61 Posts in Environment

The center, a decades-long request, is funded with 1.5 million Euros provided by Greek agencies and EU-related funding, and will focus on 4 types of marine animals: cetaceans, seals, sea turtles, and cartilaginous fish (sharks, skates, rays, and rabbit fish). It will set up a specialists group for each of the 4 categories of marine animals, mobile units for speedy response to stranded marine animals, an infrastructure for the emergency treatment and handling of stranded marine mammals, and a registry of all marine animals stranded or washed ashore at Greek beaches with samples searchable on a database. Signing the joint ministerial decision were the ministers of Shipping & Island Policy (Yiannis Plakiotakis), Alternate Finance (Thodoros Skylakakis), Deputy Environment & Energy (Giorgos Amyras) and Deputy Agricultural Development and Food (Simos Kedikoglou). "We all remember the story of the small Cuvier's beaked whale that became stranded in Attica in January 2022," Amyras said, "and we were all moved by its fight to survive, with our assistance. Today, 2 years later, Greece has the mechanism and scientific protocols to manage effectively and immediately such incidents, which are unfortunately not rare in Mediterranean seas." He particularly said that every year 1,000 sea turtles, 250 cetaceans (dolphins & whales), and 25 seals get stranded or die at Greek beaches. The data he provided was based on information provided by port authorities, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki's Veterinary School, the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (ELKEThe), and NGOs.

In a resolution adopted on Friday, the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) – of which ruling New Democracy is a member – said it rejected a proposed EU law requiring countries to restore damaged natural ecosystems and another to halve chemical pesticide use by 2030. “In too many regions or member states the implementation of existing nature legislation has led to a bureaucratic nightmare and planning deadlock, endangering food security, renewable energy production, crucial infrastructure etc,” said the resolution, seen by Reuters. It urged the European Commission to first help countries address issues caused by existing EU nature laws. The proposed pesticide targets are “simply not feasible” for farmers, it added. The EPP has the most lawmakers of any group in the European Parliament – 176 out of the assembly’s 705 members. A source from the EPP group said it stood ready to reject the two laws, if its views were not heard. That could block the policies, if lawmakers from some other groups in the parliament also reject them. The Commission, which proposed the policies, says restoring soil and habitats’ health is vital to protect farmers’ livelihoods, and cope with increasing climate change impacts like drought. A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the EPP resolution, but said it would work with lawmakers and EU countries to address the issues raised.   “The need to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides is scientifically clear. Not acting fast enough now, will have long-term and potentially irreversible effects on our food security in the future,” the spokesperson added. A third of bee and butterfly species in Europe have declining populations, with intensive farming among the drivers of pollinator loss. The EU has earmarked some cash from its farm subsidy programme to support greener farming measures. But other proposals to tackle the 10% of EU greenhouse gas emissions produced by agriculture have faced resistance – including emissions limits for livestock farms, which member states are trying to weaken. [AP]

This unusual object was created by students from the Filothei High School, in suburban Athens, specifically by a group which calls itself RAISE (Reusable – Advanced – Innovative – Safe – Economical) during the lockdown. And it’s not just a whimsical creation: More than 2,000 benches have been ordered by municipalities and hotels.     The pupils themselves were responsible for the marketing.

The Urbino 12 Hydrogen was provided to OSY by Solaris Hellas SA following an open invitation by the Infrastructure & Transport Ministry. OSY CEO Stefanos Agiasoglou said "we started the test drive of hydrogen-powered buses to assess their operation under Greek reality conditions, and to determine the way to prepare our facilities for the demands of hydrogen-powered vehicles." The bus has been operating in the center of Athens for around a month on the cyclical route of Ano Patissia to Zappio, tranporting hundreds of passengers daily for free."The future in transportation is in hydrogen, and it is possible that the future of road transport is based on the vehicle we tested," Agiasoglou added. OSY is participating in the first European pilot programs for the use of hydrogen in transport, and will soon acquire three such vehicles, funded by the European Union. Solaris general manager Theodoros Chatzipanagiotou noted that the company has been applying hydrogen-powered technology since 2015, and it has a zero carbon footprint. Bus features Urbino 12 Hydrogen is a typical 12-meter low-floor vehicle and can transport up to 37 seated passengers. It has three two-panel doors and an electric ramp in the middle one for mobility-impaired passengers, heating, and anatomical seating, LED lighting that can be regulated, and a leaning system to assist passengers boarding or leaving the bus. The bus uses hydrogen fuel cells, conveyed through two electric engines that are incorporated in the wheels on the back.

