Environmental News from Greece and Greek Cyprus (none of it good)
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April 2008. Greece suspended from UN Kyoto Protocol carbon-trading for failing to maintain an adequate national system for recording greenhouse gas emissions - see Reuters. To be fair to Greece, it would have been pretty difficult to accurately quantify the amount of greenhouse gas released by their 2007 wildfires...
The Cavo Sidero multiple golf-course/holiday resort project for 26 sq km (!) of the eastern tip of Crete (one of the driest parts of the island, and including the Vai palm trees and Itanos archaeology) continues its slow process. The Sidero peninsula is home to two plant species, Anthemis filicaulis and Asperula crassula, found nowhere else in the world. An appeal against the planning permission has been postponed to 9 May 2008. See The Guardian for comments by long-time Crete experts Oliver Rackham and Jennifer Moody. The project has been endorsed by Jonathan Porritt's Forum for the Future, who describe the Environmental Impact Assessment as "best practice". Professor Rackham and Dr Moody describe the EIA as "perfunctory" and lacking "essential detail". There is an online petition against the development. UPDATE 9 MAY 2008 - the appeal has now been postponed further, until 7 November 2008.
Plakias (S. Crete) is lined up for a development of 432 houses - at the southwest end of the beach, which will become a five-year building site with the first houses available in 2010. According to the advert, the nearest airport is just 5 km away...
Timbaki (SC. Crete) has (possible) plans for a giant container-ship transshipment terminal to be built nearby. See www.no-container-port-in-timbaki.net
The monks on Kyra Panagia island near Alonisos - part of a national park and only home (with neighbouring Yioura island) for the endemic plants Fritillaria sporadum and Linum gyaricum subsp. gyaricum - are bulldozing tracks over the island, planning to build five desalination plants, and have increased their goat flock from 300 to 4400 in order to claim EU subsidies. See www.ekathimerini.com.
The cash tills will be ringing again for the Orthodox church at Mt Athos' Megistis Lavras monastery; they are building 111 giant wind turbines on land they own on Skyros island - see www.athensnews.gr.
WILDFIRES - FOREST FIRES
April 2008
Fires in Crete at Orthouni, Meskla (Hania province) and Anoloukas (East Crete).
March 2008
New season, new fires. Skopelos is ravaged by fire in late March, after local farmer tries to burn weeds when weather is so windy that the ferries have been cancelled...
September 2007
Fires abating, though there are new fires in the Lakonian Mani at Kokkala and Nymfi. In the late August-early September fires 120 Greek villages were burned and 100 others damaged. 2.5 million stremmata (c. 4 stremmata = 1 acre) of forest were burned and 400,000 stremmata of agricultural land. Stremmata of forest lost in four Peloponnese provinces were: Arkadia 550,000; Ilia 850,000; Lakonia 75,000; Messinia 135,000. 67 people died.
August 2007
Just when you thought everything flammable must have been burned...
Sadly, arson is a popular leisure activity with some Greeks, and this, combined with the highest use of cigarettes in the EU and an inability to grasp the concept of risk, make fires pretty well inevitable.
Peloponnese fires
Argolida: Ermioni, Nafplio.
Arkadia: Agia Theodora, Akovo, Anavryto, Anemodouri, Arahamites, Astros, Chravi, Dara, Derveni, Dorizas, Goupata, Isari, Kato Assea, Kakoureika, Katsibala, Kerasoula, Kerastari, Kokora, Leontari, Logkanikos, Makrousi, Makrysi, Malota, Manthyrea, Marathousa, Megalopoli, Perivolia, Petrina, Rapsomati, Skortsinos, Soulou, Spaneika, Sykies, Tourkoleka, Vangou, Vlahokerasias, Vlahonikola, Vrysoules, Zevgolatio.
Ilia: Agrapidohori, Aliveri, Ambelonas, Anilio, Artemida, Ayia Anna, Chrysohori, Dafnoula, Elatia, Eleonas, Goumero, Greka, Kalidono, Kallithea, Kato Samiko, Kolyri, Krestena, Lala, Lambeti, Latta-Skliva, Longos, Makistos, Matesi, Mazaraki, Milies, Minthi, Neohori, Paleohori, Pefki, Pineias, Platiana, Rodina, Romesi, Salmoni, Skhini, Smerna, Tholo, Tripiti, Valmi, Varvasena, Vresto, Xirohori, Yiannitsohori. Many died after a driver fleeing the flames crashed into a fire engine and blocked the escape route for other people. The archaeological sites of Ancient Olympia and Apollo Epikourios were threatened.
