2017

  • The Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences contributed to the publication of the Proceedings for the Conferences on: “Byzantium during the Palaeologian times. Relations between East and West” and “Palaeologian Mystras, the starting point of New Hellenism”. The publication by Papazisis Publishing was realized in collaboration with the Research Institute of Byzantine Culture and it was coordinated and edited by Professor G. Xanthaki-Karamanou.: (“Byzantium during the Palaeologian times. Relations between East and West” and “Palaeologian Mystras, the starting point of New Hellenism”,, ISBN 9789600233117, Papazisis Publishing, 2017)
  • The Butterfly Dilemma”, a monograph by former Environment Minister Elias Efthimiopoulos was published by the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences in collaboration with the Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology of the Academy of Athens. The author describes and compares environmental problems on the planet from the past to the Anthropocene. (ISBN 978-960-93-9015-6, Published by the Academy of Athens, Research Centre for Physics of the Atmosphere and Climatology and Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences, 2017.)
  • The Foundation, in collaboration with the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER) co-organized a Colloquium titled “Agriculture and Health- “greening” Europe and opportunities for Greece”, on November 24, 2017 in Athens. The ENSSER (European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility) is a multi-scientific, non-profit organization, which provides the EU and its member-states with scientific data that highlight their responsibility to plan policies towards mitigating climate change and rewarding land use practices, including agricultural policies.
  • The Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation, as part of a series of awareness-raising lectures, organized an open event at the Byzantine Museum on April 28, 2017 on “Genetically modified foods and pesticides in our diet”, which was coordinated by the MKF Secretary, Professor P. Nicolopoulou-Stamati. The speakers invited to address the event were Prof. Evangelos Vallianatos, University of Wisconsin, and Prof. Angelika Hilbeck, University of Zurich. The topics that were developed pertained to the existing dangers for human health and especially for developing organisms, namely children and adolescents, due to the presence of genetically modified vegetables, meats and fish in our diet. In addition, the speakers elaborated on the risks emerging from the excessive use of pesticides which are now known to act as endocrine disruptors and are associated with fertility disorders, obesity, diabetes and cancer.
  • Between May 31 and June 2, 2017, the Space Committee of the European Science Foundation (ESSC) http://www.essc.esf.org/ and the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences co-organized the 53rd conference on subjects concerning Earth sciences, Astronomy, Basic Physics, our solar system and its exploration as well as life sciences. The conference included the presentation of 40 scientific papers by scientists from all around the world.

The Space Committee of the European Science Foundation (ESSC) at the propylaea of the AA building (Athens, 2017)

  • The 23rd annual Conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists took place in Athens from June 28th to July 1st. The EAERE 2017 was co-organized by the ICRE 8 (International Centre for Research on the Environment and the Economy), the Athens University of Economics and Business, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Innovation Research Centre for Information, Communication and Knowledge Technologies – “Athena” and the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences. The conference was held under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens with local sponsors including ALBA Graduate Business School, John S. Latsis Charitable Foundation, the Bank of Greece Climate Change Impacts Study Committee, Gutenberg Publishing, Katogi Averoff Winery and Kathimerini newspaper. Almost 150 meetings took place at the Athens Concert Hall and ALBA Graduate Business College on issues such as climate change, sustainable growth, environmental policies, ecosystems and biodiversity, renewable energy and green development. More than 800 economists, students and environmental policy decision makers attended the conference to present and discuss research and policies concerning environment and natural resource economics. The majority of the delegates came from Europe, however, delegates from around the world participated, coming from countries such as the United States, Chile, New Zealand, Korea, India, Uruguay and the Philippines. http://www.eaere-conferences.org/index.php?y=2017

A panoramic view of the conference reception in the gardens of the Academy of Athens (June, 2017).

  • On September19-20, a Symposium was held in Paris for the 30th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. This Symposium was held 10 years after the 20th Anniversary which was celebrated in Athens in 2007 and, as it had happened then, the 2017 Symposium was also co-organized by international foundations, including the French Academy of Sciences, CNRS, NASA, the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences, the UN Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization. The Chairman of the Foundation along with Professor A. Bais presented the changes of ultraviolet solar radiation over the past 10 years since the implementation of the Montreal Protocol. It is worth noting that the Montreal Protocol is the only international agreement to have been adopted by all Member-countries of the United Nations in 2010. In October 2017, the Montreal Protocol was reviewed for the last time in order to include the control of substitutes in the Montreal Protocol, which are unfortunately important greenhouse gases. http://www.montreal30.io3c.org/

The delegates at the entrance of the Fondation Del Duca building, French Academy (Paris, 2017)

  • Paper presented at the EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference 2017 (https://www.eumetsat.int/website/home/News/ConferencesandEvents/DAT_3212307.html), Rome, October 2-6, 2017.
  • In order to celebrate the 24 centuries since the opening of the Alexandrian Library and Museum, representatives of the Vardinoyannis Foundation, the Acropolis Museum, the Hellenistic Studies Centre of the Library of Alexandria and the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for Environmental Studies undertook the initiative of co-organizing a high-level Conference that would motivate researchers from various fields to turn their attention to the Hellenistic world and to its significance for our culture. His Eminence President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos placed the Conference under his auspices and it was held on the 13th, 14th and 15th of December, 2017 at the Acropolis Museum. The Conference was attended by eminent scientists, specialists in the subject of Hellenistic Alexandria, from the USA, the UK, France, Egypt, Greece, and Italy. The discussions of this important Conference focused on the significance of the remarkably original ideas of the Hellenistic times and the modernism in the atmosphere of that era. The Conference dealt with historical, cultural and scientific issues, highlighting the influence of Hellenistic ideas on modern philosophy, art and modern science. The proceedings of the Conference will include four units: Archaeology, History, Philosophy, Literature and Art, Science, Medicine and Technology, Environment, Cultural Heritage and Legal Issues and they will be published by Archaeopress Publishing. http://www.hellenistic-alexandria.com/

From the visit of the Goodwill Ambassador, Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis, Academician Christos Zerefos and the Director of the Library of Alexandria Mr. Ismail Serageldin to the President of the Republic, during which His Eminence the President placed the Conference titled “Hellenistic Alexandria: Celebrating 24 centuries” under his auspices.

Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis offering His Eminence the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos a specially numbered stamp card issued for the Conference and Academician C. Zerefos.

From the opening ceremony of the Conference titled: “Hellenistic Alexandria: Celebrating 24 centuries” in the amphitheater of the Acropolis Museum (13/12/2017). Standing from the left are His Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa Mr. Theodore B’, His Eminence the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the UNESCO Goodwill Amabassador Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis, the Director of the Library of Alexandria Dr. Mostafa el Feki, Academician Christos Zerefos and Professor Farrag Ashraf representing the Rector of the University of Alexandria.