A total of 6 harriers, 2 rock kestrels, 1 tawny owl, 1 owl, 1 tsetse and 1 eagle (6 γερακίνες, 2 βραχοκιρκίνεζα, 1 κουκουβάγια τυτώ, 1 μπούφος, 1 τσίφτης & 1 γερακαετός) were released. During 18 years (2005-2022), ANIMA has treated more than 60,000 wild animals from all over Greece, with most coming from Attica. One of the wild birds was also released by the president of the ANIMA wildlife protection and care association, Maria Ganoti.

Natasa Pilides told reporters that renewable sources produced almost 15.2% of Cyprus’ electricity last year, nearly 4% more than in 2019. Contributing to that figure was an nearly 3% increase in electricity generated from solar panels from 2020, reaching 9.2% last year. Pilides said her ministry is consulting with the European Union about increasing the country’s 2030 target for RES-generated electricity from the current 23%. Construction of the EuroAsia Interconnector cable by the Norwegian subsidiary of French cable manufacturer Nexans is slated to begin before summer. The first phase and it’s first phase with a 1,000 megawatt capacity is expected to be completed in 2026. The cable to Greece and Israel, which will eventually have a 2,000 MW capacity, is touted as the world’s longest and deepest subsea electricity cable, at 1,208 kilometers (750 miles) and 3,000 meters (1.9 miles). It will cost roughly 1.6 billion euros ($1.56 billion), with the EU providing a little under half of the funding. Cyprus is the only EU country that isn’t linked to the power grid of another member of the 27-nation bloc. Government officials said the construction of the cable would end the country’s energy isolation and provide greater security.

Entering the Garden from the entrance of L. Amalia, the natural environment is enriched with the works of the exhibition Seeing The Invisible. Seeing the Invisible requires its free application (https://seeingtheinvisble.art/app/) on the visitor's mobile phone (with a minimum of 4GB memory) or iPad, tablet. After connecting to wifi, the proposed route appears on the app's map and the works hidden scattered throughout the Garden are revealed. The experiential and one-of-a-kind exhibition is presented in the National Garden of Athens and at the same time in ten botanical gardens around the world. For its Athenian edition, the Greek department of Outset (founded in 2012 by Elina Kountouri) collaborated with the municipality of Athens. The eponymous exhibition began as an initiative of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and in its first phase, in 2021, was presented simultaneously in twelve gardens around the world, in collaboration with the contemporary art organization Outset Contemporary Art Fund (founded in 2003 based in London) and the support of the Jerusalem Foundation. "The theme of the exhibition is a reference to climate change and the loss of biodiversity. It adopts models of sustainable practices from outside and places these digital experiences inside the gardens, highlighting the importance of the flora and fauna of the area and keeping the carbon footprint to a minimum" emphasizes Artemis Stamatiadis, director of Outset Greece. The National Garden of Athens hosts thirteen augmented reality works by renowned international artists as well as a commission from Outset Greece to a Greek artist, Loukia Alavanou, with the result that the National Garden is the only participating Garden with 14 works. Loukia Alavanou's project "Nea Zoi" was co-created with Roma children from Nea Zoi Aspropyrgos, who transformed with their paintings a dystopian original landscape into a green flower-strewn place, as they would ideally like their neighborhood. Unseen works scattered throughout the National Garden await visitors. Between them is a huge circle that forms zero, a symbol of peace, solidarity and coexistence, according to Persian scholar theory. The project was originally designed for the United Arab Emirates, home of participating artist Mohamed Kazem, who invites the viewer to traverse the circle that embodies universal values, as if starting from equal ground. As the day progresses, the light, shadows and reflections above the digital structure change, further enhancing the connection between work and natural environment. The same applies to the cave-temple of artist Timur Si-Qin - originally from China and based in Berlin. Through a portal the viewer passes through rooms with designed walls and constellations on the ceiling. The project proposes a new secular faith in the face of climate change, global pandemics and the collapse of biodiversity. The impressive colorful tapestry of soft drink caps, a combination of aesthetics and commentary on post-colonial history, racial discrimination, consumerism, is the work of sculptor El Anatsui, which he constructed together with the Ghanaian community. Refik Anadol's surrealist work from Turkey combines creation with artificial intelligence and other interesting works are revealed in the Seeing The Invisible exhibition, which runs until September 2023. More information at www.seeingtheinvisible.art

