Paris hosts France’s first all green trade show: Planete Durable
April 11, 2008
April 10-13 in Paris, Planete Durable presents an ecological trade show in Porte de Versailles to teach France about sustainability
In Paris, more than 50,000 visitors are expected at Planete Durable (Sustainable Planet), a trade show that is all about gestures everyone in France can make to “go green”. The show is aimed not only at die-hard ecologists but also at the simply curious. The show is organized around three areas: sustainable products and services in France for consumers; conferences and educational events on sustainability; and fun and interactive demonstrations of new ideas in the field.
Beyond the usual concepts about recycling and clean energy, a number of innovative, and frankly bizarre, new ideas from France and elsewhere will be presented. A disco that converts dancers’ movements into energy to run its own lights and sound system, and collects rainwater for filling both drinking glasses and toilets? An eco-sustainable 150-foot swimming pool? Pedaling a bike to run a projector that shows a film? It’s all here in Paris, where 150 exhibitors hope to raise consciousness in France about the impact and power that individuals have on the environment.
There will also be more traditional presentations from tourism companies touting the natural beauty of France, so people can become more connected with the environment they are supposed to care about protecting.
The Planete Durable trade show was also conceived to educate the public in France by offering lectures and literature explaining the impact and implications of the Grenelle de l’Environment, an environmental conference held recently in France that resulted in a number of important environmental decisions and initiatives regarding energy, genetically modified crops and more. A recent poll in France showed that only 34% of the French public have any understanding of the concept of sustainable consumption.
Admission to Planete Durable is 10 Euros and the show runs daily from 10AM to 7 PM from April 10 through the 13.
In France, advertising, fashion and media companies sign accord to stop use of overly thin models
April 10, 2008
France joins the UK, Italy and Spain in signing agreement to end distribution of images that could encourage anorexia in young women.
In France, too thin is no longer in. France is the latest country in Europe to join the fight against anorexia and bulimia in young women by agreeing to stop using images of too-thin models. With the participation of French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot, the fashion industry in France, along with the advertising industry, modeling agencies and media companies such as magazines, have signed a pact agreeing not to use images of models who are abnormally thin. Such images have been blamed in the US, France and elsewhere around the world for promoting an unattainable and unhealthy ideal for female beauty that has resulted in young girls starving themselves and developing long-term psychological problems related to their weight and body size.
As in other countries with similar agreements, the adherence to the pact in France is voluntary; however, it is hoped that peer pressure, long a force in the dispersion of the offending images in France, will now work the other way in making the images less common. The agreement is seen as a first step in a more general values shift in the industry and in the French culture. Signatories in France, which include the National Union of Modeling Agencies, The French Federation of Pret-a-Porter (ready to wear) fashion, and a regulatory watchdog agency for advertising standards in France, pledged to “reject the distribution of images of people, especially if they are young, that could promote a model of extreme thinness.”
While the sentiment against overly thin models is relatively new to France, it has been simmering for some time around the world, notably in the US, where the linkage between the media portrayal of the ideal female proportions and eating disorders in young women has been well-established for some time. Some advertisers, notably Dove brands (Unilever) with its “Campaign for Real Beauty” are embracing the values shift, promoting a new ideal of female beauty that is not as thin, not as young, and not as uniformly pretty as has been usual in France and elsewhere.
In France, where being thin is seen as a practically moral imperative among women, the fear of weight gain is not only to blame for eating disorders but also for continued smoking among women of all ages, who see smoking as a way to control their weight and quitting as equivalent with weight gain.
The same day as the agreement was signed in France, a law was proposed in the French parliament against “incitement to anorexia”.
France negotiates with pirates who hijacked French luxury yacht Le Ponant off coast of Somalia
April 9, 2008
In France, the families of the 22 French hostages meet in Paris with Nicolas Sarkozy as France talks to Le Ponant’s attackers.
22 French nationals were taken hostage aboard the French luxury yacht Le Ponantby 10-12 armed pirates who boarded and hijacked the boat last Friday in the Gulf of Aden as it was on its way from the Seychelles to the Mediterranean.
The families of the French crew members met in Paris yesterday with President of France Nicolas Sarkozy. Foreign Affairs Minister of France Bernard Kouchner says the government of France is in communication with the pirates and that everyone hopes the matter can be resolved “without any bloodshed,” adding the the process could take some time. But while the French negotiate, they are also putting French special forces in place, leaving options open for a more forceful operation. The boat is being tracked from the air by surveillance aircraft and from the water by battleships in the area. In addition to the 22 French nationals, there are also some 10 more crew or Ukrainian and South Korean descent. No passengers for France or elsewhere were aboard at the time of the incident.
