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Monday, 01 February 2021 13:09
ERGOSE Saves Hundreds Of Centuries-Old Olive Trees
More than 500 olive trees, some of which are hundreds of years old, have been saved so far by the under-the-radar efforts of ERGOSE.
ERGOSE, a subsidiary of the Greek Railway Operator constructs and maintains the railway network of the country.
During railway works, a large number of trees that would have otherwise been destroyed have been unrooted, carefully transferred, and re-planted in other areas of the country.
Recently, the company managed to save a 4-centuries old olive tree from a construction site in Patras, Peloponesse. The tree was carefully transferred and planted somewhere else in Greece.
The devastating wildfires in Eastern Attica in July 2018 not only claimed numerous human lives but were an environmental disaster that ruined the landscape in Marathon. A year later, more than 60 olive trees were planted in the cities of Marathon and Rafina, the places most affected by the 2018 wildfires.
ERGOSE, a subsidiary of the Greek Railway Operator constructs and maintains the railway network of the country.
During railway works, a large number of trees that would have otherwise been destroyed have been unrooted, carefully transferred, and re-planted in other areas of the country.
Recently, the company managed to save a 4-centuries old olive tree from a construction site in Patras, Peloponesse. The tree was carefully transferred and planted somewhere else in Greece.
The devastating wildfires in Eastern Attica in July 2018 not only claimed numerous human lives but were an environmental disaster that ruined the landscape in Marathon. A year later, more than 60 olive trees were planted in the cities of Marathon and Rafina, the places most affected by the 2018 wildfires.
To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com
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Monday, 29 March 2021 20:01
Exotic Green Parrots In Athens
A short walk through the National Garden, in the heart of Athens, is enough to convince anyone that a whole colony of exotic green parrots has found refuge in the capital.
The presence of the impressive, and slightly “noisy” parrots is very intense all around Athens’ parks, as they fly from tree to tree and make passers-by wonder how it is possible that exotic parrots – that we are used to seeing in documentaries for jungles and rainforests – live in the centre of Athens.
According to a research by the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS), more than 1,500 parrots live in Athens at the moment, and have conquered almost all the parks of the city and their surrounding areas. In fact, Athenians reported that they have witnessed the parrots in many places in Athens from Tritsi Park to Pedion of Areos, the park of Evelpidon and the Archaeological Museum in Patision Street, as well as the town of Glyfada and the residential neighbourhood of Goudi.
The HOS reported that the green parrots in Athens are a species that normally lives in the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range in Asia or in tropical forests south of the Sahara desert in Africa.
According to experts, just one pair of these parrots is enough to multiply into an entire colony of parrots on foreign soil, and increase their population very rapidly.
To read this article in full, please visit: greekcitytimes.com
Photo credit: agonaskritis.gr
To read this article in full, please visit: greekcitytimes.com
Photo credit: agonaskritis.gr
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Monday, 13 September 2021 07:00
How CO2 Causes Climate Change
A Greek-Australian researcher is one of the scientists penning a new article describing just how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affects the formation of glaciers and its crucial role in climate change.
The research was undertaken by Vera Korasidis, a palynologist, or scientist who studies pollen and pollen fossils, and her colleague Peter Buck, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, who co-authored the paper.
They believe that a drop in greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, caused a great global cooling event some 34 million years ago.
This unfortunately means that, conversely, a rise in such gases would inevitably mean an equal-sized global warming event, as has long been thought by climate scientists.
The ultimate manifestations of global warming are disputed by some, who see them as the normal fluctuations in climate as we have seen throughout the history of the planet.
But there is no disputing that the more carbon dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere, the warmer that atmosphere will become.
This is the first time that researchers have shown in a study that global cooling, as a result of less available carbon dioxide, created the massive glaciers that formed 34 million years ago.
Korasidis notes that “Before then, vast regions of the world, including Antarctica, were covered in lush rainforests. There were no permanent ice sheets” on Earth.
During these many years, known as the “Eocene Oligocene transition,” the average average temperature across the entire globe decreased by more than 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) in approximately 300,000 years.