The EU executive’s Net-Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Materials Act, part of its Green Deal Industrial Plan, are designed to ensure the bloc is not just a frontrunner in cutting carbon emissions, but also ahead on the technology required to do so. There are signs it is lagging. Global investment in the green transition is set to triple by 2030 from $1 trillion last year, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament. “The race is on,” she said. The EU will set a target of producing at least 40% of the clean tech products it needs by 2030, partly by streamlining the granting of permits for green projects and by fostering investment. The Commission will propose simpler state aid schemes, allowing subsidies to promote green technology, with the possibility of offering tax breaks and using existing EU funds. The EU executive will also make proposals to enable the region to mine 10% of the critical raw materials it consumes and increase processing to 40% of its needs by 2030. The supply of minerals vital for the green transition is a challenge, with China processing almost 90% of rare earths and 60% of lithium, a key element for batteries. “These minerals power phones and electric vehicles, chips and batteries, solar panels and wind turbines. They cannot function without critical raw materials,” von der Leyen said. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinforced a lesson learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely that the EU cannot rely on a single supplier for essential materials, be it personal protective equipment, oil and gas, or materials required in the green transition, von der Leyen added. 

The meeting was attended by Greek Environment & Energy Ministry Minister Kostas Skrekas and his counterpart of Bulgaria Rossen Hristov, who agreed that the pipeline is of great geostrategic importance for both countries. Furthermore, it was also understood that this project will contribute to Bulgaria's independence from Russian oil, but also to the further transformation of the port city of Alexandroupolis in northern Greece into an energy hub. It was also dicsussed that a special-purpose company will be tasked with compiling a feasibility study for the specific project. "With a shared vision for the well-being of our citizens," said Skrekas in a statement after the meeting, "we are consolidating Greece and Bulgaria as poles of stability and security in the whole of Southeast Europe, constantly deepening our strategic cooperation in the energy sector." Establishing this working group was foreseen in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two energy ministers at Maximos Mansion on February 16, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev. The project was first conceived in 1993 to transport oil from the Caspian Sea to Bulgaria and via Burgas to Alexandroupolis, but had several starts and stops before being abandoned in 2011.

In a statement, the organizations asked "for at least a month's time to interested citizens, in order to process and comment on such an important bill." The bill was posted for public consultation on February 24th, and the deadline is February 28th, 2023. Signing the request are: Anima, Archelon, 'Callisto' Environmental Organization, Ecological Recycling Society, 'Elliniki Etairia' Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, Greenpeace, Hellenic Ornithological Society, Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, Medasset, Society for the Protection of Prespa, and WWF Hellas.

Greece, which views gas as a transition fuel as it ramps up renewables, has produced small quantities of oil in the past and has attempted to explore its hydrocarbon potential. A shift to green energy and lack of political will had stalled its exploration plans. But the war in Ukraine last year prompted Athens to speed up exploration in six onshore and offshore blocks, aiming to get a first idea of potential gas reserves later this year. article-prompt-devices Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA) said processing company PGS has concluded 2D seismic surveys off Crete on behalf of ExxonMobil (XOM.N) and Greece's biggest oil refiner HelleniQ Energy (HEPr.AT), which own 70% and 30% respectively of the exploration rights for gas in the two blocks off Crete. "A total of 12,278 km of seismic data were collected against the minimum contractual obligation of 6,500 km for the two blocks combined," it said, adding that the operators will now process and evaluate the data before they decide to enter the next exploration phase. Under HEREMA's gas exploration plan, the next stage will be the collection of more enhanced 3D seismic data which will determine whether the operators will conduct a test drilling. Past seismic data had indicated the existence of structures similar to recent gas discoveries off Egypt and Cyprus. "Our goal is to have the first exploration drilling within 2025. We need to discover if a new potential source of wealth exists," Hellenic Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas said.

6 beaked whales were found dead on Friday, while a pod of four were found beached on Thursday, the Cyprus department of fisheries and marine research said.  3 of the 4 from Thursday were guided back to sea, while the fourth died, it said in a statement. It was unclear if the dead pod found on Friday included those whales from Thursday that had been returned to the sea, it said. “These animals have an echolocation system which is affected by sea noise; it could be military exercises, seismic drills or naturally the earthquake in the region,” Yiannis Ioannou of the Cyprus Department of Fisheries and Marine Research told Sigma TV. Authorities identified the whale as ziphius cavirostris, or more commonly known as Cuvier’s beaked whale. It is not very common offshore Cyprus. The whales were found in what is a relatively small part of Cyprus’s northern coastline under the control of the island’s internationally recognized government. The longer part of the coastline is controlled by a breakaway Turkish Cypriot entity. Monday’s mega earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which have killed tens of thousands of people, were also felt on the east Mediterranean island. [Reuters[