Green spaces in Paris, are, without a doubt, very artificial. The plants are always trimmed or bent in a specific manner. Even the top of the trees have to be chopped off in the same way. Having transitioned from Wellesley, which looks like a forest, to a city with small green spaces sandwiched between buildings, I realized how I’ve taken the nature at Wellesley for granted, and how much I miss the plants that are allowed to grow in whatever way they want. Though surrounded only by a minimal amount of nature, the French are quite advanced in protecting their environment. Eco-friendly skin-care products are easily accessible in pharmarcies and the plastic bags in the grocery areas in supermarkets are usually bio-degradable. And not to mention the “Bio” sign printed on many products that you see in French supermarkets, which means that these products are organic. People also take measures to avoid food wastes. I’ve downloaded an app called too good to go that allows people to buy food that are about to expire at very cheap prices. I think that this is especially helpful for people with low incomes because you can get several meals at under 5 euros and it can help restaurants and supermarkets avoid food wastes.

A stereotypical French garden. This photo was taken in the Jardin du Palais Royal near the Louvre museum.