Vittoria Lauretano, the lead author of the paper, works as an organic geochemist in the realm of the paleoclimate at the University of Bristol’s Organic Geochemistry Unit. She states “This geologically quick change shows how atmospheric carbon dioxide drives major shifts in climate.”
Evidence from marine sediments shows unequivocally that the globe indeed was a very temperate place prior to that era, with not even a glacier anywhere on Earth.
To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com
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Tuesday, 14 September 2021 07:00
Astypalea: The First Smart & Sustainable Mediterranean Island
Greece’s pioneering smart mobility project on the island of Astypalea has moved into high gear, with the first Volkswagen electric vehicles undergoing test drives, a special subsidy program being in place, and leading Greek banks rolling out special lending programs to support the project.
The Smart Astypalea Project, announced late last year, is a groundbreaking joint initiative of the Greek state and Volkswagen Group. Serving as a model of sustainable development for other islands, the project aims to replace the existing 1,500 conventionally fueled vehicles on Astypalea with e-vehicles, introduce innovative on-demand mobility services, and promote the use of renewable energy sources.
The first electric vehicles arrived on the island in early June, which also marked the official inauguration of the project, for use by the police, coastguard and at the local airport. More recently, island residents were invited to test drive Volkswagen’s e-up!, ID.3 and ID.4 models of electric vehicles during a three-day event, which drew enthusiastic participation.
The Hellenic Republic has developed “e astypalea” – a special subsidy program for locals, promoting the purchase of electric cars, bicycles, motorcycles, vans and private charging points. In addition to this, two of Greece’s leading banks – National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank – announced that they would make loans available for Astypalea residents transitioning to e-vehicles. The loans are part of a broader lending initiative by Greek banks to provide financing for Greece’s ambitious Green Deal program.
Originally published on EnterpriseGreece
Originally published on EnterpriseGreece
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Monday, 15 November 2021 07:00
Greece Moves Up 10 Spots In The Climate Change Performance Index
Greece has moved up 10 spots in the Climate Change Performance Index’s 2022 ranking released last week.
Greece went from the 24th to 34th place in the CCPI’s 2022 report. The authors note that Greece was able to rise the ranks of the index partially because of its plan to eliminate lignite, a form of coal that is less carbon-dense.
The improvement was also attributed to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ climate law presented at the COP26 summit, as well as the latest edition of the country’s National Plan for Energy and Climate, which aims to hit the European Union’s emissions goals for the end of the decade.
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) analyzes the impact 64 countries and the European Union (counted as a whole) have made on the world in their response to the issue of climate change, ranking them based on their positive engagement with the environment.
Greece lands in the “yellow” zone of this year’s Climate Change Performance Index
The team behind the index stated that none of the countries evaluated met their standard for the top three spots in the index this year which qualify a country’s positive effect on climate change as “very high.”
Leading the group at number four, however, is Denmark, with an overall index rating of 76.92. The country was joined at the top by fellow Northern European countries Sweden and Norway — which ranked fifth and sixth, respectively – -all meeting the standards of “high” performance in working atop ameliorate the climate crisis.
The team behind the index stated that none of the countries evaluated met their standard for the top three spots in the index this year which qualify a country’s positive effect on climate change as “very high.”
Leading the group at number four, however, is Denmark, with an overall index rating of 76.92. The country was joined at the top by fellow Northern European countries Sweden and Norway — which ranked fifth and sixth, respectively – -all meeting the standards of “high” performance in working atop ameliorate the climate crisis.
Of the countries so evaluated, Greece landed somewhere in the middle, coming in at number 24 on the index, a yellow coded ranking that denotes a “medium” amount of engagement with climate change.
To read this article in full, please visit: greerkreporter.com
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Friday, 26 November 2021 07:00
What Is The Green City Program & How To Participate
Developed by the Region of Attica in cooperation with EDSNA.GR, the Green City is a recycling program that offers citizens the opportunity to recycle and win, while supporting the country's transition to a circular economy. More specifically, recycling in all municipalities of the Attica Region earns you points that you can use at companies that participate in the program and bear the Green City logo.
