To a certain extent, the technical-scientific advances have allowed us to "tame" nature. This essay examines the situation of the governmental environmental policies, especially that of the state of Quebec, which adopted the law of sustainable development in April 2006. In this line of argument, this article considers the changes in the context of the recent advances in biotechnology, which give us an unprecedented power over nature, life and human beings. The diverse forms of intervention, from the governments of Canada and Quebec, are indicative of an increase in the active presence of the State, not only in the traditional sectors, but also in the bio-industry, in which the government intervenes more and more. The challenges, consequences and issues of this reality will be addressed from the perspective of a new humanism.
Quebec; Biotechnologies; Environmental policies; Humanism