In a small, dimly lit apartment in Paris, Adrien sat shivering under an old woolen blanket, his hands tinged red from the cold. His narrow room was cluttered with canvases, each covered in streaks of oil paint in brilliant, unsellable scenes. Adrien loved painting, almost as much as he despised the damp chill that seemed to seep through the walls of his apartment. Hunger he could tolerate, but this biting cold was relentless.
Winter in Paris was not kind to those who lived in the city’s older buildings, where central heating, if it existed, was barely noticeable. He often found himself awake in the middle of the night, too cold to sleep but too tired to do anything about it. Painting took him to another world, but as soon as he put down his brush, reality returned. Could he really make it through the winter like this?
Tonight, he wrapped himself tightly in his jacket and stepped outside, wheeling his electric scooter along the cobbled streets toward the apartment of his girlfriend, Sophie. She lived on the other side of the Seine, in a warm, modern apartment with double-paned windows and radiant electric heating—a luxury that felt worlds apart from his own icy walls.
When Adrien arrived, he found her in her brightly lit room, busy with a live stream. Sophie was an internet sensation with her sustainability channel, where she explored nuclear energy, renewable resources, and ways to transition to a greener future. Her audience was loyal and enthusiastic, eager for a future free of fossil fuels and climate concerns. Unlike Adrien, she had no trouble paying her bills. Sustainability, it seemed, was more than just a passion; it was a career.
Seeing him, Sophie motioned for Adrien to join her. With a shrug, he sat down beside her in front of the camera, adjusting to the warm, comfortable surroundings of her electrified home.
“So, Adrien,” Sophie said, turning to him with a grin. “What’s your take on sustainability?”
He shifted awkwardly, glancing at the chat as comments popped up on the screen. After a pause, he spoke, his voice thoughtful but weary. “Right now? I think we should focus on ending wars. Until we have peace, no one can count on a steady supply of oil or natural gas. Without that, it’s hard to even stay warm.”
The chat went silent, and Sophie gave him a curious look. Adrien knew he sounded cynical, but it was all he could think of. The world was pushing for renewables, but for many, the promise of a clean energy future felt distant and abstract. Right now, he just wanted to survive the winter, to find warmth, maybe even some stability.
Sophie gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as she continued with her live stream.
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