To implement a robust and durable circular economy strategy, it is important to assess its environmental impacts. Valérie Laforest and Natacha Gondran, both researchers at Mines Saint-Étienne, explain the reasons for incorporating an absolute environmental sustainability assessment method and the underlying concept of “environmental budgeting“.   The lifestyles of our contemporary societies are exerting constant and unsustainable pressure on the …

The manufacture of steel produces mineral residues called steel slags, which are stored in large quantities in slag dumps. These present a dual challenge. On the one hand, they are potentially harmful for the environment and health, and on the other hand they are a useful resource for certain industries. The HYPASS project at Mines Saint-Étienne aims to address both …

The industrial roll-out of hydrogen production only makes sense if it emits little or no carbon dioxide. Researchers at IMT schools are working on various alternatives to the use of fossil fuels, such as electrolysis and photocatalysis of water, plasma pyrolysis of methane, and pyrolysis and gasification of biomass. Currently, the production of one ton of hydrogen results in 12 …

Hydrogen-powered fuel cells are recognized as a clean technology because they do not emit carbon dioxide. As part of the energy transition aimed at transforming our modes of energy consumption and production, the fuel cell therefore has a role to play. This article will look at the technologies, applications and perspectives with Christian Beauger, a researcher specialized in material sciences …

Life cycle analysis (LCA) is increasingly common, in particular for eco-design or to obtain a label. It is used to assess the environmental footprint of a product or service by taking into account as many sources as possible. In the following interview, Miguel Lopez-Ferber, a researcher in environmental assessment at IMT Mines Alès, offers insights about the benefits and complexity …

EuHubs4data, a project funded by the European Union, seeks to make a big contribution to the growth of European SMEs, start-ups and web-based companies in the global data economy. How? By providing them with a European catalogue of data-driven solutions and services in an effort to foster innovation in this field. The project was launched on 1 September 2020 and …

Arsenic contamination of water, whether surface water or ground water, affects many parts of France. Such contamination may be the result of anthropogenic causes, linked to mining operations for example, or of natural causes in relation to changes in geological formations, as is the case in many countries such as India, Pakistan and Chili. In partnership with the Nuclear Materials …

The QuASPEr project studied the Canche river basin in northern France to better understand the phenomenon of soil erosion and its related consequences. This knowledge aims to develop effective land management methods for municipalities without negatively affecting farmers’ work.   Heavy rain, dry land, sloping ground that has been tilled… and the soil erodes. This phenomenon of abrasion, in particular …

The ways we interact with technology change over time and adapt to fit different contexts, bringing new constraints and possibilities. Jan Gugenheimer is a researcher at Télécom Paris and is particularly fascinated by interactions between humans and machines and the way they develop. In this interview, he introduces the questions surrounding our future interactions with virtual reality.   What is …

The original version of this article (in French) was published in the quarterly newsletter of the Values and Policies of Personal Information Chair (no. 18, September 2020). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared that our planet was in the midst of a pandemic caused by the spread of Covid-19. First reported in China, then Iran and …