6.2 The Environment: L'environnement 🌏

3 min read•january 13, 2023

Claire Duggan

AP French 🇫🇷

52 resources

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The Environment: L'environnement 🌏 🏭 🔥🚰

Image Courtesy of Pexels

With the increase in industrialization 🏭 and greater demand for products 🚗 💻 , the environment has been placed under ever-growing stress. The rate at which our planet is degrading is also increasing 📈. Unfortunately, many human actions, especially since the mid-20th century, have not been taken in the best interest of the planet, leading to global challenges including global warming 🌡️, air pollution, ozone layer depletion, water depletion, and climate change.

According to NASA 🚀, the evidence for rapid climate change is compelling. This evidence includes (but is not limited to):

Global temperature rise 🌎 🌡️ and warming oceans 🌊 🌡️
Shrinking ice sheets 🏔️ and decreased snow cover 🌨️
Rising sea-levels 🌊 ⬆️
Extreme weather events 🌪️

Information gathered from NASA

Strive for Five Vocabulary 🔑

Réchauffement climatique - global warming
Pollution atmosphérique - air pollution
Destruction de la couche d'ozone - ozone layer depletion
Épuisement de l'eau - water depletion
Changement climatique - climate change
Hausse de température - temperature rise
Réchauffement des océans - warming oceans
Rétrécissement des calottes glaciaires - shrinking ice sheets
Diminution de la couverture de neige - decreased snow cover
Hausse du niveau de la mer - rising sea-levels
Événements météorologiques extrêmes - extreme weather events

Environmental Issues of France

Problèmes environnementaux de la France : 🇫🇷

Image Courtesy of Pixabay

The past 30-40 years have seen a shift away from industry in France, leading to a reduction 📉 in industrial pollution and therefore improved air quality. However, an increase in France's transportation infrastructure 🚗 🚉 has caused emissions from that sector to remain constant. In order to reduce the amount of smog in Paris, has taken two steps:

implementing an odd/even car band 🚘
implementing a sticker scheme, in which anti-pollution stickers are displayed on any vehicle. The goal is to ban less clean vehicles from the city when pollution is particularly high 🏙️.

Parisian government officials have also recommended making entire areas of the city pedestrian only 🚸, banning all diesel vehicles, and closing certain roads to traffic 🛣️.

In addition to air pollution, France is also dealing with water pollution, great demand for natural resources, and an increase in waste production.

Of particular note:

80% of France's electricity is produced using nuclear power plants 🔌 ⚡
In 2015, it was estimated that 1.5 million French citizens didn't have access to clean water 🚰
France was the first country to introduce specific legislation addressing food waste 🥒 🗑️
The French government is embracing the use of clean technologies ⚡ 🚗

Information gathered from AZO CleanTech

Strive for Five Vocabulary 🔑