Carbon in French
carbone : carbon

The French word carbone must not be mixed up with the French noun le charbon (m) (=coal).
It is used in many expressions and even neologisms (newly-invented terms) like "carbon print" which has been literally translated in French as empreinte carbone.
As it is a very specific term, it cannot be used in many contexts and we find it, most of the time, in subjects dealing with Science and more particularly Environmental concerns.

Examples using the French word carbone:

Ces usines rejettent une telle quantité de carbone (CO2) dans l'atmosphère qu'elles aggravent dangereusement les problèmes liés à l'effet de serre.
These factories emit so much carbon (CO2) into the atmosphere that they dangerously worsen the problems linked to the greenhouse effect.

La datation au carbone 14 a permis aux chercheurs de situer la rédaction de ces textes aux alentours de l'an 50 avant J.C. (Jésus Christ).
Carbon-14 dating enabled searchers to find out that those texts were written around the year 50 B.C.

The French word carbone in context:

Fin janvier 2008. La Commission Européenne mettra en oeuvre ses plans "écolos" sur une vingtaine d'année.

Selon le Ministre français de l'écologie, la France respectera ses engagements.

C'est un des pays comptant le moins d'émissions de carbone, celles-ci étant bien inférieures aux chiffres fixés par l'Europe.

Les Français ont en effet misé sur une énergie propre ; le pays produit une électricité presque débarrassée de CO2. En outre, ils optent pour des voitures très peu polluantes.

Suivant les décisions prises lors du Grenelle de l'Environnement, le pays voudrait participer aux visées européennes.

La France démontre qu'elle est bonne élève en acceptant de diminuer encore son taux d'émissions polluantes.

Jean-Louis Borloo tient à ce que le pays maintiennent son premier rang jusqu'en 2020.

Inspired by:
http://www.ambafrance-ph.org/newsfromfrance.php?article_id=1144

English translation:

End of January 2008. The European Commission is going to put into practice its environmental plans over the next twenty years.

According to the French Minister for Ecology, France will honour its promise.

This is one of the countries that counts the lowest rate of carbon emissions, these ones being significantly less than the figures given by Europe.

The French have actually put all their money into clean energy; the country is producing electricity that is almost CO2 free. What's more, they choose cars that do not pollute a lot.

In accordance with the decisions takes during the Grenelle de l'environnement, the country would like to participate in European projects.

France is showing it is a good pupil by agreeing to reduce its emission contamination rate even more.

Jean-Louis Borloo wants the country to maintain its first place in the ranking until 2020.

Written and compiled by Charlotte Chateau.

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