Should Greece exploit gas reserves off Crete's coast?
The research vessel Sanco Swift is currently conducting surveys to locate fossil fuel reserves in the Ionian Sea and west and southwest of Crete. If successful, a US-Greek consortium could start extraction around five years from now. Turkey also plans to look for reserves in the region. The national press debates whether Greece should press ahead with the exploration operations.
This opportunity must be seized
Naftemporiki is thrilled:
“Until a few decades ago the plans for Greece's transformation into an international energy hub were no more than an elusive dream. However, for some years now they have been slowly materialising. ... What is lacking now is the development of a national strategy with which Greece can act unhindered on the energy market. This is a unique opportunity which is all the more promising because of Turkey's unstable political situation, its partial isolation and the collapse of its economy, all of which cast doubts on its reliability as a partner in energy matters.”
Fossil fuels are the wrong solution
Greece must turn to alternative energy sources, urges Dimitris Karavellas, CEO of WWF Greece, on TVXS:
“The current and previous government's insistence on clinging to hydrocarbons is a historic mistake. It offers no solution to the current energy crisis. On the contrary it undermines Greece's path to climate neutrality and seriously damages Greek nature. ... Now is the time to launch the climate and energy initiatives that will lead us out of our self-destructive dependence on fossil fuels and give hope to future generations. Mining hydrocarbons is not the solution - it will only lead to climate pollution, environmental problems and geopolitical conflicts.”