BIOPOLICY: NEW STRATEGIES IN ENERGY AND TOURISM
GREEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHOICES
Prof. Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis
President and Founder, Biopolitics International Organisation
10 Tim. Vassou St., Athens 11521, Greece Tel: (+30210) 6432419, Fax: (+30210) 6434093
e-mail: bios@otenet.gr www.biopolitics.gr
Summary
The dual nature of the global economic and environmental crisis is an unprecedented opportunity to rethink our values, adopt new ethics and build a “green society,” a society of hope, peace and environmental harmony. Strengthening cooperation in the Black Sea region is a priority for any entrepreneurial initiative to flourish. Bio-diplomacy – a concerted effort to achieve international cooperation through environmental protection – can help to build a bridge not only between today’s cultures, but to a more sustainable economy and environment for future generations. This requires new educational and economic paradigms, new legislation for environmental protection, and new defence strategies for global security to eliminate environmental threats and preserve life and prosperity.
In the race for a regional green development, we need to develop choices for everyone to participate in the energy market. Beyond cooperation in conventional energy production and distribution, Black Sea countries need to join forces in exploring and implementing clean energy technologies, which do not pollute the atmosphere and which do not contribute to global warming. The transition to a hydrogen based economy begins with the commercial production of hydrogen, which is efficient and intrinsically clean for all end-use applications. The large scale embrace of hydrogen production from algae can reduce the cost of production, solve hydrogen storage problems and in the longer term, integrate renewable energy sources into hydrogen fuel production. It can also define new areas for investments and open the way to the marketing of new technologies, products and jobs.
Multi-stakeholder engagement is essential in order to revive our economies. Biopolicy supplies the needed momentum and life-supporting strategies to contribute to the more efficient implementation of green entrepreneurship such as bio-tourism. Bio-tourism strengthens international cooperation, the conservation of natural resources, and the use of clean and renewable energy. It offers fertile ground for the creation of green jobs, which alleviate poverty and help to preserve the environment. Through the support of education and the promotion of culture, bio-tourism is sensitive to the protection of local traditions, respectful of environments and communities, and provides countless opportunities and choices to engage in sustainable livelihoods.
