— Written by Lyle Jarvis

Paris’s Bike Infrastructure? Hang it in The Louvre. 🖼️

Paris was once known for dirty, congested boulevards and smoggy air. But over the past few years, the city has undergone a remarkable transformation into an unlikely utopia for cyclists. Thanks to city leadership, largely driven by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris's push for cycling infrastructure hasn't just put more bikers on the road, but made for cleaner air and a more livable urban environment.

When Hidalgo took office, she pushed for key initiatives like low-emission zones, making high-traffic areas more pedestrianized, and worked to expand the city's cycling infrastructure. Today, Paris boasts more than 600 miles of bike lanes, many of which are protected and separated from motor traffic. They’ve also closed over 100 streets to cars!

The pandemic accelerated these efforts even further, leading to a 70% increase in cycling traffic between 2020 and 2021. In some areas, bicycles now outnumber cars during peak hours.

Change is in The Air 🫁

Aside from the more obvious benefits of bikes on the roads (e.g., fewer cars, healthier, more productive commuters, a striking pair of thighs, etc.), this change in infrastructure has had a monumental impact on the city’s air quality. A new report from AirParif (an organization accredited by the French Government to monitor the air quality) shows pollution levels have been roughly cut in half since 2005!

More specifically, the report shows levels of particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution (e.g., tiny pieces of soot, dust, or smoke that can get lodged in our lungs) fell by 55%, while nitrogen dioxide pollution, a main ingredient in smog, dropped by 50%.

This is a remarkable turnaround for France, who, in 2010, was ruled by a European court to “have systematically and persistently breached pollution limits” put forth by the European Union.

Beyond biking, the city’s changes in infrastructure include things like more pedestrianized streets, especially around schools and nurseries. In fact, as of August of last year, the School Streets Initiative has closed over 200 streets to cars! 🏫🚶🚲

Setting The Pace 🚴🏼‍♀️ 🚴🏿‍♂️

While challenges remain—such as bike traffic jams and the need for more coherent bike paths—the overall impact has been hugely positive. Paris's transformation serves as a model for other cities aiming to reduce pollution and promote healthier, more sustainable ways of getting around. It also helps build momentum toward other climate objectives.

Want to learn more about the climate solution that doubles as a path for climate progress AND your summer bod? Check out this episode of 👉️ Unf*cking The Planet! 👈️

👀 Some Stories You Might Have Missed This Week 🗞️📺

1. Oil refining comes to an end in Scotland as its refinery shuts down (Reuters)

2. Mark Carney’s victory in Canada leaves Trump sandwiched between two climate forward leaders (Time)

3. England will require solar panels for all new homes starting in 2027 (Guardian)

4. Scientists make a major breakthrough around climate apathy (Grist)

📅 Community Announcement 🫂🌱🏟️

✏️ 🧠 Looking to break in to climate work? And join the fight toward a healthier planet?

The Global Warming Mitigation Project's Constellations Fellowship is a remote internship program designed to provide students and recent graduates with hands-on experience in mission-driven climate work.

🚨 Details: 

📅 Applications close Sunday, May 18th at 11:59pm EST

🧑‍🎓 Applications open to students and recent graduates (undergraduate, masters, or doctoral)

💻 Positions are 100% virtual, part-time, and paid via stipend

📋 40 positions available that you can view here

What We’ve Been Watching 🎥

🗞️ 📺 Bloomberg puts out a weekly documentary that unpacks the stories behind the biggest headlines, drawing on reporting from journalists around the world.

While not all episodes have a climate tie in, these docs are an engaging, digestible way to keep informed on the world around us. Check it out here!