Down to Earth

Residents in the town of Escourse, France, pay 30 percent less for their electricity bills than elsewhere in the country. Their secret? Renewable energy. Since 2011, the town has invested more than €1.2 million in solar panels. Homeowners, local businesses and associations now use solar-powered energy. Home to some 800 people, Escourse now produces 60 percent of its own energy, and aims to become 90 percent self-sufficient by 2032.

June 8 marks World Oceans Day, a global event held every year to raise awareness of the impact of human actions on the ocean. Illegal fishing is one of them, threatening entire marine ecosystems. An investigation published by the non-profit Environmental Justice Foundation reveals widespread environmental destruction and human rights abuses across the global squid industry. Our Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe tells us more.

Pesticides, microplastics and so-called forever chemicals: that’s the cocktail of substances millions of French people are exposed to simply from drinking tap water. According to France's National Association of Health professionals, representing private practice doctors, at least 30 percent of the population was exposed to contaminated water at least once in 2024. FRANCE 24's Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe tells us more.

Scientists need your help! French researchers are calling on car drivers to help them measure the decline of insect populations – thanks to an app dubbed "Bugs Matter". The citizen science project was launched in April by France's National Museum of Natural History. It will become the country's first ever comprehensive assessment of insect populations. Our Down to Earth team reports.

In France alone, nearly 4,000 tonnes of hair end up landfilled or incinerated every year. Yet human hair has unique properties: it is not only highly resistant, it can also absorb hydrocarbons and protect forests from hungry deer. French recycling company Capillum is seeking to give our wasted locks a second chance, collecting cuttings across several European countries and transforming them into a biodegradable material. Our Down to Earth team reports. 

Rates of cancer, birth defects and cognitive disorders are on the rise among French children. The use of pesticides has been recognised as a major risk to mothers and their babies, including in utero. Since 2020, victims of pesticides can request compensation from a government fund for their illness. But families say authorities are not doing enough to protect the most vulnerable. Our Down to Earth team reports.

Three people have died and three others are ill ⁠after a Netherlands-based cruise ship in the Atlantic was hit by a suspected outbreak of hantavirus. The virus is transmitted to humans through infected wild rodents, such as mice or rats, which shed the virus in their saliva, urine and droppings. In rare cases, it can also spread from human to human. FRANCE 24's Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe tells us more.

Some 60 countries are gathering in the coastal city of Santa Marta in Colombia to tackle an issue that has deadlocked UN climate talks: how to exist fossil fuels. It's the first global conference of its kind, bringing together nations that want to accelerate a fossil fuel phaseout, despite a decades-long stalemate at the UN-level COP summits. Our Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe tells us more. 

Timmy, a humpback whale, first became stuck off Germany's Baltic coast in late March. The animal’s plight has since gripped the public and raised questions about whether humans should intervene to save wild animals. While a rescue mission funded by two German millionaires is underway, marine biologists warn the whale has no chance of survival and are urging the public to reflect on humanity's role in the degradation of marine habitats. FRANCE 24's Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe takes a closer look.

An Italian fisherman has come up with an innovative way to protect the seabed from industrial fishing. He has created an underwater museum featuring 49 marble sculptures, designed to deter illegal trawling vessels. As a result, fish are returning to the area, and marine biodiversity is beginning to thrive once again.