Korinthia: Amoni, Halki, Kaletzi, Soulinari, Sofiko.
Lakonia - South: Neo Itylo, Limeni, Areopoli, Stefanio, Lagio, Skala.
Lakonia - Mt Parnon: Agriani, Polydroso.
Messinia-Taiyetos: Artamina, Eleohori, Karveli, Arahova, Lada, Pigi, Artemisia, Dinotama, Altamyra, Allagi, Alogiani, Poliani, Nedousa, Yiannitsanika.
Messinia-West: Filiatra, Tholou Kyparissias.
There were also fires in other parts of the mainland, and Evia.
July 2007
Aegean islands fires
Evia.
Hios (Pipilounda).
Lesvos (Mytilini).
Salamina (Batsi).
Samos (Mitilinii).
Skiathos.
Ydra.
Crete fires
Hania: Kolymbari.
Rethymnon: arson near Doxaro - three firemen killed. A witness testifying against the arsonists has acid poured over his car.
Ionian islands fires
Kefallinia: Agios Georgios, Mt Ainos, Eleios, Kapitsa, Kremydi, Markopoulos, Pastra, Xenopoulos.
Zakynthos: Artemisio, Laganas.
Mainland Greece fires
Athens: Mt Hymettos, Porto Rafti.
Epirus/Etolo-Akarnania: Agrinio, Amarantos, AsprokklisiFanari, Filiates, Goumeni, Igoumenitsa, Konitsa, Korytiani, Kotsika, Palia Sagiada, Plesio, Perdika, Saniada, Thesprotia, Tsamanta, Vavouri.
Macedonia/Thraki: Florina (Krystalopigi, Lake Prespa), Halkidiki, Kastoria (Akrites, Arenon, Mt. Grammos, Kalivia-Katsara, Kastrakio Kotyli, Kypseli, Nestorio, Pefkos), Kilkis (Goumenissa, Idomeni-Hamilou), Kozani (Mt Flabouro, Imera, Mt Pieria, Velventos), Serres (Dorkada, Kastanousa, Nigrita), Thessaloniki (Assyro).
Sterea Ellada/Thessalia: Farsala, Lamia, Nafpaktos, South Pilion (Platania), Thives (Erythres).
Peloponnese fires
Ahaia: Ano Akrata, Dervenakia, Diakofto, Ano Diakofto, Dimitropoulo, Egio (Aigio), Kallithea, Ano Kallithea, Kounina, leondio, Mamousia, Melissia, Pteri, Pyrgaki, Selinounda, Ano Souli, Symbolitia.
Argolida: Ancient Epidaurus, Kranidi.
Arkadia: Palamari, Psari, Zoni.
Korinthos: Acrocorinth, Ancient Corinth, Halkio, Hiliomodi, Kalendzi, Mapsos, Patima-Magoula.
Lakonia: Agios Nikonas, Kita, Polovitsa, Tenaro.
Messinia: Agios Apostolos, Avlona, Avramio, Koroni (Khrysokelaria), Maniaki, Metaxada, Militsa, Papaflessas, Skala, Vlasis.
Pireas: Trizina (Mt Aderes).
June 2007
Aegean islands fires
Inousses.
Poros.
Rhodes (Ialyssos).
Crete fires
Hania: Kakodiki, Kandanos.
Heraklio: Viannos.
Mainland Greece fires
Athens: Elefsina (Karaouli), Mt Parnitha National Park.
Macedonia/Thraki: Thessaloniki (Koroneia), Xanthi (Avdira)
Sterea Ellada/Thessalia: Larisa (Agia, Melivia), Pilion (Kalamaki, Milies).
Peloponnese fires
Ahaia: Mamousia.
Argolida: Lygourio, Nea Tyrinthos, Roeino.
Messinia: Koroni (Khrysokelaria).
MEANWHILE, IN THE GREEK PART OF CYPRUS...
58 red-footed falcons were shot for target practice in October 2007 and 40-45 rare fruit bats were shot in their cave in November 2007.
Lance Chilton and Marengo 2008
Marengo
17 Bernard
Crescent
HUNSTANTON
PE36 6ER
England
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