In France, each year some cities organize a coastal clean-up just before the summer season begins. Some schools participate by sending student volunteers and in this way the hope is that a person is educated from an early age to become a responsible adult who cares about the environment and the health of the planet.

Recycling started in the big cities in France and now French people do recycle glass and paper. In Quebec recycling has become common in the big cities and in Montreal, for example, a pick-up in the streets is scheduled for two days every week. A lot of people, especially young students in Quebec, are concerned about global warming issues. Some groups like Greenpeace are quite strong in French Canada.

It was not until the 1960s and 70s that the French government began to protect their plants, animals, and ecological environments on a large scale. This was when most of the nation's forests came under the protection of the National Forest Service. Shortly after that the government created the Ministry for the Environment and the Quality of Life, and this led to the creation of six large national parks, mostly in the mountainous regions, and many small nature preserves. The largest nature preserve in France is called the Etangs de Vaccarès, and it is located in the Camargue-the large marshy delta of the Rhône River. The rich soil supports a lush cover of grasses, bushes, and flowers, and there are also small populations of what used to be whole herds of wild horses and black bulls. The government now pays French "cowboys" to care for and breed these animals on a small scale.

Jacques Cousteau, the great French underwater explorer, pioneered marine conservation and largely thanks to him, there are now underwater national parks around the French Mediterranean and Corsica.

The French news media, like news media all over the world, has brought attention to such serious conditions as the gap in the ozone layer, acid rain, and the destruction of the Amazon rain forest.