Environmental Consciousness in Paris

by Alicia DeFrancesco

All around Paris, I saw evidence of an environmental consciousness that is far greater than in US cities.  One of the most noticeable eco-friendly aspects of Paris is the cars; they are typically much smaller than in the US, and more fuel-efficient.  There are a lot of smart cars around the city; these cars fit two people, use about 40mpg of fuel, and they fit into almost any parking space! 

Paris also has great public transportation; their subway and bus systems are very extensive, and many of the cities vehicles are run using electricity.  On many of the side streets, there are "Velib" stations, which are basically high tech parking spots for velib, which are bicycles that you can rent for travel around the city. 

Transportation is not the only sector that Paris is transforming to be more eco-friendly; the city as a whole has also got a great recycling program.  Many of the green trash bags around the city are accompanied by a yellow bag designated for recyclables. 

There are instructions on the lids of these bins, to reduce confusion about what is and is not recyclable.  Whenever a garbage truck drives by, the recycle message is reinforced; there are large advertisements on the side of the trucks, which remind onlookers to put paper and plastics into the yellow bins instead of into the trash. 

There is even evidence of greening in the bathrooms.  Many of the toilets have two buttons, to provide low/high volume flush options.  In most museums and public places, there are blow driers or re-useable towels for hand drying instead of more wasteful paper towels.  I can only hope that cities in the US will start to make some of these changes soon!