From June 4 to June 7, Naturally the fair on organic products and environment welcomes you at Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles. The calendar of events includes workshops on how to better know your body needs, conferences such as “100 natural prescriptions on 100 common diseases”, “secrets of senior vitality” or “gardens that help us”.
Organic and natural products are everywhere : from cosmetics made out of vegetable butter to hemp made clothes, detergents, books…everything will be present there ! A fair to be visited with your family in order to relax, get some good food and, of course, do some organic shopping !

Salon Naturally
Parc des Expositions de Paris
Porte de Versailles – Pavillon 8
Friday June 4, from 1030am to 10pm.
On June 5, 6 and 7, from 1030am to 7pm..

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We have all heard about the Hinkley water pollution scandal featured in the movie “Erin Brockovich”. Would you believe such a pollution can occur every day in France ? A few years  after the advertisement from bottled water maker Cristaline “I do not drink the water I use“ (note : for washing) which led “Eau de Paris” (one of the tap water suppliers) to bring a lawsuit against it, what is the real situation of tap water in France ?

Journalist Sophie Le Gall went through all France with test tubes to uncover the true stage of contamination. In centre France, Normandy or in the Atlantic coast, water is full of pesticides and nitrates, directly or indirectly linked to various types of cancers. In centre France, water is purified with aluminum powder, a neurotoxin which may cause Alzheimer’s disease. In other areas, radon (a radioactive gas) was found. Everywhere, water contains medicine residues, from antidepressant to anticancer treatments, or birth control pills that can change fishes’ gender.
What to think about possible authorities’ complicity ?
Tonight, « Poison in our tap water ? » informs us about a true scandal and health issue that should be exploding news.
« Du poison dans l’eau du robinet », Monday 17th May, 8:35pm on channel 3, documentary film directed by Sophie Le Gall and presented by Marie Drucker.

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The future will be green, respectful, fair, eco friendly and sustainable…or there will be no future! According to all studies, including the ones of the Ornithological Center of the Paris Area, and the League for the Protection of the Birds, to many species in Paris are about to be extinct. In order to prevent species like slugs, toads, hedgehogs, falcons, sparrows and insects that are irreplaceable for the fertilization of flowers to remain alive in Paris and in Europe in general, the Paris Council will come up with a list of measures before next fall. And that’s where the Parisians can play a crucial part. In order to elaborate a brand new project plan, we will need to be the best observers possible. Four different sites have been chosen to start with (the canals and their surroundings in the 19th, the Bois de Vincennes and the Bercy-Charenton area in the 12th, the Père Lachaise Cemetery, in the 9th and 20th, and finally the banks of the Seine in the Bois de Boulogne).We will have to set a perimeter of 10 x 10 meters and observe it during 10 mn, and count the number of insects who are coming and visiting the parcel or browsing. This observation is crucial in order to know their habits in terms of moving around and how they live in the city, and therefore ensure their survival. Since the month of March, you can have all the information on this study on the following website and also share you insights.

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The Eiffel tower is budding. The beautiful lady welcomes an ephemeral and suspended garden until the end of May, since this year is the Year of Biodiversity. Gooseberries, boxwood and St John’s wort will be overlooking Paris on the Tower’s first floor. Aromatic plants are perched high in flower stands, wisterias are gigantic and bees, hedgehogs and metal butterflies are bursting from the clumps. Visitors will be happy to taste the strawberry and basil sorbet, or the blueberry and violet one, before sitting comfortably on real turf sofas. This is all so bucolic!

Every day from 9h30 am to 23h45 pm
Free access to all visitors with a ticket
Prices : from EUR 3 to EUR 4.50 by the stairs, and EUR 8.10 by the elevator

Eiffel Tower
Parc du Champ de Mars
75007 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.44.11.23.23

Since the month of April, the city of Paris now has 2 new citizens: a couple of small windmills installed on the roof of the House of Air in the Belleville area. This experiment is part of the Climate Plan adopted in 2007 by the local representatives. Built to be used in a highly populated area, those 2 small windmills, installed by the company Elena Energy for free, will satisfy the needs in energy of around 6 families (heating not included). They will produce up to 15000 KWh/a year each. This energy will be used by the House of Air, thus saving 2.6 tons of CO2 a  year !

This test with the house of Air will also serve to evaluate the potential development of these urban windmills. There are other areas in Paris where they could be  installed: the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th, or Montmartre in the 18th. The central idea of this innovation is to use  the Parisian roofs who are currently under exploited to produce energy. But windmills are not the only solution: photovoltaic panels are also a great way of saving lots of energy. To be continued…

House of Air
27, rue Piat
75020 Paris
France

Photo credit: Mairie 20e

From May 22nd to 24, 2010, the Champs Elysees avenue will become green for the “Nature Capitale” event, organized for the World Day of Biodiversity. Visitors will be able to admire a gigantic herbal creation during 3 days. “Nature Capitale” will gather no less than 8000 lots and 150 essences coming from French agriculture and forests, such as lavender, holly, houblon and pineapple. Those who wish to prolong this temporary event will have the opportunity to buy a parcel, plant it again and pamper it! Through this ecofriendly artwork, the artist Gad Weil wishes to raise the public’s awareness on how fragile the environmental balance is. This is a beautiful way to bring man and nature closer to each other.

“Nature Capitale”, from May 22nd to 24th, 2010

Supported by the Ministry of Culture and the worldwide organization WWF, the 1.618 Paris event, created by Barbara Coignet, presents an overall view of the current situation in terms of innovation and creation in the field of sustainable development. During its first edition in May 2009, it presented a spectacular inventory of the latest innovations and creations linked to sustainable development. This year, instead of 30, there will be 60 participants, chosen for their creative and ethic talents, who will present you their most innovative projects. Part of the exhibition will be dedicated to the Spas and green hotel business, which is flourishing right now, especially in luxury hotels. This year architecture is also represented, as well as fashion, green transportation, art, culture and tourism. 5000 visitors came last year, 10000 are expected in May. With those very high expectations, no doubt this edition will be full of creativity and discoveries!

Entrance : EUR 18

From May 6th to May 10th, 2010, Palais de Tokyo
May 6th, 7th and 10th : open from 10 am to 7 pm, and on May 8th and 9th from 11am to 20pm.

Palais de Tokyo
13, avenue du Président Wilson
75008 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.47.20.00.29