At a time of growing awareness of the climate emergency, are the French ready to change their habits during their holidays, and opt for stays more "eco-citizens"? Invited Wednesday of Europe 1, the sociologist Jean Viard believes that at present, "nothing changes" for the summer holidays, which he describes as "a great collective ritual".
"People are learning to live with a changing climate," says Jean Viard, who talks about the concrete consequences of the heat wave on tourism. "We decide more and more later when we go on vacation.As we all have the weather on our phone, we move our destinations according to the rain".
"Do not believe that we have really changed our practices"
On the other hand, the researcher refuses to evoke an "eco-citizen" effect. Regarding the summer holidays: "the clearest thing is that nothing changes," he explains. And this summer, "45% of French people will go to the sea with their family, for 10 or 15 days, and for the most part by car because it is the most convenient mode of transport with children and luggage".
"Do not believe that we really changed our practices," says Jean Viard. Returning to the current debate on a possible reduction of air travel, more polluting, the sociologist notes that if "the debate on aviation exist, few people will go to the United States by boat."
"There is an awareness" on the ecological issue
For Jean Viard, this persistence of habits can be explained by the fact that "we do not want to radically change our way of life.The summer holidays are a great moment of life (...) a great collective ritual" .
"There is an awareness" on the ecological issue, however insists the sociologist at the microphone of Europe 1. "People sort their waste, the car market has changed, the number of diesel has declined", illustrates -t it. "When we offer simple solutions, ecological awareness is made," says Jean Viard. People "have integrated the idea of climate risk, and everywhere you have to bid for people to act."