Citizen activists take on 'destructive' solar power plants in France's Provence region

Cyrielle CABOT

June 3, 2024 at 10:58 a.m.·2 min read

Citizen activists in southeastern France’s Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence region have been campaigning for two years against the growing number of solar power parks in a protected natural area around the Lure mountain. The local authorities, and the parks' investors, claim the plants are “essential” projects in the fight against climate change, and in line with the ambitions of the European Green Deal. But the activists claim these projects are “destructive” for biodiversity and the landscape.

A few hundred metres above the commune of Cruis, in the Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence region, Sylvie Bitterlin, a 62-year-old actress, stands in front of the security fence of a brand-new solar farm.

“Look, they've destroyed everything,” she says.

On the 17-hectare site, the garrigue or scrubland of Provence has been replaced by several thousand solar panels.

The project has been under construction for several months and is nearly finished. According to the operator, Boralex, a Canadian renewable energy company, the site will generate 14.9 megawatt-peak hours of electricity, enough to power a community of 12,000 residents.

Boralex’s managing director, Jean-Christophe Paupe, claims the park makes “an indispensable contribution ... at a time when France is lagging behind in the development of renewable energies”.

But as the project nears completion, Bitterlin makes no secret of her frustration and anger.

Since 2019, she and about twenty other members of the local citizens group Elzéard, Lure en résistance have been fighting tooth and nail to prevent the plant from going ahead.

“Initially, the park was designed to cover several dozen hectares, but its size was reduced to take account of this issue,” explains Paupe.

