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Do we need to sacrifice the Environment in favor of Development?

Maria Vitoraki, MSc DEREE Environmental Studies Program, CISD General

Secretary

In the recent years It has become clear that sustainable solutions can not be

achieved if we fail to integrate the three spheres of sustainability: Environment,

Society and Economy. Sustainable solutions are based on the design and

implementation of economic activities that benefit both society and environment!

For a long time, Environment has been ignored or at least considered as an obstacle

to development by the Greek political system and the Greek society.

We have not achieved to manage our natural resources (water, land, ecosystems) in

a way that protects them in the long term.

This false strategy has not only contributed to environmental degradation but has

also accelerated the outbreak of the current crisis. For instance, the false model of

solid waste management has created several hundred open dumps with direct

impacts on environmental quality, human health, and an indirect economic cost that

must be bared by the citizens.

Today many citizens- especially those that are involved in the environmental

movement - are convinced that the crisis may lead to irreversible environmental

damage, in other words the environment is likely to be sacrificed in order to stimulate

economic growth.

Many environmentalists, members of NGO's, local citizens movements claim that in

the recent three years there is a clear trend for loosening environmental regulations

in favor of investments that have been proven unsustainable. In these years several

policies that disregard the environment have been introduced, for example the fast

track legislation, the legalization of non-licensed buildings, the collapse of the Green

Fund. As they say, these policies have one overall goal: to collect more money for

the public fund.

Environmentalists oppose to mining activities in Greece, not only on the grounds of

environmental degradation but also because of their “minimal benefit for the local

communities and economies”. They also oppose to the exploitation of fossil fuel

deposits with the same arguments. Are they correct?

In a country like Greece where unemployment rates have exploded to 27% and still

increasing, do we have the luxury to reject the exploitation of mineral (non-

renewable) resources and other activities that may have a significant ecological

impact? On the other hand, can we ensure that such activities will not result in open

wounds to the environment (undermining our capacity to shift to greener activities)

and will also bring clear benefits for our economy and the society?

These are some questions of major importance and the correct answers are not so

obvious!

Shifting to a green economy is a difficult roadway, not straightforward as many

believe!

Compromises may be necessary, exactly for the benefit of our environment, because

poverty and unemployment may ultimately lead to more rapid and uncontrolled

environmental degradation (see the example of illegal logging and burning of

biomass this winter which caused an explosion of atmospheric pollution in urban

areas and damaged our forests).

Our society has to respond quickly to the new challenges and plan carefully for a

better future.

The answers to the above questions require a multidisciplinary approach and the

problems must be tackled at all levels. Citizens can play a more creative role, by

participating, questioning, demanding but also restructuring policies for

sustainability.

A number of citizens initiatives has grown in Greece in the last three years:

Cooperatives for sustainable agriculture, for the production of high quality and

environmentally sound food products, for the management of solid waste with reuse

and recycling based on source separation systems, for the use of forest biomass to

produce biofuels, for sustainable tourism services, for innovative products for the

energy efficiency in buildings and transportation and so on...

This level of wealth of innovation and creativity that is present in the Greek society

may become a powerful tool that could drive us out of the crisis and provide a basis

for a more sustainable future.