“Now we need concrete actions beyond this summit”said Friday, February 11 on franceinfo François Gabart, ambassador of the One Ocean Summit, the ocean summit which is ending in Brest. “It may be one more summit, but we’ve never had one on the ocean, so it at least has the merit of existing”added the browser which reminds that it “can’t be a healthy land without a healthy ocean”. “Half the oxygen in the atmosphere is generated by the ocean, if the ocean is not well, the climate is not well and all living things on the planet will have difficulty breathing in the years to come. are coming”, insisted François Gabart.
>> One Ocean Summit: the article to read to understand why the oceans are essential in the fight against climate change
franceinfo: How can this summit not be just another international meeting?
Francois Gabart: There have already been a lot of exchanges but we had never had a summit on the oceans, whereas it is extremely important. I remind you that the environment essentially depends on the good health of the oceans. There cannot be a healthy land without a healthy ocean. So it may be one more summit, but we’ve never had one over the ocean, so it at least has the merit of existing. Now, indeed, concrete actions are needed beyond this summit.
Awareness is not there yet, do you think?
One would think that it concerns sailors, people who go on the water or those who live on the coast but it is not true. The good health of the ocean is a direct link to the climate, with the oxygen that we all breathe.
“Half the oxygen in the atmosphere is generated by the ocean, if the ocean is not well, the climate is not well and all living things on the planet will have difficulty breathing in the years to come. are coming.”
François Gabart, navigatorat franceinfo
It is important to understand this very strong link between life on land, health, and life in the oceans.
Do you notice this pollution of the ocean when you sail?
Yes, the ocean is extremely weakened by human impact. There is more and more plastic in the sea. And, what is terrible, is that it is not the ones that we see that are the most dangerous but those that we do not see, which are at the bottom or sometimes on the surface, these famous micro plastics which can remain there for tens, hundreds of years. We don’t even know how long they can stay in the oceans, but we know that their impact is very important on life in the oceans and on the planktons which absorb CO2 and generate oxygen which is released into the atmosphere.
What solutions can we imagine to make maritime transport less polluting?
We have always managed to move using the wind. It’s been a little over 100 years since we said to ourselves that by putting in engines it also worked very well, without seeing all the consequences of this massive and significant use of fuel. But it’s extraordinary to see in Brest all the innovations of recent years to try to reintegrate sailing, the wind, into maritime transport. And then, you know that racing boats start to fly? It rubs less in the water and it goes faster. But you can also make the decision not to go any faster and to use less energy, less fuel if you’re on a motorboat. It’s something quite fascinating.
What do you think of Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to install around fifty wind farms over the next 30 years, particularly at sea?
I believe in having a multitude of energy sources. Wind turbines are one of them, but you have to do it in a smart way by trying to find the right places where the wind is stable and the impact on the environment is low. There are also tidal turbines, proposals for capturing the energy generated by the currents which are numerous around France. We mustn’t forbid ourselves anything because we need to create this energy. But the best thing is still sobriety and trying to use less energy. We will have no choice but to go through it.