Environmental Wellness Abroad

Wellness Intern here, reporting from France!

Just wanted to share some things that I've learned about how the French care for their environment...

First, water and electricity are highly conserved here. Most restaurants, homes, and classrooms don't have air conditioning; they use good old-fashioned air to help cool things down. Also, you'll never see a dishwasher that's not packed to the max running; they make sure that it's a FULL load to make good use of the water. Same goes with washing clothes. And showers! SHORT! Get in, get out, and you'd better turn off that water when soaping up!

The second thing is transportation. While people have cars and drive around, the large majority of people take public transportation (buses and trams), and especially in Bordeaux, PEOPLE BIKE! You'd think you were at UC Davis with the amount of people who bike in this city! Not only is it great for the environment, but it's good for your health too! I was looking at transportation options for the region and found a bus company that tells you how much CO2 you save from being put in the environment if you take a bus for your trip instead of a car. How cool!

Finally (and it wouldn't be France without it)--food. Outdoor markets are very common all over Europe. It's local people, selling their local produce as well as goods like honey, jams, and pastries. Not only are you helping support local farmers, but you're also getting good quality food. At the grocery stores, there are big organic sections (called "Bio" in France) for things like soy milk, cereal, fruits... you name it!

So, while you're abroad, you can still take care of the environment, and maybe pick up habits to bring back home and share with friends and family!

Yay, environment!!!