The process is very simple and can be completed in the following 5 steps:
Step 1: You arrive at the Mobile Green Point having in your possession the materials you wish to recycle, either separated by item in different bags, or the materials will be segregated on-site with the staff's assistance.
Step 2: You Register/Identify and receive your personal recycling card. (You can complete the registration/identification process here.)
Step 3: You hand over both the recycling card and the recyclable materials to the staff.
Step 4: The staff scans the card and weighs the materials. The appropriate points are transferred to your account, depending on the type and weight of the materials you recycled.
Step 5: The process is completed with the staff discarding the materials in the appropriate containers and you can see the renewal of your points.
The following items can be recycled:
If you wish to participate in the program, you can download The Greencity application, available on Google Play and App Store, in order to:
- become a member
- be informed about when there will be a Mobile Green Point in your Municipality
- see the points you have collected
- learn about offers and discounts you can redeem
For more information please visit: thegreencity.gr
The process is very simple and can be completed in the following 5 steps:
Step 1: You arrive at the Mobile Green Point having in your possession the materials you wish to recycle, either separated by item in different bags, or the materials will be segregated on-site with the staff's assistance.
Step 2: You Register/Identify and receive your personal recycling card. (You can complete the registration/identification process here.)
Step 3: You hand over both the recycling card and the recyclable materials to the staff.
Step 4: The staff scans the card and weighs the materials. The appropriate points are transferred to your account, depending on the type and weight of the materials you recycled.
Step 5: The process is completed with the staff discarding the materials in the appropriate containers and you can see the renewal of your points.
The following items can be recycled:
- PET class plastics
- Glass
- Mixed Plastics
- Batteries
- Aluminum
- Edible Oils & Fats
- Ferrous Metals
- Electronic & Electrical Equipment
- Paper / Cardboard
- Clothes
If you wish to participate in the program, you can download The Greencity application, available on Google Play and App Store, in order to:
- become a member
- be informed about when there will be a Mobile Green Point in your Municipality
- see the points you have collected
- learn about offers and discounts you can redeem
For more information please visit: thegreencity.gr
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Local Environment
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Monday, 29 November 2021 07:00
Kos On Its Way To Become A Greek Biking Destination
The comparative advantages of Kos as an emerging biking destination were presented by Deputy Transport Minister Michalis Papadopoulos during an event held recently on the island by local authorities.
According to Papadopoulos, cycling has become an everyday habit for the residents of Kos, an island that for decades has been receiving groups of cyclists who enjoy its numerous cycling routes. He also referred to the climate crisis and the need to use mild transport modes in order to reduce carbon emissions.
“Green tourism has become a trend in many areas of Europe such as Scandinavia. Travelers now choose environmentally friendly modes of transport… Kos can offer all that with the bicycle as a vehicle,” Papadopoulos added.
Greece’s EuroVelo Cycling Routes
During the event, Papapopoulos also referred to Greece’s efforts to establish a National EuroVelo Coordination Center that would promote cycling tourism in the country.
EuroVelo is a cycling network connecting European countries. It includes 17 certified cycling routes that cover 51,000km across 42 countries.
“There are three cycling routes passing by Greece and our ambition is to include Kos in the EuroVelo network as the island fulfills all the requirements: it offers flat terrain, many roads with low-speed limit and traffic, and – above all – special interest routes,” Papadopoulos said.
He also pledged that the Transport Ministry would offer the support and know-how8 in order for Kos to become a prime biking destination.
Kos’ Study For Biking Tourism
Organized by the municipality of Kos, the event also included the presentation of a study for the development of biking tourism on the island. Its main proposals include:
– the promotion of existing cycling infrastructure
– the extension and signage of its cycling routes
– the creation of dirt roads for the promotion of Kos’ mountainous areas
– the development of suburban routes to be included in the EuroVelo network
– the development of an action plan for the promotion of Kos’ biking tourism product in Greece and abroad.
Main image: @cocomat.bike_kos
Originally published on: news.gtp.gr
According to Papadopoulos, cycling has become an everyday habit for the residents of Kos, an island that for decades has been receiving groups of cyclists who enjoy its numerous cycling routes. He also referred to the climate crisis and the need to use mild transport modes in order to reduce carbon emissions.
