The French Are Environmental Geniuses
Say what you want about the French, but they come up with some pretty great ideas: Braille printing, scuba diving equipment, the stethoscope, the very first digital calculator and now this...In Paris, Mayor Bertrand Delanoë announced that 4,000 self-serve electric cars will be made available by the end of the next year for Parisians to use at will. For an annual fee, or by the trip, participants can grab an electric car at any of 700 pickup points and drop it off once they're done.
"There will be a computerized system which allows you as soon as you collect the car to announce where you'll drop it off, so there will be a parking space available," the mayor explains, noting that recharging stations will also be built throughout the city. This program comes hot on the heels of a Parisian bike-sharing program that works the very same way.
You gotta remember, not every city is a car obsessed as we are here in SoCal. Most folk in serious urban areas don't have a car so this would come in handy for let's say moms who need a quick trip to the store for a load of groceries, short work commutes, for running errands, for doctor's appointments, short trips, a night out, all kinds of things! Even if you have a car, think purely of the financial savings in terms of gas.
There is a flip side to all this electric car infatuation. Believe it or not, the French Green party has concerns.
"I'm very skeptical," said Denis Baupin, a Green party deputy mayor. "If this scheme encourages people to pick up these cars every day, using them to go into work and back instead of using bikes or the metro, crowding roads and changing habits, that's a problem.
Need to know more? Go HERE for all the French car-sharing information. If you eat a croissant while you read, it's like being there.
About this blog
Roxanne Kotzman is a Daily News Photo Department veteran of nine years. When she and longtime friend Stacy Long
discovered their love all of all things environmentally responsible, they launched Happy Monkey Planet and jumped head-first into the vibrant eco-community.
Wow, so much to learn! But initially the idea is a pretty simple one: Let's change the world through information, education and action.
Rox & Stacy are a lot like you: ecologically minded but sometimes just plain overwhelmed when charged with the task of making a far-reaching difference in the environment. They have jobs, families, homes, lives and pets.
But what if doing better was a simple as a light-bulb change, a reusable canvas grocery bag, recycling that soda can or a cold-water wash?
These eco-chicks just hope to have a little fun, learn a little more, share a lot of information and maybe make the planet a happier, greener, cleaner place.
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