It's no joke!-Keeping the Parisian Metro System Clean.

Concern for a more pleasant experience for metro users and for the environment in general, the French use unique public service announcements and campaigns to underscore the importance of keeping the metro system free of trash. This campaign, motivating metro users to throw out their trash, has some of my favorite elements: respect for the environment, asking everyone to join in the effort, and using humorous idiomatic expressions to get them motivated! Each poster reminds the traveler that with a simple gesture, it's very easy for everyone to keep the metro system clean. These expressions are also great for second language learners to learn and apply to new contexts. "Ce n'est pas sorcier." means "It's not rocket science." Another poster might leave someone to believe that "It doesn't eat bread" if translated literally, but actually "Ca ne mange pas de pain." translates more like- "It doesn't take much to do it." , "It's no big deal" or "It doesn't cost you anything." Finally, "It makes sense." or "It's obvious." with the expression "Ca tombe sous le sens."

Plastic bags for grocery shopping/shopping are also banned in France, so everyone has their own reusable bags, a canvas bag, or a shopping caddy that they use at the grocery store. In the event someone is unprepared at a store, bags are in paper. What a great way to decrease the number of plastic bags on our streets, waterways, and oceans! More American cities, states, and stores should take similar steps to improve our local and global environments. Keeping our environment clean is no laughing matter!