“Green tourism has become a trend in many areas of Europe such as Scandinavia. Travelers now choose environmentally friendly modes of transport… Kos can offer all that with the bicycle as a vehicle,” Papadopoulos added.
Greece’s EuroVelo Cycling Routes
During the event, Papapopoulos also referred to Greece’s efforts to establish a National EuroVelo Coordination Center that would promote cycling tourism in the country.
EuroVelo is a cycling network connecting European countries. It includes 17 certified cycling routes that cover 51,000km across 42 countries.
“There are three cycling routes passing by Greece and our ambition is to include Kos in the EuroVelo network as the island fulfills all the requirements: it offers flat terrain, many roads with low-speed limit and traffic, and – above all – special interest routes,” Papadopoulos said.
He also pledged that the Transport Ministry would offer the support and know-how8 in order for Kos to become a prime biking destination.
Kos’ Study For Biking Tourism
Organized by the municipality of Kos, the event also included the presentation of a study for the development of biking tourism on the island. Its main proposals include:
– the promotion of existing cycling infrastructure
– the extension and signage of its cycling routes
– the creation of dirt roads for the promotion of Kos’ mountainous areas
– the development of suburban routes to be included in the EuroVelo network
– the development of an action plan for the promotion of Kos’ biking tourism product in Greece and abroad.
Main image: @cocomat.bike_kos
Originally published on: news.gtp.gr
Published in
Local Environment
Tagged under
Thursday, 20 January 2022 07:00
Greece To Ban Development In Mountain Areas To Protect Habitats
Greece will forbid new road building and development in six of its mountain areas, taking the first step to protect its last remaining virgin habitats, Environment Minister Kostas Skrekas said on Tuesday, January 18th.
Making the transition to green energy a key priority, the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised to shut down nearly all its lignite-fired plants by 2025 and protect areas with native plants and animals.
Following devastating wildfires fuelled by a protracted heatwave last summer, the government has also promised to build better climate change defenses to protect its forests, which have a key role in reducing greenhouse emissions and attracting visitors.
“We have witnessed extreme weather phenomena and disasters in recent years which pose a great risk for nature and mankind,” Skrekas told an online news conference.
For that reason, Greece will not allow any new roads or any other kind of human construction in six mountains on the islands of Crete and Samothrace, on the Peloponnese peninsula, and in central Greece – which have a huge environmental value and are an integral part of our tourism, he said.
Mitsotakis has pledged to transform Greece’s economy through better use of its natural resources but has been forced to strike a balance between expanding wind parks in mountain areas with the need to protect forest habitats.
Environmental groups and locals have long opposed plans by private companies to build roads and allow the installation of wind turbines in mountain forests, arguing they would scar some of the country’s last remaining virgin areas.
Any permits of different stages for wind turbines that have been issued for wind projects in those mountains will be canceled, Skrekas said.
Originally published on: greece-is.com
Making the transition to green energy a key priority, the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised to shut down nearly all its lignite-fired plants by 2025 and protect areas with native plants and animals.
Following devastating wildfires fuelled by a protracted heatwave last summer, the government has also promised to build better climate change defenses to protect its forests, which have a key role in reducing greenhouse emissions and attracting visitors.
“We have witnessed extreme weather phenomena and disasters in recent years which pose a great risk for nature and mankind,” Skrekas told an online news conference.
For that reason, Greece will not allow any new roads or any other kind of human construction in six mountains on the islands of Crete and Samothrace, on the Peloponnese peninsula, and in central Greece – which have a huge environmental value and are an integral part of our tourism, he said.
Mitsotakis has pledged to transform Greece’s economy through better use of its natural resources but has been forced to strike a balance between expanding wind parks in mountain areas with the need to protect forest habitats.
Environmental groups and locals have long opposed plans by private companies to build roads and allow the installation of wind turbines in mountain forests, arguing they would scar some of the country’s last remaining virgin areas.
Any permits of different stages for wind turbines that have been issued for wind projects in those mountains will be canceled, Skrekas said.
