“Geosciences in the Energy Transition” will be the theme of the next Science Bar

[Press Release] - Published on February 5, 2025 in Press Room, Science and Society

The next Science Bar, organized by the University of Montpellier, will take place on February 13 at 8:30 p.m. For this event, Bénédicte Cenki (Geosciences), an associate professor of geology, and Clément Bonnet (Art-DEV), an associate professor of economics, will discuss the topic of “Geosciences in the Energy Transition.”

The Bar des sciences has become one of Montpellier’s flagship events for science culture, offering a monthly participatory public discussion on all aspects of science from January through June. Throughout the season, scientists are invited to engage in a dialogue where their knowledge and practices are not only shared but also open to discussion. The season is co-produced by the scientific culture departments of the University of Montpellier (UM) and its partners: INRAE, INSERM, and IRD. Sign language interpretation is provided for this event. Free admission, subject to availability.

A Science Bar dedicated to rare earth research

The environmental crisis we are currently facing is driving all economic sectors to seek alternatives to industries that pollute and consume large amounts of non-renewable natural resources. Energy is no exception to this trend, and the transition toward more sustainable production methods and more reasonable consumption is at the heart of contemporary social and scientific challenges. In this context, mining is often seen as a polluting, dangerous, and almost obsolete practice. Yet the raw materials needed to manufacture wind turbines, electric batteries, and solar panels are indeed extracted from the earth. What do the geosciences tell us about the future of our green energy? Do our subsoils contain enough material for an energy revolution? Can mining be made less polluting? Could the circular economy make it possible to close mines?

To discuss this topic at the intersection of science and society, a panel of multidisciplinary experts will answer questions from the audience:

• Bénédicte Cenki ( Geosciences) is an associate professor of geology; she studies the formation of critical metals in the Earth’s crust and conducts research on minerals essential to sustainable technologies.
• Clément Bonnet ( Art-DEV) is an associate professor of economics. His research focuses on the energy transition and the identification of factors driving and hindering its progress.