Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Pollution alert!

Paris is still the world's top tourist destination (well the Londoners find it hard to believe ;-)), but it may also be one of the most polluted cities. Look at this photo I took at the Trocadero yesterday; can you see how "foggy" it is? Well it's entirely due to the pollution which, at the moment, is pretty high. An NGO has even pressed chargers, claiming that the Government does not take enough measures to fight pollution and that it is responsible for the premature deaths of many people! [Sorry for the jpeg compression effect on the right - where the sun is - it's not the pollution, but Blogger!]

17 comments:

  1. Yikes! I was just reading about this the other day, but this photo really drives home the point. This scene reminds me of the art installation at République during Nuit Blanche last year ... but I doubt Parisians look forward to this ...

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    1. Well, fortunately the République installation was more visible but hopefully less harmful!

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  2. It was the same yesterday "down south". I don't understand where it's coming from. I speculated here that it was people burning dead vegetation from the winter. Dunno. But hope it doesn't continue.

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    1. You mean in Amboise? I suppose it comes from the car traffic, doesn't it?

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  3. Having only just recovered from the shock of the death sentence passed on PDP, I am relieved that at least it has received a stay of execution for another year!
    Seriously, I don't know how you do it Eric. Thanks for the past nine years and here's looking at one more great year - unless you change your mind of course!

    As for that pollution, it's being sent across from London in an evil plot to deprive Paris of its rightful number one spot. Rumour has it that all the unused scones and roast beef are being burned at dead of night and the smoke blown through the channel tunnel towards Paris....let's hope the wind doesn't change direction soon.

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    1. LOOOOOOL... Well, first of all it's not a death sentence, but a retirement sentence! PDP will still be alive, but won't move much anymore ;-)

      Second, I knew this had to be an English trick on the French! We'll get even and burn all our left over croissants and baguettes!

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  4. I notice the French are quite inventive when it comes to public space. Perhaps the lawsuit will act as the catalyst to "concentrate the mind wonderfully" and a solution will be found and implemented with the inimitable French touch. Maybe no cars in Paris? (I almost wrote "no cares in Paris" ).

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    1. No cares, that is already in place ;-) but no car, yes, it's seriously on the way: one of the candidates for the Paris town hall wants to implement a scootlib system, that is electric scooters on demand. I'm game, but it'll be difficult to implement.

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  5. I have just noticed the update in your caption about 'the jpeg effect' and you are right !! I was wondering why this part of the photo was like that ... !
    A little of photoshop and you could have made these two people disappear from the shot (a woman and a man, I think ?).
    The rest of the photo is beautiful, although I think you Idalready posted something close. But this is not a reason to not appreciate it !
    I do !

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    1. To be honest I thought of "erasing" these poor people on the right, but I was too tired yesterday evening!

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  6. What a shame! I'd still come live there in a heartbeat—as soon as I figure out a way to make that happen. It's not like the air where I am is so pure either, but I hope they do solve the problem of Paris pollution.

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    1. To be perfectly fair, of course pollution is bad for your health, and of course people are right to protest, but... there are so many smokers out there that in comparison to pollution it's really nothing.

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    2. Well, I quit 11 years, 358 days ago (for the 2nd and final time). I bet you never smoked—am I right, Eric?

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  7. I recently came across your blog & will be visiting Paris for the first time ever. I was wondering about pollution as I looked at some of the photos on your blog. Ah well!

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  8. I'm not even sure if aerosols (the stuff that makes the light go astray and produces fog etc.) today tell the whole story about pollution. There is a good chance that stuff might be in the air (and the rivers etc.) that is not so easily discernible, i.e. because it is not particles but gases/effluents/evaporated solvents etc.

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