Originally published on: greece-is.com
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Tuesday, 25 January 2022 07:00
Greece Announces ‘Green Taxi’ Electric Vehicle Incentive
Greece is taking one more step toward reducing its environmental footprint announcing that it would be subsidizing the purchase of electric taxis as part of a four-pronged transport ministry strategy.
Transport Minister Costas Karamanlis presented the “Green Taxi” program during the 5th E-mobility Conference held in Athens this week. The decision is part of the government’s ongoing effort to accelerate the country’s transition to green practices beginning with the replacement of older, polluting vehicles, including private cars, taxis, and public transport, with newer, electric vehicles.
The “Green Taxi” program is funded by the EU’s RFF recovery tool and subsidizes the replacement of older taxis with fully electric vehicles. Karamanlis said funding could reach as much as 20,000 euros. At the same time, he said the government was moving forward with plans to install charging infrastructure at taxi stops.
Currently, there are 1,200 public charging stations available after the ministry entered a deal with the managing companies of the country’s highways, he said. The goal now is by 2025, to have developed a comprehensive network of 12,000 charging points to reach 25,000 across Greece by 2030.
Karamanlis said the government had already announced incentives for the purchase or lease of electric cars and motorcycles. Indicatively, he said, in 2021 a total of 6,967 electric cars were registered compared to 480 in 2019 with the market share going from 0.4 percent in 2019 to almost 7 percent last year.
“Today, according to official EU data, Greece is the EU country with the largest rate of change in the electric vehicle market,” he said.
Transport Minister Costas Karamanlis presented the “Green Taxi” program during the 5th E-mobility Conference held in Athens this week. The decision is part of the government’s ongoing effort to accelerate the country’s transition to green practices beginning with the replacement of older, polluting vehicles, including private cars, taxis, and public transport, with newer, electric vehicles.
The “Green Taxi” program is funded by the EU’s RFF recovery tool and subsidizes the replacement of older taxis with fully electric vehicles. Karamanlis said funding could reach as much as 20,000 euros. At the same time, he said the government was moving forward with plans to install charging infrastructure at taxi stops.
Currently, there are 1,200 public charging stations available after the ministry entered a deal with the managing companies of the country’s highways, he said. The goal now is by 2025, to have developed a comprehensive network of 12,000 charging points to reach 25,000 across Greece by 2030.
Karamanlis said the government had already announced incentives for the purchase or lease of electric cars and motorcycles. Indicatively, he said, in 2021 a total of 6,967 electric cars were registered compared to 480 in 2019 with the market share going from 0.4 percent in 2019 to almost 7 percent last year.
“Today, according to official EU data, Greece is the EU country with the largest rate of change in the electric vehicle market,” he said.
The minister went on to add that an e-registry and app that include detailed information on the network of publicly accessible chargers is set to be fully operational in the coming months, aimed at ensuring the best possible utilization of the charging network and the maximum convenience of users.
To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr
To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr
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Tuesday, 08 March 2022 07:00
Rhodes Is The World’s Most Sustainable Tourist Destination
With low pollution levels and CO2 emissions, Rhodes has been crowned as the world's most sustainable tourist destination, according to a survey by DiscoverCars.com, with Santorini coming in fourth.
Researchers explored a number of ranking factors in order to discover which of this year’s trending holiday destinations are the most sustainable.
They used the following criteria: closest airport, climate impact (in terms of CO2 emissions by a round flight from London Heathrow to the destination), hotels with electric vehicle charging points, the number of vegan restaurants and nature spots, and pollution levels.
Rhodes scored 67 points out of 100, ahead of Spain’s Ibiza (64) and Majorca (63). Santorini also scored 63.
Originally published on: ekathimerini.com
Researchers explored a number of ranking factors in order to discover which of this year’s trending holiday destinations are the most sustainable.
They used the following criteria: closest airport, climate impact (in terms of CO2 emissions by a round flight from London Heathrow to the destination), hotels with electric vehicle charging points, the number of vegan restaurants and nature spots, and pollution levels.
Rhodes scored 67 points out of 100, ahead of Spain’s Ibiza (64) and Majorca (63). Santorini also scored 63.
Originally published on: ekathimerini.com
Main image: @lindos.rhodes.greece
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