France Pollution

French authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the last decade to clean up the Seine, including in major new water treatment and storage facilities in and around Paris.

Researchers in Australia want to transform single-use Covid masks into road material. In the United States, the protective gear is recycled into benches. And in France, they are reborn as floor carpets for cars.

The square in front of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris has been closed to the public after tests again revealed high concentrations of toxic lead particles, the Paris police department said Tuesday.

In the town of Brignoles in southeast France, 40 tonnes of human hair are stacked in a warehouse -- discarded locks sent in from salons far and wide under an innovative recycling scheme.

A Paris court on Tuesday began hearing a case brought by a mother and daughter who, in a legal first in France, are suing the state for damages over ill health caused by air pollution.

For more than 30 years bright orange "Garfield" phones have been washing up on the French coast to the bemusement of local beach cleaners, who have finally cracked the mystery behind them.

The captain of a cruise ship found to be burning fuel with excessive sulphur levels was fined 100,000 euros (114,000 dollars) in a Marseille court Monday, the first such ruling in France.

French researchers hoping to get an early warning on pollution in the ocean have found an unlikely ally in a mollusc more often destined for the dinner table.

The European Commission said Thursday it is taking Germany, France, the United Kingdom and three other EU countries to court for failing to comply with the bloc's air quality standards.

The EU summoned ministers from France, Germany, Britain and six other polluting member states for a "final chance" on Tuesday to comply with air quality standards.

The decision is largely symbolic because France produces only about six million barrels of hydrocarbons a year, about one percent of its consumption.

The French capital, which will host the Olympic Games in the summer of 2024 has been eyeing an end to diesel cars in the capital by the time of the event.

The city of Paris banned all cars for a day on last Friday, from 11am to 6pm. The idea was to let slower, cleaner forms of transport at least for a single day.

Hulot denied that President Emmanuel Macron's plans to reduce red tape in the building industry would lead to lowering insulation requirements for new buildings.

To combat air pollution and close a competitive gap between its newer domestic automakers and their global rivals, China has set goals for electric and plug-in hybrid cars to make up at least a fifth of Chinese auto sales by 2025.

French authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the last decade to clean up the Seine, including in major new water treatment and storage facilities in and around Paris.

Researchers in Australia want to transform single-use Covid masks into road material. In the United States, the protective gear is recycled into benches. And in France, they are reborn as floor carpets for cars.

The square in front of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris has been closed to the public after tests again revealed high concentrations of toxic lead particles, the Paris police department said Tuesday.

In the town of Brignoles in southeast France, 40 tonnes of human hair are stacked in a warehouse -- discarded locks sent in from salons far and wide under an innovative recycling scheme.

A Paris court on Tuesday began hearing a case brought by a mother and daughter who, in a legal first in France, are suing the state for damages over ill health caused by air pollution.

For more than 30 years bright orange "Garfield" phones have been washing up on the French coast to the bemusement of local beach cleaners, who have finally cracked the mystery behind them.

The captain of a cruise ship found to be burning fuel with excessive sulphur levels was fined 100,000 euros (114,000 dollars) in a Marseille court Monday, the first such ruling in France.

French researchers hoping to get an early warning on pollution in the ocean have found an unlikely ally in a mollusc more often destined for the dinner table.

The European Commission said Thursday it is taking Germany, France, the United Kingdom and three other EU countries to court for failing to comply with the bloc's air quality standards.

The EU summoned ministers from France, Germany, Britain and six other polluting member states for a "final chance" on Tuesday to comply with air quality standards.

The decision is largely symbolic because France produces only about six million barrels of hydrocarbons a year, about one percent of its consumption.

The French capital, which will host the Olympic Games in the summer of 2024 has been eyeing an end to diesel cars in the capital by the time of the event.

The city of Paris banned all cars for a day on last Friday, from 11am to 6pm. The idea was to let slower, cleaner forms of transport at least for a single day.

Hulot denied that President Emmanuel Macron's plans to reduce red tape in the building industry would lead to lowering insulation requirements for new buildings.

To combat air pollution and close a competitive gap between its newer domestic automakers and their global rivals, China has set goals for electric and plug-in hybrid cars to make up at least a fifth of Chinese auto sales by 2025.