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Gilles Billen

Directeur de recherche CNRS émérite, biogéochimie territoriale, Sorbonne Université
Gilles Billen a effectué le début de sa carrière à l’Université Libre de Bruxelles, où il a dirigé le Groupe de Microbiologie des Milieux Aquatiques pendant 15 ans. Il a été pendant toute cette période très actif dans le domaine de la modélisation des processus microbiens en zones estuarienne et marine, en relation avec les cycles du carbone et des nutriments. Après son intégration au CNRS, il a été le directeur du Programme Interdisciplinaire de recherché sur l’environnement de la Seine (PIREN-Seine). Ses recherches ont été alors centrées sur le développement d’outils de modélisation permettant de faire le lien entre l’activité humaine dans les bassins versant et la qualité de l’eau dans les réseaux hydrographiques, principalement sur la Seine mais aussi sur l’Escaut, la Moselle, la Loire, le Danube, le Fleuve Rouge (Nord Vietnam) et la Nam Kahn (Laos), dans le cadre de plusieurs programmes européens et de coopération.

Plus récemment, le champ de ses travaux s’est élargi à l’étude des relations entre la demande alimentaire urbaine et l’agriculture des territoires qui les nourrissent, avec l’introduction du concept de foodprint et de bassin alimentaire. L’élaboration de scénarios alternatifs de relocalisation de l’approvisionnement alimentaire des villes et de conversion de l’agriculture à des modes de production plus respectueux de l’environnement est au cœur de ses recherches actuelles.

Economy

What should you do if you can’t pay your rent or mortgage?

The cost of living crisis is making it difficult for many people to pay their bills, including housing costs. Private sector rents have increased by an average 9% over the year to February 2024, and rising interest rates...

If the RBA’s right, interest rates may not fall for another year. Here’s why.

The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. Thats a big change compared to just three months ago. Back...

Some experts say the US economy is on the up, but here’s why voters don’t think so

Many Americans are gloomy about the economy, despite some data saying it is improving. The Economist even took this discussion to TikTok. When its US editor John Prideaux examined inflation, wage and employment numbers,...

Supporting ‘democracy’ is hard for many who feel government and the economy are failing them

Americans, it seems, can both value the idea of democracy and not support it in practice. Since 2016, academics and journalists have expressed concerns that formerly secure democracies are becoming less democratic....

Electric air taxis are on the way – quiet eVTOLs may be flying passengers as early as 2025

Imagine a future with nearly silent air taxis flying above traffic jams and navigating between skyscrapers and suburban droneports. Transportation arrives at the touch of your smartphone and with minimal environmental...

Politics

Over 26 million South Africans get a social grant. Fear of losing the payment used to be a reason to vote for the ANC, but no longer – study

Social grants to reduce poverty feature prominently in the campaign promises of political parties in South Africas 2024 national and provincial general elections, set for 29 May. The countrys social grants system is one...

Donald Trump Allegedly Offers Oil Execs a Deal to Scrap EV Incentives for $1B Donation

Former President Donald Trump reportedly proposed a $1 billion deal to oil executives, offering to end electric vehicle (EV) subsidies in return for campaign funding, according to The Washington Post. This move underscores...

Taiwan is experiencing millions of cyberattacks every day

Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety of grey zone tactics to pressure...

What the Supreme Court is doing right in considering Trump’s immunity case

Following the nearly three-hour oral argument about presidential immunity in the Supreme Court on April 25, 2024, many commentators were aghast. The general theme, among legal and political experts alike, was a...

US student Gaza protests: five things that have been missed

Coverage of the recent student encampments at more than 50 universities across the United States has focused on confrontations between opposing groups of protesters or between protesters and police. The spectacle of...

Science

IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects

About a trillion tiny particles called neutrinos pass through you every second. Created during the Big Bang, these relic neutrinos exist throughout the entire universe, but they cant harm you. In fact, only one of them is...

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Dark matter: our new experiment aims to turn the ghostly substance into actual light

A ghost is haunting our universe. This has been known in astronomy and cosmology for decades. Observations suggest that about 85% of all the matter in the universe is mysterious and invisible. These two qualities are...

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Technology

El Salvador Mined Nearly 474 Bitcoins, Adding to State Crypto Holdings Over 3 Years

El Salvador mined nearly 474 bitcoins over the last three years using a volcano-fueled geothermal plant, boosting its state crypto holdings to 5,750 BTC. El Salvador Mines 474 Bitcoins Using Volcano Power, Boosting...

China's BYD Launches Hybrid Pickup in Mexico, Boosts Presence in North America as US Hikes EV Tariffs

Chinas BYD launches the Shark hybrid pickup truck in Mexico on May 14, countering US EV tariffs and boosting its presence in North America. BYDs New Shark Pickup Enters Mexican Market as US Hikes Tariffs on Chinese...

Important Shiba Inu Metric Explodes by 2,300% as SHIB Price Rises: Details Inside

Important Shiba Inu metric explodes by 2,300% as the SHIB price rises. Shiba Inu adoption continues to grow, with users now able to book Airbnb and buy Nike clothes via SHIB. Shiba Inus Daily Volume Surges 2,300%,...

GPT-4o Isn't Going to Kill Teaching or Customer Service, Experts Say

On May 13, OpenAI unveiled GPT-4o, showcasing its advanced speech and emotion detection, stirring debates on AIs impact on jobs. OpenAIs GPT-4o Uses Real-Time Cameras, Raising Concerns About Job Security in Various...

Joe Biden Hikes Tariffs on Chinese EVs, Solar Cells, Steel, Aluminum, and Snipes at Donald Trump

On May 14, President Joe Biden announced new tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, and steel, intensifying U.S.-China trade tensions and taking a jab at Donald Trump. Biden Criticizes Chinese Government Subsidies,...