Over the past few decades, public health and its education in France have developed in parallel with the emergence of environmental health, with the two fields often relying on different concepts and methods. The authors attempt to analyze the differences between these two approaches. They share at least one common tool—epidemiology—but diverge on the very definition of the environment. Unifying the two fields around a common foundation is possible, but public health must evolve and open up to disciplines other than epidemiology to achieve this. The rise of environmental health, driven by societal concerns and recent advances in knowledge, can and must help revitalize the values of public health and advance its education in France. (R.A.)