Wishing to make our every-day living similar to the one of more advanced countries, led us in the verge of destruction. Trying to imitate western living standards well exceeding our limits was a great mistake. This "virus" of adopting a better way of life without actually working on it, affected the Greek society. We underestimated dangers and forgiven almost every economic illegal action, being unable to see the danger zone we were heading for. Greece has forgotten what production is about and tried to settle it's augmented fake needs, selling lies. What we should be aware of however, is that this kind of action is not our own privilege and surely not only a present one. Here are two more examples and how they connect with Greece's current situation.
During a discussion that took place in China in 81 b.C. between Philosophers and Ministers what is mainly said, is that "farmers, instead of making their tools better, buy things (like ivory) that drive them mad". They prefer acting like give-me-more children, instead of investing on their lives in the long term.
Today, many farmers in Brazil stop producing lettuce, tomato etc in order to use their fields for sugarcane. Produced sugar will be sold as biofuel oriented product. Some say that these farmers make three times the money they would earn each month (about $1200). Even if this is true, they should take under consideration that they must start buying what they produced so far, that their farms are no longer theirs and that risk of underground water contamination due to the leaching of herbicides throught the ground, is higher.
Similarly, sub-Saharan Africa has experienced extreme famine these last years as corn, sugar and other products head out of the countries in order to be sold in higher prices for biofuel production. Sub-Saharan and Greek farmers today, as well as -81 Chinese farmers are -and were- incapable of understanding the dangers of such actions.
When Thomas Edison was getting tired burning down Nikola Tesla's laboratory, he was spending his time trying to make light bulbs. After many efforts he managed to do it and when asked about the time he had lost trying, he responded that no time had been wasted. Instead, he had figured out many ways that wouldn't work. That's the spirit most Greeks lack right now. They fail to see that this whole economic situation is a unique chance to orgazine their lives more carefully and put more effort achieving their personal goals.
Recently General Electric -having already invested $6 billion in wind power- announced that by 2013 it will be massivelly producing solar panels. Another recent fact is that Mr. Schauble stated Greece could be selling electricity to Germany, produced from renewable energy resources. Europe's most advanced country is trying to re-evaluate the use of nuclear power (accounting for 23,3% of total electricity power needed today) and obviously searching for other means of dealing with its energy needs. A third fact, is that Greece's renewable energy production right now is 2,3% of total produced (coal is No 1).
Using the sun and beaches in Greece only for sunbathing and swimming, clarifies the lack of potential and long term planning of today's Greek culture. The recession that so much affected -what is- Europe's most weak economy has put us in front of our future, in a position requiring much more responsibility. Having forgotten what "production" and "exploitation" means, Greeks must now understand that this is the time to move ahead. Greek "farmers" should start harvesting the wind, the sun and the waves in order to produce electricity, to cut expenses and make ends meet using renewable resources offered to us by mother nature.
During a discussion that took place in China in 81 b.C. between Philosophers and Ministers what is mainly said, is that "farmers, instead of making their tools better, buy things (like ivory) that drive them mad". They prefer acting like give-me-more children, instead of investing on their lives in the long term.
Today, many farmers in Brazil stop producing lettuce, tomato etc in order to use their fields for sugarcane. Produced sugar will be sold as biofuel oriented product. Some say that these farmers make three times the money they would earn each month (about $1200). Even if this is true, they should take under consideration that they must start buying what they produced so far, that their farms are no longer theirs and that risk of underground water contamination due to the leaching of herbicides throught the ground, is higher.
Similarly, sub-Saharan Africa has experienced extreme famine these last years as corn, sugar and other products head out of the countries in order to be sold in higher prices for biofuel production. Sub-Saharan and Greek farmers today, as well as -81 Chinese farmers are -and were- incapable of understanding the dangers of such actions.
When Thomas Edison was getting tired burning down Nikola Tesla's laboratory, he was spending his time trying to make light bulbs. After many efforts he managed to do it and when asked about the time he had lost trying, he responded that no time had been wasted. Instead, he had figured out many ways that wouldn't work. That's the spirit most Greeks lack right now. They fail to see that this whole economic situation is a unique chance to orgazine their lives more carefully and put more effort achieving their personal goals.
Recently General Electric -having already invested $6 billion in wind power- announced that by 2013 it will be massivelly producing solar panels. Another recent fact is that Mr. Schauble stated Greece could be selling electricity to Germany, produced from renewable energy resources. Europe's most advanced country is trying to re-evaluate the use of nuclear power (accounting for 23,3% of total electricity power needed today) and obviously searching for other means of dealing with its energy needs. A third fact, is that Greece's renewable energy production right now is 2,3% of total produced (coal is No 1).
Using the sun and beaches in Greece only for sunbathing and swimming, clarifies the lack of potential and long term planning of today's Greek culture. The recession that so much affected -what is- Europe's most weak economy has put us in front of our future, in a position requiring much more responsibility. Having forgotten what "production" and "exploitation" means, Greeks must now understand that this is the time to move ahead. Greek "farmers" should start harvesting the wind, the sun and the waves in order to produce electricity, to cut expenses and make ends meet using renewable resources offered to us by mother nature.