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velastours.com
an incoming tour operator based in Greece with 34 years experience in both, tours and holidays
velastours.com
Environmental protection for Greece By Evaggelos VallianatosEnvironmental protection for Greece By Evaggelos Vallianatos Greece is beautiful, probably the chief reason, next to antiquities, why more than 13 million tourists visit the country every year. Thus, environmental protection ought to be as vital as protecting Greek freedom. The new Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, may have the right ideas about nature because the new ministry he created, Environment, Energy and Climate Change, incorporates nature more closely to its mission than the ministry he abolished, Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works. With the Environment Ministry in place, legislation and education are necessary to transform Greek society in its dealings with the natural world. This sounds formidable, but done right, ought to be relatively easy because Greece, in her millennial ancient life, worshipped the natural world. The gods were part of nature. Zeus was a weather god. His sister, Demeter, was the goddess of wheat and agriculture. Demeter¢s daughter, Persephone, was the divinity of spring. Artemis, daughter of Zeus, was the goddess of nature and the protector of wildlife. Dionysos, son of Zeus, was the god of grapevine and wine, theater, freedom and rural culture. Poseidon, brother of Zeus, was the master of the seas. Pan protected the herds of cattle, sheep, goats and swine. In addition, the Greeks had sacred woods and groves and divine Nymphs occupied glades, riverbanks, and mountain caves. One such a cave on Mount Pilion in Thessaly was the home of Cheiron, a centaur wise in medicine, music, hunting and prophesy. He tutored the children of the powerful. Asklepios, god of healing, Iason, hero of the Argonauts, and Achilleus, the great hero of the Trojan War, all studied under Cheiron. This tradition of being very close to nature and ancient Greek culture is still alive with many Greeks. It¢s on this fertile ground of remembering ancient Greek culture and nature that Papandreou ought to sow the country¢s environmental protection. Start with agriculture, which in ancient Greece was not merely food but the source of all arts and sciences, including democracy. Today agriculture in Greece, like agriculture in the US, is industrialized, which means it relies on petrochemicals and machines to “produce” a few crops, meat animals, and fruits and vegetables. Greek food tastes better than American food. Yet cancer-causing chemicals lace both Greek food and American food. Returning to a chemicals-free agriculture would be a tremendous boost to public health and the revitalization of hundreds of villages. To do that, Papandreou needs to ban all pesticides while supporting the farmers¢ biological means of pest control. Stop subsidizing cash crops like cotton and tobacco. Give the subsidies to small family farmers willing and capable of practicing biological farming known as organic farming in the US. The revival of traditional farming would not be complete without the rebirth of farm festivals, ancient and modern. Such an agrarian renaissance would also increase tourist visitors to Greece who would value good food and authentic Greek rural life and culture. The second priority of environmental protection in Greece ought to be the forests decimated by the fires of developers and enemies of Greece. Start with mapping the country¢s forests to permanently fix the borders of those forests, including the forests burnt in 2007 and 2009. Under no circumstances should illegal developments in the forests be made legal. Indeed, the government ought to arm and equip a corps of forest guardians to enforce the protection of forests against fires and developers. To its credit, the Papandreou administration is already proposing the creation of a demolition agency, which will be locating and destroying illegal buildings in the national forests. Third, wastes: Growing up in Greece I did not know the meaning of waste. There was neither plastic nor any other kind of hazardous waste near me in my youth. Now plastic bags are like a plague, in existence everywhere. In farmers¢ markets, one sees “consumers” using a plastic bag for an orange and another for a fig. Papandreou should ban plastic bags in Greece, insisting that Greeks replace them with their own cloth bags. Vigorous and intelligent recycling can wipe out trash. Fourth, global warming: Greece is blessed by a mild climate and plenty of sunshine. In ancient Greece, Helios, the sun, was a god of widespread influence that by the fourth century of our era was competing with Zeus for primacy. It¢s almost natural that Greece ought to be receiving all of its energy from the sun. The Papandreou administration should take advantage of the country¢s solar connection, converting to solar power. This could be the moment of high tech for Greece. In addition, a solar Greece would resolve its dependence on foreign petroleum while its impact on global warming would be minimal. Protecting water, especially in the island-straddled Greek seas, ought to be another high priority of the Papandreou administration. This means permanent vigilance in guarding the water treasures of the country – rivers, lakes, groundwater and seas. Slowing down and eliminating the pollution of the country¢s water would benefit human health, wildlife, fishing, and recreation. Finally, the Papandreou administration ought to learn from the environmental protection experience of the European Union and the United States. The Ministry of the Environment ought to be a forbidden zone for lobbyists, polluters, and politicians. The minister ought to be a skilled and well- educated person of the highest ethical standards. The Ministry ought to be well funded and staffed by the best scientific talent of the country. It must have laboratories, libraries, and law enforcement personnel and power. The Ministry of the Environment should also be linked with educators in developing ever-renewed ecological texts and instruction for the country¢s children and students. Environmental protection is, above all, human protection. Platon, Hellas¢ great philosopher of the fifth century BCE, was right. The earth is our mother. Environmental protection mirrors the Greeks¢ very old interest and respect for nature. Aristoteles, pupil of Platon and great philosopher and biologist, was convinced there was wisdom in nature, which did nothing in vain. The zoological works of Aristoteles opened nature to scientific investigation, showing the advantages of understanding the truth and beauty of the natural world. Environmental protection is, once more, a confirmation of that ancient Greek wisdom, eloquently documented by Aristoteles. Evaggelos Vallianatos is the author of several books, including “This Land is Their Land” and “The Passion of the Greeks.”
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