The 32-cabin Le Ponantis equipped with lounges, bar and a restaurant, is one of three operated by the French cruise operator CMA-CGM, based in Marseille, which describes itself as France’s leading cruise provider. With a capacity for 64 passengers, it offers cruises in the Gulf region, including between Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan, and off the coast of Oman. Le Ponant was set to pick up passangers in Malta later this month.
The part of the Indian Ocean where the Ponantwas attacked has become a known nest of pirates and hijackers, who regularly seize civilian vessels and then demand ransom for passengers and crew. In 2007 alone, 25 incidents took place in the waters off Somalia. Protection convoys are ordered for ships bringing aid to Somalia as these are tempting targets for the pirates. The International Maritime Bureau has reported that global pirate attacks rose 10 percent in 2007, marking the first increase in three years. The Bureau has advised civilian vessels to steer clear of the area. The hijacking of the Ponant was the second attack in the area in two days.
The French warship Le Commandant Rouen has been diverted from NATO’s Afghanistan operation to join the Yemeni coast guard in the hunt for and rescue of the captured French yacht.
Opinion is mixed on France’s approach to the crisis, with some saying that any appearance of giving in to the pirates’ demands will only encourage similar incidents.
Sailing in France gets a new interactive museum, Cite de la Voile
April 7, 2008
Cite de la Voile Eric Tabarly, dedicated to sailing in France, welcomes 1,300 visitors aboard its interactive sailing museum at opening in Brittany last weekend.
The coast of France boasts a long and glorious nautical history, and now it has a new place for people of all ages to learn about the sport of sailing. Cite de la Voile (City of Sailing in English), named after Eric Tabarly, a French sailor lost at sea, opened to the public this past weekend. The wave-shaped modern building covered with solar panels, designed by French architect Jacques Ferrier, welcomed over 1,300 its first weekend of operation.
The interactive museum, with hands-on activities for sailing enthusiasts young and old, is situated in Lorient, on the edge of the Atlantic on a site that saw much destruction during WWII and that even became a large German submarine base. The building of the Cite de la Voile on this site in France is therefore symbolic of the rebirth and reconstruction of the coast of France since the devastation of that war.
In addition to Eric Tabarly, who disappeared during a sailing expedition ten years ago, the Cite de la Voile honors other famous sailing names of France such as Alain Gautier and Franck Cammas, with high-tech simulators of their boats for visitors to try, and get a “real” experience of helming a racing boat or catamaran. Installations explore the history of sailing in France, Man and the sea, science and ecology, life on board a boat and other sailing themes.
The French museum is a space of literal immersion in the world of sailing. 11 giant screens equipped with sound surround visitors when they enter, placing them in the middle of the ocean. There are hands-on exhibits and live presentations on sailing basics such as knots, raising sails and navigation.
The Cite is the centerpiece of the reconversion of the entire area into a French sailing-related hub. All around the museum are marinas and ship construction companies for building racing boats for France and other countries. There are 21 concerns in all.
62 million euros have been invested in the project by the European Union, 21 million for the Cite de la Voile alone. 10,000 people, both individuals and French school groups, have already reserved tickets for the museum over the next few months, and 100,000 are expected per year.
France delegation attempting to send medical aid to hostage Ingrid Betancourt
April 4, 2008
French hostage Ingrid Betancourt, held by FARC rebels in Colombia, is subject of new humanitarian effort by French envoys.
According to Colombian Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo, a French-led mission to get medical aid to hostage and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt is awaiting the approval of her FARC captors. The other countries trying to help in the effort are Spain and Switzerland, who are playing the role of neutral intermediaries.
President of France Nicolas Sarkozy called for this emergency mission because of news that Ingrid Betancourt is in danger of “imminent death.” She is reported to be suffering from Hepatitis B and other ailments. The plan is to get a medical plane to a place where Betancourt can be transported, but the exact location being considered is still secret. Two men already known to FARC are being cast as the “point men” in the mission.
Restrepo wouldn’t say whether the French, who are working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, had made contact with the FARC. “The mission is underway and the government is providing all the necessary guarantees,” said Restrepo. “All we need is to know where the mission will be launched so we can suspend military operations in the area.”
Sarkozy proposed the mission in a phone conversation with Columbian President Uribe yesterday after making a direct appeal to the FARC to release Betancourt. “Don’t lose this opportunity, or you’ll be committing a grave political mistake,” Sarkozy said in a televised speech, addressing 77-year-old FARC leader Manuel Marulanda. “You would be responsible for the death of this woman.”
Sarkozy has been lobbying for Betancourt’s freedom since his campaign for the presidency of France. This mission only proposes medical assistance, not release, but all of France is hoping that the rebels will relent and let Betancourt go, as they have recently released other hostages. The seriousness of Betancourt’s condition may also be a factor, as the FARC rebels may want to avoid having the blood of such a high-profile hostage–and a woman– on their hands. In recent months, the President of France has also engaged Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the presidents of Brazil and other south American countries to intervene for Betancourt’s release.
