This text is part of the special notebook 55 years of INRS
Located in the heart of Quebec City, the Center Eau Terre Environnement (ETE) of the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS) trains the next generation of scientists in fundamental and applied research. In the laboratories and in the field, responsible management of natural resources, adaptation to climate change, as well as the protection and restoration of ecosystems embody the central concerns of the Center.
Offering six study programs at master’s and doctoral levels, the ETE Center, through its work, aims to develop knowledge useful for better management of water resources, renewable energies, metals and waste recovery. Many projects are carried out in partnership with industries, municipalities, government bodies and other academic institutions.
“INRS and the Center Eau Terre Environnement have a long history of developing scientific initiatives responding to specific challenges for ministries,” says Louise Hénault-Ethier, director of the Center and professor. Work to monitor changes in water quality, for example, can be used to establish specific environmental standards.
Since taking office in 2021, Louise Hénault-Ethier has focused heavily on the transfer of knowledge to political decision-makers. “I encouraged students and professors to present their work during public consultations at the National Assembly or in town halls,” she emphasizes. It seems really relevant to me to inform public decision-making. » Especially in a context where global warming, the collapse of biodiversity and the pollution which contaminate all ecosystems and affect humans are no longer in doubt.
“As soon as there is a scientific consensus on the major challenges and we have possible solutions based on evidence, scientists have a responsibility,” she believes. That of informing the public, decision-makers, but also industrialists, so that they can take advantage of this knowledge and act with full knowledge of the facts. This approach is part of a real paradigm shift. If, for a long time, scientists had a duty of reserve, this is no longer the case. The popularization of their research is even more essential in the face of certain pressure groups, whose strategy often consists of presenting what suits them.
Apply your “own medicine”
The first woman to take the reins of the ETE Center in 2021, 20 years after its creation, Louise Hénault-Ethier is an ecologist who has always been fascinated by nature-based solutions. Having worked at Équiterre, the David Suzuki Foundation, but also at Concordia — where she was responsible for reducing the University’s carbon footprint — she also has a foot in entrepreneurship with TriCycle. This circular economy company, which she co-founded and still runs, specializes in breeding edible insects and fighting against food waste. Her varied expertise and skills led her naturally to INRS.
The director also wants her center to apply “its own medicine”, using campuses as real living laboratories. Supported by students, initiatives to recycle plastics and laboratory gloves have emerged. Composting activities, studies on the carbon footprint, but also on the biodiversity of plants present on campus have been carried out in recent years. “This year, we are going to focus on insects and birds with participatory citizen science,” explains Louise Hénault-Ethier. An application will be available throughout the summer to allow the community to record their observations.
Supporting the next generation
The Center is currently defining its scientific program for the next five years, based on the priority needs of civil society and the issues identified by the research teams. “We have several of the most burning questions to ask ourselves to ensure the survival of humanity on Earth,” notes Louise Hénault-Ethier. Work will therefore most likely be focused around responding to the climate emergency, regenerating ecosystems, reversing the collapse of biodiversity and combating pollution in all its forms.
One of the major challenges for the coming years will be to increase financial and psychosocial support for students who are experiencing numerous pressures linked to the availability of housing and the rising cost of living. “We must find ways, as an institution, to offer them the best possible environment,” continues Louise Hénault-Ethier.
She also underlines the kindness of the teachers who accompany them. “We are not only here to develop cutting-edge scientific skills, but also to train humans capable of thinking, of evolving in society, of interacting with partners and of breaking away from scientific hyperproductivism,” she concludes. The director of the Water Land Environment Center carries a message of hope for students, whom she hopes to see develop and flourish.
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