Notes on La Rivière et Le Bulldozer

Created: Thu May 29 2025 02:00:00 GMT+0200 (Central European Summer Time)

The book is written by Matthieu Duperrex, an artist and philosopher based in France.

Chapter 1: Minéral, Vous Avez Dit Minéral?

What can the examination and knowledge of the movement and lost of soil and tell us about our current geological condition.

Sets up the Anthroposcene and that there's still no official designation of this term with the International Union of Geological Sciences. Term coined by Paul Crutzen in 2000. The question, is why hasn't it been designated as an official term when there are clear signs of how human technology and systems have been incorporated into Earth, and in effect, changing it's geology.

Mineral order is the "poor parent" or as I always like to say when someone is the outcast, "Poor Michelle" of the anthroposcene or philosophy.

Author asks, what does it mean to sediment? To think about it as an action in relation to the sediements of water and soil. The question sets up the rest of the book and this is the framework he's working in.

Thoughts

At what catastrophic point will it take for the term to be official. We have micro-plastics in our water which then in turns goes into our bodies.

Why does it matter for an official designation?

• To bring awareness to the general public. If people are aware and it becomes official, then it could lead to concern and action.
• It can lead to further funding and research about the effects of the Anthroposcene.
• Like all geological periods, it gives insights to how Earth was formed. Should it not be important in the history of Earth to have this documented?

Minerals and soil - Will keep an active look out when looking for projects and texts around this to see if Dupprexx's statement about it being the poor one of the AS. From what I've seen, there are exhibitions around the sun and water, but nothing for minerals and soil from an anthroposcene perspective.

Chapter 2: Méditation des Rives

What makes up rivers with examples from glaciers making river beds, to humans intervening in shaping and re-shaping environments, scientifically through chemistry and also our anthrpocentric impact.

Rivers being a source for drinking and in contrast to the bottle water. The bottle water being a plastic that then gets re-introduced into the environment. Micro-plastics are now part of the ecosystem and human bodies. Reminds me of the project The Sentinel Self by Sissel Marie Tonn.

My takeway is that the author is still trying to make an argument for the anthroposcene with the story about the Japanese oyster farm and trying to get the area to be re-forested so that leaves that decompose in the river can supply nutrients to oyster. Also mentioning that each galacier period informs the rivers, which also our human impact, our change, the anthrposcene is also impacting rivers.

Bibliography

DUPERREX, Matthieu, 2022. La rivière et le bulldozer. Paris : PP, Premier Parallèle. La vie des choses. ISBN 978-2-85061-130-8.