Cellphone jammers are illegal in most countries (the military excepted) but in France, since 2004, it is legal to use jammers in cinemas and theatres.
A cellphone jammer is a device that emits signals in the same frequency range that cellphones use, effectively blocking their transmissions by creating strong interference. In Europe those frequencies are gsm [...]
Archive for the ‘Grenelle’ Category
Health risk of cellphone jammers in French cinemas
Posted in Grenelle, health, wireless on May 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »
France launches Grenelle on Oceans
Posted in Grenelle, biodiversity, climate change, food, water on March 6, 2009 | 1 Comment »
France’s Environment Minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, announced last month the launch of a “Grenelle de la Mer”, modelled on the Grenelle on the Environment and focused exclusively on problems related to fishing and the oceans. The idea is to bring together experts, stakeholders and representatives of the government and business to hammer out a long-term strategic [...]
French food safety agency rules that GM corn is safe
Posted in Grenelle, agriculture, biodiversity, food, policy on February 12, 2009 | 3 Comments »
The French food safety agency, AFSSA, has ruled that MON 810 corn – transgenic corn manfactured by Monsanto – does not constitute a health risk. The ruling, dated Jan 23 but kept secret until an exclusive in today’s Le Figaro, is a political time bomb for the government, already snowed under with strike action from [...]
French landmark ruling on cellphone tower
Posted in Grenelle, health on February 6, 2009 | 2 Comments »
In a first ever for France, telephone operator Bouygues Telecom was ordered on February 4 by a Versailles appeals court court to dismantle cellphone basetowers in the Lyons area on the basis of the precautionary principle and the potential health risk for nearby residents. The ruling is significant because it draws on the latest research [...]
What’s left of the Grenelle?
Posted in Grenelle, biodiversity, climate change, health, policy, renewable energy, transport on December 18, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Eighteen months after the Grenelle de l’Environnement, it’s worth taking a look at what’s left of the promises made by President Sarkozy and Jean-Louis Borloo in October 2007. At the time, the meeting was welcomed as innovative and participatory because it brought NGOs into the decision-making process.
Since then those same NGOs have been criticized for [...]
France to offer 30,000-euro zero interest loan for eco-renovation
Posted in Grenelle, climate change, design and architecture, policy on September 13, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Home owners in France take note. The French government is planning to offer a zero-interest loan of up to 30,000 euros for eco-renovation. If approved, this plan will take effect as part of the 2009 budget. Dubbed “éco-PTZ” (pret a taux zero), the loan is open to anyone, with no revenue conditions attached, and is [...]
Making sense of France’s policy on GM crops
Posted in Grenelle, agriculture, biodiversity, climate change, food on May 19, 2008 | 2 Comments »
A bill which lays down the terms under which GM crops can be cultivated in France and creates a body to oversee its use is making its way painfully through the French legislature. This bill has generated a lot of fuss in parliament and the media. What is it all about? The bill seeks to align France’s [...]
Update on the Grenelle
Posted in Grenelle, agriculture, biodiversity, renewable energy, transport on May 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Six months after the Grenelle de l’Environnement, its conclusions have finally been translated into a legislative bill which was unveiled in parliament on April 30. The text has been welcomed by NGOs as a more or less faithful rendition of the spirit and the letter of the Grenelle but there is concern about how to [...]
How did Sarkozy do on the environment in his first year?
Posted in Grenelle, health, policy, transport on April 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
France Nature Environnement (FNE), a federation of environmental NGOs, delivers a mixed score card on Sarkozy’s efforts on the environment during his first year in office. It is worth recalling that Sarkozy was rated the least environment-friendly of all the candidates in the presidential election campaign, well behind his Socialist rival Segolene Royale. But he [...]