Ingrid Betancourt’s ordeal began in 2002. While campaigning for the Columbian presidential elections that year, dual French-Columbian citizen Ingrid Betancourt attempted to enter the demilitarized zone bordering on the territory of Columbian leftist militant group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). She traveled through the jungle without escort, and was kidnapped at a FARC roadblock. A captive ever since, Betancourt is often referred to in the French press as the Colombian Joan of Arc.
Betancourt is among some 40 high-profile hostages whom the Farc rebels have offered to free if the government releases around 500 jailed rebels and sets up a demilitarized zone for the exchanges. But Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has maintained a tough line, insisting that any freed rebels must give guarantees that they will not pick up arms again. Uribe also doesn’t want to demilitarize the border, as FARC has called for, to help free hostages because he doesn’t want to give in to any of their demands or legitimize what he characterizes as a terrorist organization. Uribe came to power promising a tough stance against the FARC.
A video of a gaunt and dispirited Betancourt surfaced in November, the first proof in many months that the French activist was still alive. Recently released fellow hostages have reported that Betancourt is “very sick,” however. In a letter addressed to her mother released in France soon after the video, Betancourt says her strength has diminished, her appetite has gone, and her hair is falling out. “Here, we are living like the dead,” Betancourt wrote. But she also said she has been able to hear messages from her family and other supporters on Colombian radio and asked her two children in France to send three messages a week, even though she is not able to respond.
FARC began as a peasant army for socialism in the 1960’s. They hold about 1000 hostages, of whom Betancourt is probably the highest-profile. FARC has been called a terrorist organization by the European Union, Columbia and its ally the US, and is accused of drug trafficking and other criminal activities to fund their cause. The group says it only wants to give the poor of Columbia a voice and representation among the wealthy elite classes.
Six hostages have been freed since the start of the year near where Betancourt is believed to be held. Forty more, including three American defense contractors kidnapped when their plane crashed in the jungle in 2003, remain held hostage.
Ingrid Betancourt was born in Colombia on Christmas Day, 196. Her mother was a former Miss Colombia, her father a French diplomat. Ingrid grew up in Paris’ swanky 6th arrondissement and attended the prestigious Institut d’études politiques de Paris (known as Sciences Po), one of the Grandes Ecoles that has spawned much of the political elite in France.
Betancourt married another French diplomat, receiving French citizenship, and bore him two children. (The couple later divorced.) She returned to her native Colombia in 1989, motivated by the assassination of Luis Carlos Galan, a presidential candidate running on an anti-drug trafficking platform. She was elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 1994 then formed her own party, the Green Oxygen Party, and became a senator in 1998. She wrote book criticizing then-Colombian president Ernesto Samper, published in France as Le rage au coeur (An Angry Heart) and later in Columbia. She has been known for years as a fire-brand in Columbian politics.
French architect Jean Nouvel wins Pritzker, architecture’s Nobel Prize
April 3, 2008
2008 Pritzker Prize for Architecture, architecture’s highest honor, awarded to Frenchman Jean Nouvel.
Jean Nouvel has just been announced as the 2008 winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, joining such renowned architects as Frank Gehry and I.M. Pei. Nouvel, 62, became the second Pritzker laureate from France; Christian de Portzamparc was the 1994 French recipient.
Frenchman Jean Nouvel first came to international attention in 1987 as the architect of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. A research and study facility as well as an exhibition space, the building was one of the famous architecture pet projects of then-President of France Francois Mitterand, and certainly one of the more successful. The gray, angular building sits on the Left Bank just east of the epicenter of Paris. Its many unique features include circular windows whose shades open according to the sun like the pupil of an eye or a camera aperture, to let in natural light.
Over the course of his career, Jean Nouvel has designed more than 200 projects all over the world, including in the US the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and a 75-story tower next door to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In Europe, some of Nouvel’s creations are the Agbar tower in Barcelona and Cultural Center in Lucerne, Switzerland. The French architect’s most recent triumph is the new Musee du Quai Branly in Paris.
Currently planned in the US by the French architect, besides the jagged tower alongside New York’s Museum of Modern Art comparable to the Chrysler Building, is a narrow building dubbed the “Green Blade” in the Century City area of Los Angeles. Both are in keeping with Nouvel’s ultra-modern style.
In announcing Jean Nouvel of France as Laureat, Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman of The Hyatt Foundation, noted, “The jury acknowledged the ‘persistence, imagination, exuberance, and, above all, an insatiable urge for creative experimentation’ as qualities abundant in Nouvel’s work.”
No one pointed out that Jean Nouvel’s very name means “new.”
