LEARNING FROM THE PORT OF ROTTERDAM

This school trip was above all a meeting. An encounter with an environment and landscapes that were unfamiliar to me. I knew Rotterdam for its architecture but I did not know its port, I only knew that it was the largest in Europe. But what exactly does the largest port in Europe mean? We expect something big, gigantic, but we can only really measure it by going there. The port of Rotterdam extends over 42 km in length for an area of ​​12,000 hectares, which is more than the inner Paris in which I grew up. And it was while walking that I took the measure of things for the first time, discovering it from the front, during a group walk on the opposite bank. Before entering it, you have to go around it, see it from various angles.

We then went to the site of Maasvlakt, the last area of ​​the port built on the sea, and extending over 3000 hectares. This is where the automated industries are installed. Its construction in direct relation to the deep waters of the North Sea was controversial at the time, and despite its impact on the animal and plant species present, the project nevertheless saw the light of day. By cycling through it, we were able to really become aware of the complexity and the impressive flow of vehicles that circulated there. We were also able to discover pyramids of containers, certainly storing smartphones and sneakers arrived straight from Shanghai. We quickly realize that we all participate in this industry in one way or another. And it was very interesting to materialize and see something appear in front of us that we are used to seeing behind our screens. We thus become a little more aware of what was behind the “order” button on our computer.

What also struck me in addition to the inhuman scale of the place, is the place of nature, and in particular around these industrial areas. Contrary to my expectations There were a lot of green spaces, trees, birds, animals, we were even able to enjoy a sunset on an “artificial” beach but which was still very beautiful if you ignore the surroundings. Having worked in the small village of Pernis, landlocked in the port, I quickly realized the importance of these buffer zones and the transition taking place there between the cities and the industrial zone. And to my greatest astonishment, despite the view of the port, the inhabitants all said they appreciated the calm of the village and these large green spaces. We saw people running there, others fishing or walking their dogs in front of this industrial landscape, and talking to them we realize that they have completely ignored all that. This incredible contrast between what is happening within the area and what is around therefore leads to wondering about the immensity of all this but also about the efforts of large companies to manipulate consciences by creating this artificial nature.