ABSTRACT
Seen from the outside, there are many reasons why there should be a potent environmental movement in Greece. Yet there is no such movement. Of course, Greece is much less industrialized than most other European countries and has not so far experienced the severe environmental damage caused by extensive or heavy industry. Nor does Greece have any nuclear power plants. Low levels of industrialization and absence of nuclear installations do not, however, mean that there are no serious environmental disturbances which could serve as the basis for the formation of a substantial green movement, The small size of Greece’s industrial establishments has not prevented them from littering and polluting the environment, not least because most are equipped with old-fashioned and fuel-inefficient machinery. Moreover, during the last 20 years there has been tremendous destruction of forests, extensive pollution of the sea, disorganized town planning, rapid extermination of the native fauna, dirty cities and, on top of everything, the Athenian smog caused mainly by the concentration of motor vehicles in an already hyper-concentrated capital where almost half the country’s population lives.
