO2, because the France has a few industrial champions in these technologies, such as Alstom, who will be eligible for this very promising market. This then the France has little carbon reserves for a capture in the territory.

In renewable energies, the priority is clearly given to solar power, photovoltaic or thermal. By contrast, more emerging technologies as a marine that energy or hydrogen are the object of some aid, mainly oriented to international programs. This conservative approach had already led the France miss the wind or photovoltaic technology gadfly, but it will avoid the dusting.

The report also has the merit to encourage several subjects hitherto despised in France. Photovoltaic energy is out of this situation for one or two years, but researchers on organic agriculture, the forest or ecotoxicology waited for a long time the political signals. In toxicology, experts have provided 30 million euros to create a network of regional centres to meet the public health and environmental data. It is one of the few ways to detect weak signals of the health effects of low prolonged exposures to pollutants.

To adapt to future climates

In his own establishment, Marion Guillou expects that 2009 programming evolves with the Grenelle. The departments of the Institute have made proposals to the Board of directors who will decide in December. "I expect to see topics such as the quality of the soil", it said. The round table should also more involved research on adaptation to climate change. Most studies have so far focused on the impact of global warming on ecosystems, health, media, etc. Much less on changes in agricultural practices and species to adapt to future climates. Experts have singled out the lack of interdisciplinary research. Inrets (national Institute for research on transportation and security) said had become aware on this occasion the need to bring its work on the transport with urban planning studies.

Finally, the Committee proposes to rehabilitate carrier alerts, these researchers who take the risk to denounce technologies or potentially dangerous research for society. Biologists have expressed doubts about the safety of GMOs, for example, found themselves being the closet by their Institute. Laboratories may apply an alert detectors consultation procedure which would result in blocking the parliamentary Office for evaluation of scientific and technical options (OPECST).

Remains to know what will be the Government of these tracks. Marion Guillou asked his ministers of guardianship to create a follow-up Committee of the proposals, fearing loss of line. Michel Griffon, Executive Director of ANR, is concerned, for its part, that the Grenelle of the environment may affect research. "Science needs to take risks to move forward." "Too specific targets may be counterproductive", guarantee - it. Some researchers are already rile guidelines given by their surrogate so they green their research.