Here at my sit spot, I am facing a cherry blossom tree overlooking the pond in the center. I closed my eyes, and I pictured my arms as the branches of the tree. It’s starting to rain, and I can feel the droplets collecting in my hair like the way raindrops collect on flower petals. I imagine that the tree enjoys the company of the other trees that surround the pond. The trees seem to reach out toward each other to the center of the pond. I feel that the tree enjoys the company of park visitors. The tree is far enough away from the walkable area of the park that it can enjoy the presence of people without having its physical boundaries overstepped.

In France in general, I’ve noticed that the environment is used in advertising to convince people to purchase items under the guise of health. Evian, for example, is the leading brand of bottled water in the country. I often see advertisements for Evian water under backdrops of people climbing the French Alps and the natural landscape around it. In popular media, I see images of the environment and messages to take action for more sustainability. Yet, there is not a lot of mobility at the government level.