Pierre-Ange Giudicelli

An alumnus of Sorbonne University in ancient history and anthropology, Pierre-Ange Giudicelli has turned his attention from antiquity to more contemporary issues, such as the fight to protect the marine environment. With the Mare Vivu association he co-founded in 2016, this thirty-something native of Cap Corse is working full-time to raise awareness of the challenges of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean, particularly off the Isle of Beauty.

From ancient times to the present. For Pierre-Ange Giudicelli, child of the village of Pinu, located near the tip of Cap Corse, environmental challenges are more pressing than issues of the past. It was in his native village, home to some 160 inhabitants, that he co-founded the Mare Vivu association, initially a maritime expedition, which aims to mobilize and raise awareness among young people of the need to protect marine biodiversity. “I got involved in the fight against plastic pollution more out of commitment than scientific curiosity. I'm very attached to my island and I wanted to do something to make an impact,” says the thirty-year-old.

“Reality is what happens back home”

Founded in 2016, Marie Vivu is a participatory association, whose aim is to promote zero waste and the fight against plastic pollution, while collecting data for scientists. “It's an environmental association for the protection and study of the marine environment. The aim is to enable young people to evolve together, to learn things and to train,” explains Pierre-Ange Giudicelli. Mare Vivu's origins lie in the CorSeaCare expedition, a circumnavigation of Corsica under sail, which serves as a showcase to raise public awareness of environmental issues. “We wanted to do more than just this expedition, so that's why we created the association,” explains the young Corsican.

However, it wasn't his studies that led him to become involved in environmental protection. After boarding at the Lycée Louis Le Grand in Paris, Pierre-Ange Giudicelli began a double degree at Sorbonne University and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Ehess) in history and classics. He then moved on to a master's degree in history and anthropology, before returning to Corsica. “Reality is what happens back home. That's what led me away from my studies. Instead of doing archaeology of the past, I'm doing archaeology with the detritus of the present. I got so caught up in it that I lost all interest in my stories of amphorae, pottery and Greco-Roman trade,” continues Pierre-Ange Giudicelli.

“I have a revenge to take”

Faced with the ever-increasing production of plastic around the world, he is trying to change people's minds. In April, he is taking part in a day of reflection and discussion on plastic at the initiative of Sorbonne University on the occasion of Earth Day. On a local level, Mare Vivu, which has six volunteers, three salaried employees and several work-study students, interns and civic services, works with local authorities, elected representatives and businesses to try and implement policies aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic. “We're trying to convince our local decision-makers to implement ambitious public policies. We want to make Corsica an example in the fight against plastic pollution. But we're not there yet,” laments Pierre-Ange Giudicelli.
 
While negotiations to sign an international treaty limiting plastic production are progressing at a snail's pace, the Mediterranean remains the most plastic-polluted sea, with 95% of waste in the open sea, on the seabed and on beaches, according to the Natura 2000 association. “We're on a very bad trajectory, since plastic production is exploding. We're paying a high price here. It's not right that we should be polluted in this way. We need to set much more ambitious rules and demand compensation, because there's extremely aggressive lobbying to continue producing plastic in huge quantities,” says Pierre-Ange Giudicelli. And he adds: “Today, I intend to do more. I have a revenge to take.