Missions

The research engineer will carry out a metabolic analysis of the Loire estuary since the middle of the 20th century. This analysis will detail the material and energetic functioning of the territory, in order to understand its evolution and permanence. Secondly, we will examine the relationship between territorial metabolism and the conflicts that play out there. Thus, changes in socio-environmental conflicts respond to metabolic changes in the region. The aim is to examine these links, combining the methodological approaches of spatialized analysis of material and energy flows with a techno-political analysis of energy developments and a socio-political analysis of territorial struggles.

Activities

His or her main activities will be to: - Establish a temporal and territorial framework to overcome the obstacles posed by the heterogeneity of material data and their scales. The 1950-2020 period requires a change of units to be taken into account in the databases. The estuary is now a measurable statistical area, thanks to the consistency of data from different administrative scales. - Building the metabolic model around hypotheses that enable us to move from national to local levels, and to fill in certain data gaps - Establishing a database using the proven "Material and Energy Flow Analysis" (MEFA) methodology, based on economic statistics from local authority reports and local publications. - Produce metabolic analyses to determine flow structures and trends, i.e. metabolic regimes. A metabolic regime characterizes a region's autonomy, dependence or transition in relation to its material and energy resources. - Compare historical trends with counterfactual scenarios to highlight possible "metabolic bifurcations".

Skills

- Knowledge Holder of 5 years' higher education or a doctorate in social sciences. Previous experience of a metabolic territorial approach is desirable.
- Know-how Mastery of territorial ecology methods is a real asset.
- Personal skills Good interpersonal skills, ability to work independently, conduct interviews, command of scientific English, ability to synthesize, openness and capacity for interdisciplinary dialogue
- Managerial skills None.

Work Context

The mission is carried out at ESO's Nantes site, as part of the ANR ESTUER (ESTUaire de la Loire comme espace Énergétique (1980-present). Regards croisés des sciences humaines et sociales), coordinated by Pierre Teissier of CFV UR 1161. The project's hypothesis is that there is a strong link between the political, social and material histories of energy spaces. Our ambition is to shed light on this link in the Loire estuary since the 1980s, using an interdisciplinary method that combines three lines of research: the history of energy and the techno-politics of infrastructures; the socio-history of territories and the socio-politics of environmental mobilizations; and the analysis of flows and the study of territorial "metabolism".

Constraints and risks

None

Additional Information

None