With the revival of organic agriculture in France ( in 2009, almost 84% of the French people thought that organic agriculture was spreading in France), a new quality label, Bio Coherence, was created on April 12th, to replace the old label Alternative Bio. This is a way of entering in a new era and clearly answering the expectations of the French people.
Under hospices of the National Federation of Organic Agriculture, the Biocoop shops, Biomonde and the wholesaler Bio Prionatura, the goal of Bio Coherence is to offer “a new trademark of organic products, directly from commited producers to consumers” therefore encouraging “ an organic agriculture respectful of the environmental, social and financial balance”, says Dominique Techer, a winegrower, president of the organization and member of the Federation .

The goal of this organization is to spread only 100% organic agriculture, totally rejecting GMO, and with limitations regarding antibiotics, among other things. This trademark aims for more transparency but also recognition and being as effective as Le Bourgeon in Switzerland or Soil Association in UK. The first results will be revealed in 2011 after the launching of the first product at the beginning of the year.
http://www.biocoherence.fr/

What is the link between banking and sustainable development? The documentary directed by Jocelyne Lemaire-Darnaud gives us the first clues to answer that question. The purpose of this investigation about the inside story of the banking products ,in theaters by September 29th,is to consumers who want to make some savings realize that their money can be a powerful mean toward a more responsible economy, but only if the banking system becomes more transparent.

“Me, finance and sustainable development”.
A documentary in theaters on September 29
Directed by Jocelyne Lemaire-Arnaud. French full length film (1h34mn/2010)

My Sweet Bio was only at first a website dedicated to babies and their mothers. Now it’s also a concept store selling clothes, furnitures and green friendly accessories.
Created by Camille Fleck, this eco responsible concept store offers ethical fashion brands such as La Queue du Chat, evolving furnitures from the brand Stokke, and even a My Sweet Bio line with household linen and washable diapers made in hemp and matching the clothes.
Mothers to be can also come and relax in the treatment room reserved for them in the shop.
Finally, my Sweet Bio organizes workshops to teach about massages for babies or about the best way to carry them to feel closest to them!

Open every day except Sunday, from 10h30 AM

My Sweet Bio

8, rue de l’Odéon
75006 Paris
T. : +33.(0)1.43.26.39.60
www.mysweetbio.fr

The 12th district of Paris is getting more and more trendy, and the opening of a green friendly grocery store, boho and trendy : Pimlico illustrates that tendency. Two friends, Charles Baillet and Olivier de Buhren, have decided to introduce organic fruits and vegetables, as well as gluten free and salt free products in our daily lives. They succeded, and Pimlico attracts tourists as well as Parisians who go there for grocery shopping. At Pimlico, being green friendly means being trendy. The store looks like a show room of modern furniture with wood and metal everywhere. The must? To have a bag of organic groceries delivered at home or at work.

Open from Monday through Saturday from 6h30 am to 8h30 pm.

Pimlico
88, rue de Charenton
75012 Paris
France
T. : +33.(0)1.44.75.51.96
www.pimlico.fr

A few months ago, the SNCF launched its first decontaminating vegetal wall inside the Magenta railway station, in the 10th district of Paris. Every day, 70 000 travellers walk by this wall . It is made of more than 3000 decontaminating plants from 31 different vegetal species. With its system of suction pumps, this vegetal wall is able to trap dust and gaz particles contained in the surrounding air of the station. It is also a way of fighting against the dryness of the air thanks to the return of water vapour to the atmosphere by the transpiration of vegetation. This device has been set up in the Magenta railway station, because it is a huge station with walls that are not too cluttered. This experimental design will have to prove its efficiency before being reproduced in other stations.

src image : www.sequovia.com

As an alternative to the big players in that field, i.e. Starbucks, a much more authentic coffee shop, and above all an organic one, just opened in the heart of the 3rd district in Paris. Merce Muse is a young New Yorker who also happens to be a coffee addict. With her craft coffee machine and her heart-shaped pieces of carrot cake, put under bell, and proudly placed on the counter, the Marais looks like Greenwich Village! This American  coffee shop, yet located in Paris, only makes good, organic food that looks great. A very good reason to go try the place with girlfriends.

Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10h30 am to 7h30 pm, and on Mondays until 5h30 pm.

Coffee Shop Merce and the Muse
1, rue Charles-François Dupuis
75003 Paris

Have you ever heard the name EverManifesto? If you have it’s normal, because this commited newspaper is the one of Charlotte Casiraghi, the daughter of Caroline of Monaco. She is joined by two friends, Alexia Niedzelski, a photographer from French and Brazilian origin, and Elizabeth von Guttman, a Londonian publicity agent, who is passionate about modern art. Charlotte Casiraghi decided it was time to associate fashion , glamour, and green attitude. “ We are not green warriors, insist the “EVERteam” (that’s how they call themselves). We want to put the pressure on the luxury brands to become more green, so that they change their lighting system for exemple , or their packaging policy (…)But we are aware that this strategy has to be very attractive. Nobody wants to wear  EUR 1500 of bad karma on their back, but they are not ready either to sacrifice their looks just to be green friendly. Ethics is not like charities, you have to attract people!” (quoted from the Express Styles). That way, Ever Manifesto intends to break the usual fashion patterns, bringing along their young international jet setter friends.
“We question our consuming habits”, say the 3 young women, “We buy less and better, to have a dressing that last longer. We think the race to wear the latest trends is now pathetic, and spending money on something to throw it away later also” (quoted from the Express Styles). Distributed in selective and exclusive places (Colette in Paris or Corso Como in Milan), Ever Manifesto already has many followers throughout the world. A new type of beauty for women who want to be glamourous without destroying the planet? Let’s wait and see if Charlotte and her girlfriends really succeed!

In 2006, 3 young Parisian girlfriends decided after one of them went to India to create an ethical fashion brand dedicated to women. Their specialty : they use organic cotton or natural materials, and collaborate with women coming from the slums of Bombay. By developing a fine Parisian style, both comfortable and feminine , Elodie Le Derf, the stylist of the group, designs clothes for spontaneous women. Emancipated, modern, at ease with her body and conscious of her environment, the woman who wear Fees de Bengale is green friendly at heart. Different lines were created for different times of the day in an urban environment. The daywear lines offers different types of pants, while the evening line offers vaporous silk dresses. In the “week end” line you can find basic chic items, such as fine cotton blouses. Fees de Bengale  opened their first Parisian shop in spring 2010.

Les Fées de Bengale
59 ter, rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
T. : +33.(0)1.43.52.83.20

The new redevelopment project of the docks of the Seine, lead by Bertrand Delanoe the mayor of Paris, was deliberated first in July 2010 during the Paris Council. The mayor, very involved in the protection of the environment, has exposed his intentions to reduce dramatically the circulation of the car traffic pollution, through a gigantic project aiming to completely change the architectural urban layout of the docks of the Seine, by limiting the access for cars, thus creating more space for green spaces, cultural and sports projects for pedestrians, tourists and walkers. With a budget of EUR 40 millions, the investments will be dedicated to creating modulable working space; users friendly and creative artificial islands, and river fronts roads reserved for the “Paris by night”. To finish the project, the roads will be closed for traffic from Pont de l’Alma to Pont d’Orsay starting 2011 and the urban highway on the right bank will be replaced by a very modern boulevard before 2012.We’ll be following this matter very closely.

Photo credit

Nokero has developed a world exclusive new concept : the first photovoltaics bulb ever ! Indeed, this bulb is the first and only one to use solar energy. It consists of a green ultra durable plastic around which 4 small photovoltaic panels catch the solar energy and transmit it to 5 LEDs. The nickel-metallic hydride (NiMH) battery lasts about 2 years and can provide about 4hrs of light when fully charged. In order to charge it, the bulb needs to be exposed to sunlight for about 48hrs. This world invention is intended to help reduce kerosene consumption which is extremely polluting and dangerous as well as costly. The bulb is fully energy self-sufficient, water resistant and will allow people from less developed areas to get lighting almost cost-free and ceaseless (over 1.6 billion people live without electricity).

Price per unit : € 12.-
Price per package : € 5.- per bulb