The French architect was surprised to win the award, which was given for the totality of his work rather than, as is more usual, for any specific project. But the originality of Nouvel’s architecture overall is what impressed Pritzker’s jury and is also the raison d’etre of the Frenchman’s creativity. “When you travel the world, you see the same buildings everywhere,” said Nouvel. He added that as an increasingly global society, we must fight even harder against bland uniformity. Nouvel expressed pleasure in being admitted to “the club” of Pritzker architects, citing Gehry, Renzo Piano and Zaha Hadid.
Nouvel grew up in southwest France. A movie fan, he takes architectural inspiration from film, comparing the way he wants people to experience moving through his buildings to a story in a movie.
As a youth, he agreed to pursue a career in architecture to please his parents, who feared he wouldn’t be able to make a living as a visual artist, his first choice.
After Nouvel burst onto the scene with the Institut du Monde Arab, which Pritzker jurors praised for its “modern twist on traditional Arabic latticework,” commissions quickly followed in more than two dozen countries and haven’t stopped since. Nouvel says he begins each project by clearing his mind of previous works and gets inspiration from cultural and environmental forces around the site.
As a Pritzker Laureate, the 62-year-old Nouvel will receive a 100-thousand dollar grant and a bronze medallion. The French architect will receive his prize at a ceremony in Washington on June 2.
Centenarians in France: more French living past 100
April 2, 2008
French people are getting older, and more of them are living past 100 in better health, says a new study on life expectancy in France.
France now counts 20,000 citizen over the age of 100. And life expectancy in France overall has accelerated in the past 5 years, raising the population in France as well, especially as the birth rate in France also remains robust.
Studies show that average age expectancy in France has risen even more markedly since the infamous heat wave of 2003 that killed 15,000 in France alone, mostly older people. Women in France can now expect to live to 84.5 years, 7 months longer than the pattern before 2003 would have indicated. French men have a life expectancy of 77.6 years. For the first time, men and women in France can expect to live an average of 81 years.
Until 2003, life expectancy in France rose an average of four months every year. But every since 2003, average life expectancy in France has risen beyond those expectations.
Why are the French living longer, and why since 2003 has life expectancy in France shot up? According to Giles Pison, author of the French study, it may be due to lifestyle changes brought home by the heat wave in France, with families taking better care of their aged relatives, especially women, and making sure they are safe, monitored, hydrated and not isolated. This was an important factor in the number of deaths in France during the 2003 summer heat wave, when many families in France left on vacation, leaving aging relatives alone in sweltering Paris apartments.
Also recent years in France have seen a drop in alcohol consumption, smoking and other behaviors known to cause cancer and heart disease, the main killers of people over 60 in France, as more people in France take more responsibility for their own heath. The government in France has lent a hand here by banning smoking in restaurants and cafes in France beginning January 1 of this year.
Then there is the so-called French paradox, the relative rarity of heart disease among the French who nonetheless consume foods high in fat. Many studies attribute this to the frequent consumption of red wine, high in antioxidants and flavanoids.
Living longer in a place like France, eating good food and drinking lots of good red wine? It’s enough to make some people in other countries buy plane tickets.
And they’d have plenty of company. At the current rate of life expectancy in France, there will be over 80,000 people in France over the age of 100 by 2050. There were only 8,000 in the year 2000.
Disabled in France protest in Paris for higher benefits
April 1, 2008
through Paris as disabled French demanded more financial support from French government.
Sick and disabled French people, many in wheelchairs, demonstrated in Paris on Saturday for increased government benefits to the disabled in France. The numbers of protesters was given as 30,000 by the organizers of the demonstrations, while the French police put the number at closer to 16,000.
The protest united around 100 organizations for the physically and mentally disabled across France, insisting on a disability pension that would at least equal the minimum wage in France, €1,280 ($2,010 US) per month. Disabled people in France today receive less than half that amount, €628 ($986). About 810,000 people in France who can no longer work, or never could, because of a disability receive this sum. Banners and placards at the peaceful protest read, loosely translated: “Dignity yes, charity no” , “Neither poor nor submissive”, “1 Rolex= 15,000 euros = 24 months of French disability” and “Disability: it could happen to you.”
“It is terrible that tens of thousands of disabled people in France are condemned to live alone, below the poverty line,” said one organizer.
Participants in the demonstration travelled from across France to Paris by train, bus or specially equipped vehicles. The march culminated on the Paris’ powerful Right Bank. A petition signed by tens of thousands was presented to President of France Nicolas Sarkozy by a delegation of disabled people. Sarkozy had previously announced a raise of only 5%, or about 30 euros a month, to the benefits.
One goal of the protest march was not only to get the attention of the government of France but to to raise awareness about the plight of French disabled people among the general public in France. Jean-Marie Barbier, head of the Association of the Paralyzed of France, said that “the French imagine that everything is done in this country for the handicapped, but it’s not true.”