Tethys, the epic of a return to our roots
Tethys
The epic of a return to our roots
Alban Planchat
Mission accomplished
for the adventure!!
But then, Tethys,
is it over..?
Wait no,
Tethys, is it starting again??
That's right, with a whole host of development projects!
The reality is also that I have resumed my full-time activity as a researcher!
The pitch
FACING CLIMATE CHANGE, CALLING 112 WOULD BE POINTLESS.
HOWEVER, THE 112-DAY OF A YOUNG CLIMATOLOGIST, HIKING AND SWIMMING ACROSS THE ALPS, MIGHT MAKE YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION.
“Tethys, the epic of a return to our roots” is an odyssey of resilience and hope, an ode to climate commitment, narrated with passion and poetry through the daring adventure of a young climatologist.
Who am I?
As a young, passionate French climatologist, I combine scientific rigor with artistic sensitivity in my quest to share scientific knowledge with the general public. I strive to embody human-scale action, aligned with my convictions, aiming to inspire and spark change, always with a contagious smile and a touch of humor. My love for the mountains and wandering fuels my reflections, which I often express through writing.
"We only have one life to think and become the person we wish to be;
We only have one life to imagine and achieve the goals we dream of.
I have a wish: to have no remorse;
I have a dream: to have no regrets.”
The genesis
Facing climate change, the Alps are experiencing profound disruptions in the water cycle. Snow cover is thinning at low and medium altitudes, and glaciers are losing mass, leading to flood risks and unpredictable variations in river flows. Additionally, the Alpine arc could face more variable weather, with irregular snowfall, more droughts and heatwaves, and more intense extreme precipitation. These upheavals threaten the supply of drinking water, agriculture, the energy sector, and recreational activities, all crucial to the region's economy.
To mitigate these effects and adapt, it is crucial to commit to climate action, despite the sense of powerlessness it may evoke. By embodying sobriety, resilience, and a connection to nature, endurance activities such as trail running and open water swimming, which have garnered remarkable enthusiasm, create a space for reflection and awareness of climate issues. Through adventure and emotion, they render climate change perceptible and tangible.
As climatologists, we must now diversify our communication approaches to make knowledge accessible and engaging, thereby inspiring climate action. Turning to art and adventure precisely opens up this mobilization perspective, transcending the academic framework to reach a broader audience. Documentaries, now significant sources of knowledge, have the power to influence and transform our society. This is why there is a documentary film project about Tethys. I also have the idea of sharing the messages of this adventure through a graphic narrative.
Tethys
Why this title?
Because from a geological perspective, the formation of the Alps is attributed to the closure of the Alpine Tethys, a paleo-ocean.
And because in Greek mythology, Tethys, the wife of Oceanus, personifies the fertilizing power of water as the mother of rivers.
The 3 components of the project
A documentary film
&
A graphic narrative
What if an incredible journey through the Alps could mirror the climate challenge?
Tethys
The adventure was a huge success! I left Ljubljana on June 24 and arrived 112 days later, on October 13, in Nice.
The documentary film is well on its way! All the footage from the adventure was shot this summer, and the production phase is now in full swing. We need your support now more than ever to go all out!
The research program is entering the phase of processing all the water samples that I took during the trip, before the analyses begin.
The graphic narrative is a germinating idea! I am looking for support to make the project come to fruition, especially from an illustrator.
Support the project
We need your help to bring the documentary film project about Tethys to life!
Find out more in the sections "The documentary film" and "Support the project", and here's where you can help us:
A huge thank you to you, and we're counting on your support!
Discover here an excerpt from a short story I've written in French, a profound reflection on our resilience in the face of climate change and our ability to honor our commitments to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through an ultra-endurance race in the majestic Alps, we explore the disruptions in the mountain water cycle caused by climate change.
My somewhat sensory writing transports you into this adventure where climate perception and love intertwine, hopefully to find a second wind and finally begin this turn together, stop considering our goals over there, in the distance, as some sort of mirage.
To discover the entire short story, click on the following link:
"Second souffle, mirage ou virage ?"
(in French though)
La bascule
S’imposer ce qui nous paraissait impossible.
Mais sommes-nous prêt·e·s ? Sommes-nous vraiment crédibles ?
Cette bascule de la pensée à l’action,
Longtemps visée, est aujourd’hui la seule option.
De notre inclination servile de conquête,
Avons-nous fini par tenter de t’acquérir ?
De nos excès de liberté, tu es tempête,
Instable, imprévisible, tu sembles en pâtir.
Plus de place pour le futile énergivore,
Les objectifs fondent, et les rêves siphonnés.
Nous aurions pu, nous aurions dû anticiper,
Car avec la soif, la faim, plus rien ne fait corps.
À force de salir l’essence de la vie,
Un point de non-retour nous a crûment surpris·e·s.
Reflet douloureux, regret qui laisse des traces,
Le sens dégouline, l’adversité nous enlace.
Assumer,
Admettre nos torts,
Endurer l’effort,
Endosser.
Solitude d’une rédemption palpable,
Quand d’un souvenir, le réveil sonne coupable.
Elle fait mal cette responsabilité.
Un temps, privilégié·e·s, maintenant, réfugié·e·s.
Injustice
D’un rêve déçu.
D’un passé déchu,
Un supplice.
Et si une nouvelle histoire pouvait s’écrire ?
Est-ce que nous ne le pouvons pas ?
Ou est-ce que nous ne le voulons pas ?
Peut-être sommes-nous libres de vouloir,
Ou peut-être sommes-nous captif·ive·s de devoir.
Assurément, c’est un respect que nous accordons,
Et spontanément, c’est un pardon que nous échangeons.
Ainsi, des larmes se rallume alors la flamme.
Brûler nos peines pour arroser notre feu,
C’est là une nouvelle ère que l’on promeut,
Une histoire qui redémarre et qui s’exclame.
Goûtons la sagesse, croquons la simplicité.
Trinquons ensemble à la vie pour boire l’espoir.
Descendons l’hubris pour gravir l’humilité.
À nous d’y croire, il ne sera jamais trop tard.
Nous avons enfin saisi pourquoi,
Parce qu’il y a urgence…
La sobriété,
Toi et moi,
Nous.
Mirage ou virage ?
Second souffle
