Eco-friendly Paris

The Parisian in-crowd has decided it's glamorous to be earth-friendly. Notorious for their crusade against generically modified food, the French have increasingly lent their inimitable style and panache to the pursuit of an organic lifestyle. Over here this sort of thing is called bio, and it's pronounced bee-oh, like what happens when you don't wear enough organic deodorant.

This week, Paris will host its first exposition entirely dedicated to sustainable consumption and all that that entails: Planète Durable runs from April 10-13 at the Porte de Versaille (Hall 4). 1€ of each entrance fee will be donated to the NGP Planete Urgence, an initiative based in Indonesia, where a tree will be planted for each euro they receive, in order to reduce global warming. The Salon will feature a "green dance floor" -- where dancers stomp on the floor to create energy which will then be transformed into electricity to provide music and light.

There will be an exhibit on electric bicycles (scooters and their emissions are not very eco-friendly); design and home furnishings, odd Monsieur Poulet t-shirts for sale in the equitable commerce section, spaces to buy and test products, an organic restaurant, and conferences and workshops on how to buy ethically.

But equitable commerce does not mean capitalism isn't alive and well, and you don't have to be a marketing expert to know that if you wrap it real pretty and advertise it as good for you and the environment, people will lay down their credit cards. Especially the ladies. The international eco-brand Lush will be on hand to explain the joys of solid shampoo (we don't know why it's better than liquid), and so will L'Occitane (their , products are "à base végétal"; Weleda; Phyt's; and the provocatively-named "Doux Me." (For more on organic beauty in Paris, go here.) In honor of keeping the planet "durable," here's a roundup of organic-friendly Paris.

Transport: The most obvious way of getting around Paris without pissing off Al Gore is to rent yourself a Vélib (which loosely translates as "bicycle in liberty"). But the hybrid car is taking off in Paris as well -- if you find yourself in need of a taxi, and want to keep it green, call Taxis G7 and request a Toyota Prius. There's no guarantee there will be one available, but the taxi company is making an effort to be the leading eco-taxi provider in Paris.

Art: Get into the eco spirit by stopping by La Galérie Végétale, an imaginative and outlandish florist, to see their exhibit Nature Inquiétante, which treats the question of environmental problems not with the typical solemnity but with mischievous, verging on dirty, humor. And we don't mean dirty from kneeling in your garden. (Or maybe we do.) Through April 27.
La Galerie Végétale
29, rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris

Shopping: H&M and Monoprix are both offering clothing lines made of organic cotton, and Agnès b. is in the game as well, with bags made of recycled material, but the heart of eco-friendly shopping in Paris is Nature et Découvertes. This emporium of all that is outdoorsy and adventurous is also a major player on the "écolo" scene in France. In addition to camping equipment, you can now find a wide range of predictable (organic soaps, organic cotton sleepwear) and unpredictable (a barrel to catch rainwater, energy-saving powerstrips in the form of ladybugs) ways to ecologize your daily life.
Nature et Découvertes
Passage du Havre
109, rue Saint Lazare, 75009

For more on environmentally correct shopping in Paris, see here.

Food: There is some resistance here in France to the idea of "fair trade," which some say is not always so fair. Because France is such an agricultural economy (or at least it likes to pretend it is), the concept of eating local is much more popular. Sing up with Amap and they will send you fresh veggies every week from local suppliers; or swing by one of Paris's weekend organic markets.

Raspail, the largest organic market in Paris, runs on Sundays from 7 am to 3 pm. It's on Boulevard Raspail from Rue du Cherche Midi to Rue de Rennes, 6th.

But if you'd like to try something a little farther afield, you might check out the Saturday organic market on the Boulevard des Batignolles, in the 8th arrondissement, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m, or the Saturday market at Place Brancusi, in the 14th arrondissement, which also runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you're more into supermarkets than outdoor markets, Paris has no shortage of those. There are a couple of chains which have sprung up all over the city -- Naturalia, BioCoop, and the suburban Les Nouveaux Robinson

Or -- heck -- why not grow your own vegetables?? If you lack a balcony big enough to do it, you can take part in a community garden, called "jardins partagés" in Paris. Find one near you. Gardening skills in need of a little boost? Sign up for a gardening course class here.

Restaurants: Although French cuisine is traditionally weighed down with eggs, cheese, heavy cream, and sundry unidentifiable pig products, numerous restaurants have opened over the last few years dedicated to proving that haute French cuisine does not have to be off-limits for vegans, vegetarians, and the eco-freaks who love them.

Alain Passard's Arpège sets the bar for upscale vegetarian cuisine, but with a €130 lunch menu, you'll probably want to look elsewhere for daily dining. Le Potager du Marais is much more reliable, with a creative menu, decent prices, and a friendly staff (although not much in the way of elbow-room).
Arpège
Le Potager du Marais
22 rue Rambuteau, 75004 Paris

Non-vegetarians eat at Phyto and are satisfied when they leave: that's a good sign. They bill themselves as "the first organic bar in Paris," so you know they're serious about it. For the really desperate the chef will make you some fish, or even an entrecote. But really, there's no need to depart from the vegetarian scheme.
Phyto Bar
47 bd St Germain
75005 Paris.

For more vegetarian options in Paris, go here.