Nicolas Hulot is comfortable anywhere: landing a single-engine aircraft on the North Pole’s icy crust, hosting his popular television program Ushuaia Nature from the depths of the Pacific ocean, or more recently, rousing Green party supporters from the podium.

But more importantly, everyone is comfortable with Nicolas Hulot: from the granola-munching Parisian who keeps a food compost in a dresser drawer, to the Rolex-flashing president of the country, who likes to chat up Nicolas on the subject of carbon trading –everybody loves Hulot.

In an opinion survey conducted by pollster Ifop and published last month, Hulot was crowned the most popular political figure in France, earning a 76% approval rating that more than doubles President Sarkozy’s score.

But now Hulot plans to pollute his near-pristine reputation by presenting his candidacy for next year’s presidential election. The announcement is scheduled for April 13.

Rivals will feel obliged to revive reports that the shampoo brand launched after the success of the Ushuaia show, and which carries the same name, is an environmental dirty bomb.

Hard-line environmentalists will remind voters of Hulot’s past apologetics for nuclear energy in the current context of Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

The press will ridicule environmental filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s recent comparison of Hulot to President Barack Obama.

Bloggers will dig up videos of Hulot spewing up his breakfast in a not-so-energy-friendly jet fighter .

And Nicolas Hurlot will lend weight to the argument that good TV ratings and great hair (I have to give credit where it’s due) can rarely be recycled into massive votes.