Jean-Marie Pelt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Marie Pelt
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Jean-Marie Pelt in 2008
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| Born | 24 October 1933 Thionville, Moselle, France
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| Died | 23 December 2015 (aged 82) Vantoux, Moselle, France
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| Known for | Books on pharmaceutical plants |
| Awards | Officer of the Légion d'honneur |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany, pharmacy |
| Institutions | University of Nancy, University of Lorraine |
Jean-Marie Pelt (born October 24, 1933 – died December 23, 2015) was a French scientist. He was a biologist (someone who studies living things), a botanist (someone who studies plants), and a pharmacist (someone who prepares medicines).
He taught at the University of Lorraine. He was an expert in plants used for medicine and old ways of making remedies. Jean-Marie Pelt wrote many books and articles about plants, how they work, and how cities can be more green. Many people in France knew him from his TV shows and radio programs about plants and nature. Some even called him the Konrad Lorenz of the plant world!
Studying Medicinal Plants
Jean-Marie Pelt spent his career learning about medicinal plants. He studied how plants can be used to make medicines. This field is called phytopharmacology. He also looked into how plants can help treat illnesses, which is known as phytotherapy.
Pelt traveled to many places to find different medicinal plants. He studied plants from Afghanistan, Chile, different parts of Europe, and Yemen. His work helped us understand more about the healing power of nature.
Important Roles and Groups
Besides teaching at the university, Jean-Marie Pelt helped start several important groups. In 1972, he founded the European Institute of Ecology. This institute helps people learn about and protect nature.
He also helped create the French Society of Ethnopharmacology in 1987. This group studies how different cultures use plants for medicine. Later, in 1999, he co-founded a committee that looked into Genetic Engineering. This committee provided independent information about how we change plants and animals at a genetic level.
Jean-Marie Pelt was also a member of Committee 21. This group in France worked on protecting the environment and making development sustainable. They helped put the Agenda 21 plan into action.
Making Cities Greener
From 1971 to 1983, Jean-Marie Pelt was a city councilor in Metz, France. During this time, he started new ideas for making cities more natural. He called this "urban ecology."
After World War II, many cities in Europe were rebuilt quickly. This often led to boring, concrete buildings and not much green space. Pelt wanted to change this. He was inspired by ideas from the CIAM (International Congresses of Modern Architecture).
He wrote a famous book in 1977 called The Re-Naturalized Human. This book talked about how humans should live more closely with nature, even in cities. It won the European Prize of Ecology.
Pelt believed that cities should have more green spaces and water features. He thought this would help people feel more connected to their environment. In Metz, his ideas led to the creation of large open areas along the Moselle and Seille rivers. These areas became beautiful places for people to walk and enjoy nature.
