University of Iowa News Release

Oct. 2, 2006

Air Pollution In France Focus Of Oct. 9 International Mondays Lecture

The International Mondays lecture series continues Oct. 9 with a talk by Lucie Laurian titled, "Environmental Injustice in France? Populations and Pollution in the 36,000 French Towns."  This lecture will be at noon in Meeting Room A of the Iowa City Public Library. It is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

Laurian is an assistant professor in the urban and regional planning department in the UI Graduate College. Her research focuses on inequities of exposure to pollution and environmental risks as well as public participation in decisions concerning the management of toxic sites. This summer, she received an International Programs grant to work at the French Institut National d_Etudes Démographiques (INED). Her goal was to assess how environmental risks are distributed among French social groups and was not previously examined in France.

In collaboration with demographers at the INED, Laurian linked data about the location of pollution sources to socio-demographic data in a Geographic Information System. For all 36,000 French towns, she identified and mapped the presence of nuclear reactors, incinerators, landfills, illegal dumps, sites known to be polluted, industrial sites presenting severe risks in case of accidents and waste composting facilities. She concluded that like the U.S. and Britain, the most disadvantaged populations are more likely to live in polluted environments. In her lecture, Laurian will discuss the possible causes of these findings as well as their implications for French environmental policies.

UI International Programs, the Stanley-UI Support Foundation and the Iowa City Public Library sponsor this International Mondays lecture.

For more information on this lecture, the International Mondays lecture series or special accommodations to attend this lecture, contact Buffy Quintero, International Programs outreach coordinator, at 319-335-0345 or mailto:buffy-quintero@uiowa.edu

International Programs enables UI students, faculty, staff and the public to learn from and about the world. Its offices, degree programs and events provide life-changing opportunities on campus and abroad, heighten intellectual and cultural diversity, and give all university constituents access to vital international knowledge. For more information, visit http://intl-programs.uiowa.edu/ or call 319-353-2700. International Programs is part of the Office of the Provost.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500.

CONTACTS: Media: Lois Gray, 319-335-2026, lois-gray@uiowa.edu; Program: Buffy Quintero, 319-335-0345, buffy-quintero@uiowa.edu; Writer: Erin Vaughn