CBC
Alberta's last coal plant has powered down and is not expected to burn another lump
It appears Alberta's coal era has come to an end.Capital Power's Genesee 2 facility — the last dedicated coal plant in the province — went offline at 10:57 p.m. Sunday.And, according to the latest forecast from the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), it's not expected to come back online.Capital Power did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday, but it has previously said it plans to convert the facility from coal to natural gas in 2024, like it has already done with its oth
The Weather Network
Canada is divided by steep temperature contrast this week
It's a tale of two different climates across Canada this week. Those in Western Canada will need to break out their jackets while Eastern Canada will be sweating through a dangerous heat dome
CBC
Annapolis Valley canal reopened for recreation after community pushes back
For decades, swimmers and walkers have enjoyed the White Rock canal in the Annapolis Valley with little concern for the hydroelectric dam downstream. However, Nova Scotia Power briefly cut off public access earlier this month to begin installing a fence at the site. Julie Harrington, who lives in Gaspereau, N.S., walks her dog along the trail year-round and swims in the canal on hot summer days. She said the community was upset by the closure of the recreation area on Nova Scotia Power property.
Time
New Poll Explains Why Trump Keeps Bashing Electric Vehicles
A new poll finds 44% of US voters hold a negative view of electric vehicles. That helps explain why Trump keeps bashing them, Philip Elliott writes
USA TODAY
First alert of 2024 hurricane season: Tropical storm watch on Texas coast
Two separate tropical systems are forecast to strengthen this week in what's expected to be a doozy of an Atlantic hurricane season.
The Weather Network
Slight tornadic threat with severe thunderstorms over northwestern Ontario
Intense heat is setting the stage for severe storms in northwestern Ontario this week, so folks could see heavy rainfall, strong winds and hail if these cells develop.
CNN
A water war is looming between Mexico and the US. Neither side will win
The US-Mexico water crisis is highlighting the immense difficulties of navigating how to share shrinking water resources in a hotter, drier world.
The Weather Network
Heat, humidity spark pop-up storms in southern Ontario, strong wind threat
The rising heat and humidity is contributing to rounds of thunderstorms across southern Ontario Tuesday. Stay alert as there won't be much organization to these storms
Canadian Press Videos
Thailand's tried for years to solve its pollution problem, but 'haze season' always comes back
When the haze season comes, villagers in northern Thailand start preparing the land for fire. They set areas of forest alight, part of controlled burns that will clear their fields for planting — and before long large plumes of smoke rise up, adding to some of the worst air in the world. It's a practice that is unavoidable due to the mountainous terrain, which prevents harvesting machines from operating. During the haze season, from February to April, Chiang Mai city regularly tops the list of the world’s worst cities for air pollution. At nearby Chiang Mai university, an app called FireD has been developed to try to control burning. People register their planned fires through the app. It uses weather and satellite data to predict if a fire on a particular day will cause more pollution or whether conditions will blow away the smoke and pollutants.
USA TODAY
Crazy weather week coming to the US: From searing heat to snow. Yes, snow.
This week will bring weather extremes: A baking heat wave in the Midwest and East to a taste of winter in the Rockies.
Fortune
Gen Z are desperate to be eco-friendly but LinkedIn says they’re so underskilled they actually pose a ‘risk’ to climate progress
At the current rate of progress businesses risk failing their net-zero targets because of inexperienced Gen Zers, LinkedIn's new report warns.
Reuters
Gaza conflict has caused major environmental damage, UN says
The conflict in Gaza has created unprecedented soil, water and air pollution in the region, destroying sanitation systems and leaving tons of debris from explosive devices, a United Nations report on the environmental impact of the war said on Tuesday. The war between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, has swiftly reversed limited progress in improving the region's water desalination and wastewater treatment facilities, restoring the Wadi Gaza coastal wetland, and investments in solar power installations, according to a preliminary assessment from the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP).
BBC
Too much of a good thing? Spain's green energy can exceed demand
Spain is looking at storing electricity or increasing demand to solve electricity oversupply.
The Weather Network
'Feel' miserable out? How our bodies react when humidex values soar
Humidity makes heat worse, and there’s solid science behind the humidex values that take into account weather’s toll on our bodies
POWER Magazine
Japanese Firms Collaborate on Green Hydrogen Project in Hokkaido’s Chitose Area
Mitsubishi Corp. (MC), Takasago Thermal Engineering Co. Ltd. (TTE), Hokkaido Electric Power Co. (HEPCO), and Air Water Hokkaido Inc. (AWH) announced the signing of a joint development agreement to supply […]
Insider Monkey
The City with the Best Air Quality in Europe
We recently compiled a list of the 25 Cities with the Best Air Quality in Europe and in this article, we will look at the city with the best air quality in Europe. Air Pollution in Europe Over the past two decades, air pollution has declined significantly, resulting in improved air quality in Europe. However, […]
BBC
UN food chief: Poorest areas have zero harvests left
World Food Programme director Martin Frick warns land degradation will cause crop failures worldwide.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Should salty water be dumped back into Possum Kingdom Lake? Residents raise concerns
A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in Graford.
Bloomberg
China’s Surge in Solar and Hydro Points to Early Carbon Peak
(Bloomberg) -- China has reduced power generation from fossil fuels as output from sunlight and water surges, feeding hopes that the world’s biggest polluter may have peaked emissions years before its own deadline.Most Read from BloombergWhat to Know About the Deadly Flesh-Eating Bacteria Spreading in JapanFlesh-Eating Bacteria That Can Kill in Two Days Spreads in JapanThese Are the World’s Most Expensive Cities for Expats in 2024Hedge Funds’ Secret Weapon to Fight the SEC Lives in TexasEx-Trump
CBC
This advocate has some ideas to put the Village mall's unused parking to better — and greener — use
Myles Russell, a civil engineering technologist and Streets Are for People director, sees big potential for unused spaces in mall parking lots, such as at the Village Shopping Centre. (Submitted by Myles Russell)A St. John's sustainability advocate says he looks at the unused parking spots in the Village Shopping Centre's parking lot and wants to turn the grey into green.Myles Russell, a civil engineering technologist and a director with sustainable urban planning organization Streets are for Pe

Latest Stories