Podcast: Eco-anger, France in space, world's first photograph

A climate expert experiences eco-anxiety firsthand after living through France's hottest summer on record. France tries to find its place in the new space race. And the story of the earliest known photograph still visible today.

Eco-anxiety is on the rise in France after a summer of unprecedented heatwaves led to wildfires, scorched crops and the deaths of at least 7,000 people as well as livestock and birds. Juliette Decq, a climate adaptation consultant, says fear is a normal response to the reality people are now facing. A mother of two young children, she experienced that reality firsthand when her own home became unsafe. She talks about her anger over France’s lack of preparedness, not least in schools, but also about the solidarity she witnessed in her local community as they helped people protect themselves. Eco-anger, she says, can be a force for change. (Listen @0')

Historically a leader in Europe’s space programme, France is reassessing its role in space. Although French astronaut Sophie Adenot is currently on the International Space Station, France’s space ambitions haven’t focused on human space flight. But as the US and China ramp up their Moon missions and space becomes increasingly industrialised, France is looking to find its place. Space policy analyst Xavier Pasco explains how Europe is positioning itself as a regulator in a rapidly changing sector that has, until now, remained largely unchecked. (Listen @20'10'')

French inventor Nicéphore Niépce took the earliest surviving photograph in July 1827: a scene from a window that might have taken days to make. He fell into obscurity, and the photo itself was lost. Now it's returning to France, as part of a celebration of 200 years of photography in his honour. (Listen @14'15'')

Episode mixed by Cecile Pompeani.

Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app.