The price of beauty: in City of Love, some say roses harm the planet

By Lucien Libert PARIS (Reuters) - It is the classic romantic combination: St Valentine's Day in Paris, the city of love, and a gift of red roses. But some Parisian florists are trying to wean customers off the flowers because of their ecological cost. Most roses sold in France in the run-up to St Valentine's Day, a peak sales period for the global flower industry, have to be imported by air freight from countries such as Kenya, resulting in carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Florists worried at the environmental damage from this trade say there are viable alternatives that ca...