"We are moving too quickly," stated Jean-Pierre Door, a conservative lawmaker who represents frustrated constituents. The town of Montargis was at the center of the Yellow Vest protests three years ago, sparked by a rise in gasoline taxes. This movement, fueled by a broader sense of alienation among those in rural areas, highlighted the class disparity between working-class individuals threatened by the shift to clean energy and the urban elites who can easily adapt. As global climate talks take place in Glasgow, the economic and political divisions that led to the protests in France still linger. While some in rural areas recognize the importance of transitioning to clean energy, the immediate concern remains financial struggles rather than environmental ones. Household gas prices have increased by 12.6% in the last month due in part to shortages related to the coronavirus. People who were previously encouraged to buy fuel-efficient diesel cars now find electric cars to be unaffordably expensive. Additionally, retired couples living near a wind turbine fear that it will decrease property values. Some residents, like Magali Cannault, question why Parisians don't install wind turbines in parks instead. President Emmanuel Macron, who is up for reelection in April, is facing challenges in transitioning to clean energy. He has depicted himself as an environmentally conscious fighter, though practical, and understands that going back to the protests of the Yellow Vests would harm his chances in the election. Every morning, Cannault looks out at a tall mast near her farm, which was recently constructed to measure wind levels for potential turbines, without any input from local residents. The only sounds on a foggy morning were the geese honking and roosters crowing as she expressed her concerns. The mayor of the neighboring village of Griselles, Claude Madec-Cleï, agreed, stating "We are not consulted." President Macron is actively seeking support from the Green party as the election approaches. He is trying to gain support from a wide range of groups to prevent a revival of the Yellow Vests movement. The government has implemented measures such as freezing household gas prices and providing financial assistance to those most in need, including an "energy check" and an "inflation indemnity." These measures are in response to the impact of rising gasoline prices. Sophie Tissier, the organizer of a Yellow Vest protest in Paris in 2019, expressed difficulty in restarting the movement due to a heavy police response, despite a significant social crisis and widespread anger. She highlighted the extreme inequalities in France as a barrier to making an ecological transition. The president is promoting a realistic approach to energy proposals, which include a mix of small-reactor nuclear power and renewable sources like wind power. The Green movement advocates for phasing out nuclear power, while Marine Le Pen calls for dismantling wind turbines. Meanwhile, many French citizens, torn between environmental concerns and immediate needs, are struggling to adapt. For example, Christine Gobet commutes 90 miles a day in her small diesel car to work at an Amazon warehouse, where she earns about $1,600 a month. While sitting in her car outside a garage after spending $3,000 to replace her diesel engine, she scoffed at the idea of switching to an electric car. She believed that electric cars were not a feasible option for people like her. She expressed frustration at the rising costs of everything, including the possibility of more expensive baguettes. She mentioned how people were previously encouraged to switch to diesel for being less polluting, but now the narrative has changed. She participated in Yellow Vest protests in Montargis at the beginning of the movement. She was not only driven by financial difficulties but also by a feeling of being ignored, with decisions being made by elites while ordinary people face the consequences. She left the movement when it turned violent. At a roundabout in Montargis called the "peanut roundabout," there were protests that disrupted traffic and caused shortages in stores for two months. She believes little has changed since then. In Paris, she believes they have everything, while the mayor Anne Hidalgo, a socialist candidate for the presidency, wants to ban cars in the city and disregards people from rural areas who come to work there. For working-class individuals like Gobet, calls to stop using fossil fuels and close nuclear power stations in places like Glasgow seem disconnected from their daily lives. At the age of 58, she represents a divide between generations. The younger generation, led by Greta Thunberg, believes that there is no greater priority than saving the planet. On the other side are older individuals who are concerned about the impact of environmental measures on their quality of life and financial investments. In the Montargis area, many retirees and immigrants reside, seeking proximity to Paris without the high costs. Taxi driver Gilles Fauvin, who drives a diesel Peugeot, shares a garage with Gobet and primarily transports clients with medical needs to hospitals in Orléans and Paris. The potential ban on diesel cars in the capital by 2024, along with the push to switch to costly electric vehicles, could have a negative impact on him. Despite acknowledging the pollutants produced by diesel cars, he believes they work well for him. The main concern for Yoann Fauvin, who owns the garage and is the taxi driver's cousin, is whether electric cars are truly a more sustainable option. He raises issues such as mining metals for batteries in countries like China or Chile, the carbon costs of transportation, and the recycling of batteries. A vintage green 1977 Citroen 2CV and a diesel Citroen DS4 were being worked on in front of him. He mentioned that the business relies heavily on diesel, as many wealthy people in the area opt for electric cars without understanding the local energy situation. Magalie Pasquet, a homemaker leading a local anti-wind power group called Aire 45, explained that her opposition to new turbines in the area is not about disregarding environmental issues, as she is an avid recycler. She is cautious when it comes to traveling and environmentally conscious. She composts and chooses to wear two sweaters instead of turning up the heat. She finds the environmental idealism of young people inspiring, but she believes that the world has prioritized things in the wrong order. "Why are we destroying a beautiful landscape that attracts people to this area when the real issue is excessive consumption?" she inquired. "Local residents are not being consulted, and even mayors are powerless to prevent the installation of these unsightly turbines." A colleague, Philippe Jacob, a management and marketing professor involved in the anti-turbine movement, stated that the Yellow Vest movement arose from increasing gas prices, declining purchasing power, deteriorating public services, and widespread dissatisfaction with top-down decision-making. "The same issues persist today, and the situation is becoming increasingly perilous," he remarked. "Residents have invested their life savings here, yet their concerns about the negative impact of planned turbines and biogas plants on the region are being ignored."