Preventing disasters in the future
Greece is faced with a great national threat: the destruction of the environment – also in the form of massive, devastating wildfires. Irrespective of the serious mistakes and omissions that led to the latest and previous disasters, the state must take a number of immediate measures that will help restore the forestland and erase the marks of the blaze. In fact, there are two measures that could help right away. First, the government must take immediate steps to close any loopholes that oblige the Public Power Corporation to connect illegally built homes to the power grid. Second, the authorities must turn the Pendeli and Hymettus mountains into national reserves so as to prevent further construction in the capital’s already badly injured green lungs. The perennial corruption of politicians and the greed of their clients, as it were, has resulted in villas popping up in the middle of forests as seen in the images from the recent fires. It’s time we put an end to this sick and dangerous situation.
