François Hollande's first macho act as president was not, as some speculate, the firing of hapless Minister of Ecology Delphine Batho. It was sending in the army to protect France's nuclear, oil and gas interests in Africa.
Will he be another François Mitterrand who ordered French secret services to blow up Greenpeace's boat The Rainbow Warrior, killing a photographer, in order to continue French nuclear tests? Or will he defend the environment, as he has promised (Strangely, voters in France appear to believe that socialists care about ecology no matter what the government actually does.)
One year into his presidency, what is François Hollande's record on the environment?
French nuclear safety, alternative energy policy, agriculural policy, clean air and water policy, OGM, fracking, developpement durable, waste management, greenhouse gases - what actions has the government of François Hollande taken in the past year? We start with nuclear energy, shale oil fracking and genetically modified crops (GMO)...
1) NUCLEAR : sales rep for Areva and EDF? - Hollande sent special forces to protect Areva's uranium mine in Niger. He supports the restarting of nuclear reactors in Japan, and the expansion of the French nuclear industry in post-Fukushima Japan with the signature of big contracts. He supports the development of EDF's EPR reactors despite design, safety and budget problems. He has shut down no nuclear reactors in France. On the contrary, his administration appears to support nuclear energy whenever given the opportunity despite announcements to the contrary.
2) Shale Oil Fracking (gaz de schiste - fracturation hydraulique) Say one thing do another? According to the French Minister of Ecology (until last week) Delphine Batho, she was fired because "certain economic powers did not accept my ambitions for the transition to other forms of energy" in particular on the question of shale oil fracking and the reduction of nuclear energy in France. (see Huffpost)
Of course, what credibility could Batho have? After all, she was only the Minister responsible for these issues. In her version she was hung out to dry by Hollande who only paid lip service to environmental goals, but actually sided with the lobbies. Montebourg, by way of contrast, is an outspoken supporter of shale oil fracking. And despite openly defying the prime minister, he is still in the government... If Batho is correct, France will gradually and quietly change its official position to enable fracking to begin without ever actually saying so.
Enter Arnaud Montebourg's perfectly wacky proposal to create a nationalized company to exploit shale oil reserves. This would, he claims, not pollute water like in America because it would be ecological. Prime Minister Ayrault had to step in, as usual, to remind everyone that France's official policy was no fracking, to which Montebourg responded by claiming he broke no government policy line What does he mean? A suivre...
3) OGM: Monsanto's little helper? - When Professor Gille Eric Seralini published his study that showed increased development of tumors in mice fed with Monsanto corn, French scientific academies condemned him with record speed, unanimity and lack of transparency (just try to identify the name of the "expert" who reviewed the study). Despite the popular France vs US potential, Monsanto's reputation for orchestrating destruction of researchers who dig too deeply - and France's own official anti-OGM position - no French institution dedicated ressources to investigating Seralini's findings, choosing instead to echo Monsanto's press releases - and pointedly ignoring the revelations of the French documenary maker Robin in Le Monde Selon Monsanto.
Monsanto continues to make headway in France. Today (July 6) Le Monde revealed that France is preparing to lift restrictions on Monsanto MOM810 genetically modified corn (see" Vers une levée du moratoire sur un mais Monsanto").
What now with the nomination of Philippe Martin? He is presented as an opponent of GMO crops. How will he fare under Hollande's tutelage? Martin is Hollande's third Minister of Ecology in fourteen months.
