Πηγή: http://europeangreens.eu/news/greece-chases-fools-golden-rescue-their-crisis
© Ευρωπαίοι Πράσινοι – Ο Νίκος Χρυσόγελος (ευρωβουλευτής) υπήρξε ανυποχώρητος στην αντίθεσή του για τις ανάπτυξη των μεταλλείων χρυσού στη βόρεια Χαλκιδική στην Ελλάδα.Το μοντέλο της σπατάλης, της περιβαλλοντικής καταστροφής και της διαπλοκής οικονομικών συμφερόντων και πολιτικών οδήγησε τη χώρα στην χρεοκοπία. |
"Το εθνικό συμφέρον εξυπηρετείται καλύτερα με την προστασία της μοναδικής βιοποικιλότητας και η στροφή της οικονομίας μας σε βιώσιμες δραστηριότητες. Υπάρχει μια αληθινά βιώσιμη και γνησίως πράσινη εναλλακτική λύση στην πρωτογενή εξόρυξη πολύτιμων μετάλλων: η επαναχρησιμοποίηση κι ανακύκλωσή τους.
Η Βελγική εταιρεία Umicore αποτελεί χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα που επικεντρώνεται αποκλειστικά σε αυτές τις δραστηριότητες, απασχολεί 14.572 άτομα και το 2011 είχε τζίρο της τάξεως των 14.5 δις Ευρώ. Εξάγει μέταλλα, όπως ο χρυσός, από τα τοξικά ηλεκτρονικά απόβλητα, ή από το βουνό των πεταμένων τηλεοράσεων, υπολογιστών και κινητών τηλεφώνων, που παράγουν οι ευρωπαίοι καταναλωτές κάθε χρόνο ενώ η εταιρεία περιγράφει την δραστηριότητα της ως “υπέργεια εξόρυξη”.
To άρθρο όπως δημοσιεύτηκε στο πρωτότυπο:
“The model of wasteful consumption, environmental destruction and collusion between economic interests and politics led the country to bankruptcy,” said Chrysogelos. “Strengthening this model in the name of crisis is not the solution.”
Greek protest against gold mining
Gold mining in the northern Chalkidiki peninsula of Greece, will have catastrophic effects on the local environment and tourism economy, according to Green spokespeople, including Green MEP Nikos Chrysogelos speaking at a press conference in the European Parliament on January 24.
Chalkidiki is a popular vacation spot for many Greeks and is well-known for its natural beauty. The mine development plans include razing 420 acres of forests that have stood for hundreds of years.
Ten years ago, Greece’s highest court ruled that the amount of environmental damage that mining in the Chalkidiki area would cause was not worth the economic gain.
“This whole area is a forest which holds the largest water reserves in Chalkidiki,” said activist Apostolos Papageorgiou at the press conference. “The forest and aquifers will be irreparably damaged by the activities that the mining company has already commenced in the area, all these who have caused environmental damage so far, have been indemnified by law by the former Deputy Minister of Finance, while the new company that recently took over the mines has been relieved of all liability in advance even for future damages.”
Speaking alongside Papageorgiou were George Zoumpas and Athanasios Krommidas – together, three activists fighting to stop further progress on the mine, which covers roughly 317 square kilometres.
©European Greens - Nikos Chrysogelos (MEP) has been adamant in his opposition to the gold mining developments in the northern Chalkidiki peninsula of Greece. "“The model of wasteful consumption, environmental destruction and collusion between economic interests and politics led the country to bankruptcy"
“We cannot close our eyes to the impact on the environment, the local economy and society – all well documented by scientific institutions – of a gigantic project that will destroy Chalkidiki and other parts of the country,” said Papageorgiou
The economic returns to Greece from the mine are likely to be minimum. The area has a proven mineral wealth of €25 billion. But, the licence was granted without any guarantee of a percentage of the earnings for Greece. The mine is based in a densely populated area that hosts a range of economic activities that are incompatible with mining. According to Zoumpas, “Instead of protecting the basic rights of the citizens, the Greek state… is protecting the interests of a private corporation.”
“The model of wasteful consumption, environmental destruction and collusion between economic interests and politics led the country to bankruptcy,” said Chrysogelos. “Strengthening this model in the name of crisis is not the solution.”
The Greens in Greece recognise that gold mining companies are using the crisis to achieve their short-term goals, ignoring alternative ways to develop local economies. The Chalkidiki mines are expected to operate between ten and 15 years – what then?
“The national interest is best served by protecting the unique biodiversity and turn our economy towards sustainable activities that still manages to develop precious metals,” said Chrysogelos. “There are many alternatives to hazardous primary extraction of precious metals.
“The Belgian company Umicore focuses on sustainable and genuinely green alternatives. [Umicore] extracts metals, like gold, from hazardous electronic waste, from the mountains of discarded televisions, computers and mobile phones produced by European consumers every year, while describing [their] own activities as ‘aboveground mining,’” Selling off state assets to mining companies is not the answer. Ensuring that local economies see appropriate investment in sustainable industry is the best way to fight unemployment.