From Ancient to Environmentally

Conscious: Greek Islands and Renewable Energy Advancements Lea Cerini

Greecehasrecentlysetthegoaltobe carbonneutralbytheyear2050.The countryofGreecehas227islandsthat serve as popular summer vacation destinations.Astheeffectsof climate months. This impertinent situation led to an initiative of Greece’s government to “transform Greek islands into models of green economy, energy autonomy, digital innovation and ecological mobility”(Kokkinidis,2023). changehavegrownmoresevere,itis clear the islands are vulnerable. The island of Crete continues to experience dangerous floods from rising sea levels while the island Evia battles wildfires from rising temperatures.Inaddition,theislands are reliant on producing a large amount of energy to support the influxoftouristsduringthesummer

Remote islands like Mykonos and Santorini must generate their own energybecausetheyaretoofarfrom themainland.Theydosobyburning oil,withaverysmall proportionoftheirenergy generatedfrom renewablesources.The priceofoilhasbecome increasinglyexpensive, makingthesummer tourismmonthsquite costlyforthe municipalityand vacationers.The governmenthas proposedasolutiontoencouragethe switch of oil burning to renewable energy. The 4.3 billion dollar Euro project aims to connect Greece’s mainland with the islands of the Aegeanwithunderseacablesby2030 (Bourtis,2023).Thecableswillstore energyandwillprovidefortheisland in times of low wind or sun. To preserve the accessibility and availability of the Greek islands as vacationsandarchaeologicaltreasures, the transition to renewable energy becomes critical to their protection andlongevity.

AlternativesandConsiderations

The group Movement for the ProtectionoftheIslandsfightsagainst the implementation of large-scale wind farms because of their fear of overdevelopment occurring on the islands. They are concerned with the adverseeffectsofthewindmills,such astheimpacttheyposeon marine life and noise pollution. Instead,theybelievethatsmaller-scale projects of wind, solar and battery storage will achieve the island's goal of self-sufficient energy generation. Solar energy is considered the best renewableoptionforthisscenarioas wind power is controversial due to recent ocean wildlife deaths. The MovementfortheProtectionofthe Islands group also promotes community collaboration to find local solutions by involving the islands’ residents in the planning of these projects. Local community involvement encourages the generation of achievable solutions thatsupportthepermanentresidents oftheislands.

GreenTourism

Greentourismistheideathattravel destinations and lodgings will be determinedbyhowenvironmentally sustainable the location is. Certain hotels in popular destinations have already tapped into the concept of green tourism by creating zeroemissionhotelswiththeprioritization ofeco-friendlyfeaturesthatpromote sustainability. Tourists are likely to choose a hotel because of their environmentalconsciousness.

TheGreekIslandscangreatlybenefit from green tourism as tourism increases and small municipalities bearhighcostsforenergy.Halkiisthe firstGreekislandwithzero-emissions as established by the Greco Islands. The island has a solar park that provides energy for residents, allowing them to zero their energy bills and save money. In one year residents saved 200,000 euros and reduced carbon emissions by 2,246 kg. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos MitsotaxishasdeclaredHalkiandthe

Dodecanese Islands as “sites of dynamic investments in green and cyclical economies,” translating to “cheap electricity and new jobs for the residents'' (Kokkinidis, 2023). Energyresiliencehasthepotentialto create a sustainable relationship between the environment and tourism in small communities. The Greek economy will flourish from sustainingcarbon-neutraltourismin localcommunitiesthatprioritizethe environment and permanent residents.