- From January 12-18, 2014, the annual GEO Plenary as well as the biannual GEO Ministerial Summit were held in Geneva. At the same time, there took place a series of other meetings, such as the meeting of European representatives for the GEO (High Level Working Group), the meeting for the Copernicus Program, etc. At these meetings, our Foundation’s Chairman and National GEO representative Mr. C. Zerefos was deputized by the Board member Mr. Vasileios Tritakis. The basic conclusion from the abovementioned meetings was that the GEO managed to secure a ten-year extension of operations in order to achieve completion of the GEOSS, which is the main GEO objective. It is reminded that initially the GEOSS was due to have been completed by 2015. However, due to the progress of operations this goal was not considered feasible, so it was decided to transfer its completion for a decade, by 2025.
From the left to the right, Mr. Demetrios Ioannou, diplomatic representative of YPEKA, Mrs. Natasha Antoniou of the Secure World Foundation, Professor Evangelos Livieratos, former YPEKA Minister, Mr. Vasileios Tritakis, Deputy National GEO Representative and Mrs. Helen Christia, scientific associate of the Greek GEO Office (Geneva, 2014).
- On February 17, 2014, the presentation of the biography titled “Petros Kanaginis. His Contribution to the Reformation of the Countryside in the Interwar”, which was written by the Historian Demetrios G. Panagiotopoulos, Head of the Center for the Documentation of the History of Greek Agriculture, was held in the atrium of the Benaki Museum at the Agricultural University of Athens. At the presentation, the speakers were the MKF Chairman Professor C. Zerefos, Academician, the Board member Andrew Karamanos, Emeritus Professor and former Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens, the MKF Secretary Assistant Professor Mr. Christos Repapis and Mr. Demetrios P. Sotiropoulos Historian, Assistant Professor of TEI of Peloponnese. The presentation was coordinated by Mr. Anastasis Vistonitis, poet, essayist and journalist. (“Petros Kanaginis. His Contribution to the Reformation of the Countryside in the Interwar”, published by MKF & ESTIAS Bookshop, 2013)
From the left the historian Assistant Professor D. Sotiropoulos, the MKF Chairman Prof. C. Zerefos, the journalist-coordinator Mr. A. Vistonitis, the Board member Prof. A. Karamanos and the MKF Secretary Assistant Prof. C. Repapis (Benaki Museum, Athens, 2014)
- In April 2014, an expedition to Alexandria was organized within the framework of the Research Program”Study of the East Mediterranean Coasts Vulnerability to Tsunami Events,” with the participation of the Foundation Secretary Mr. C. Repapis, the professor of the Geology Department of the University of Athens Mrs. N. Evelpidou, the geologist Mr. I. Kambolis and the HISAMA team under Mr. G. Nomikos. The expedition included exploratory visits to the coast of Alexandria and scuba diving explorations around the El Hassan reef, where geological samples were collected for further study.
On the Alexandrian coast. (From the left) the HISAMA diver G. Nomikos, the MKF Secretary Prof. C. Repapis, the professor of the University of Athens N. Evelpidou (Alexandria, 2014).
- On June 10, 2014, at the opening ceremony of the International Conference titled: “Adaptation Strategies to Global Environmental Change in the Mediterranean City and the Role of Global Earth Observations,” the prize “WMO Professor Mariolopoulos Trust Fund Award” was presented by Dr. Deon Terblanche, Director of the World Atmospheric Research and Environment Department of the World Meteorological Organization, who represented the Secretary General of the WMO. The prize for 2014 was given to Dr. Dimitra Konsta for her study titled: “A process oriented characterization of tropical oceanic clouds for climate model evaluation, based on a statistical analysis of daytime A-train observations” by Dimitra Konsta, Helene Chepfer and Jean-Louis Dufresne, published in Climate Dynamics.
From the left the WMO representative Dr. Deon Terblanche, Director of the World Atmospheric Research and Environment Department of the World Meteorological Organization, Professor P. Nicolopoulou-Stamati, a member of the Foundation Board, Dr. V. Tritakis, member of the Foundation Board, the award winner Dr. Dimitra Konsta and the Chairman of the Foundation Professor C. Zerefos.
- On June 10 and 11, 2014, the International Conference titled “Adaptation Strategies to Global Environmental Change in the Mediterranean City and the Role of Global Earth Observations” took place in Athens. The conference was the event of the Greek Presidency of the European Council 2014 and was held under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology. It was organized by the European Commission, the Mediterranean Consortium for Climate Change (MC-4), the Eurisy, the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences, the Research Centre of Atmospheric Physics and Climatology of the Academy of Athens and the Justus Liebig Giessen University of Germany. The conference focused on outlining the impact of climate change on cities with a Mediterranean climate and on developing corresponding adaptation strategies. At the Conference, among other things, it was also discussed how Earth observations have contributed to the improvement of climatic information and to the use of this information in order to develop and implement adaptation measures on a national and local level. During the works of the Conference, different examples of adaptation to climate change were analyzed by focusing on the following issues: Global and Regional Earth Observations, Water, Energy, Biodiversity and Open Spaces, Coastal Regions and Marine Environment, Public Health and Governance. The Conference was attended by representatives of the government and the European Union, representatives of world organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC, the World Meteorological Organization WMO, the World Health Organization WHO, the Intergovernmental Organization of Earth Observations-GEO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-ECDC and by scientists from 17 countries. http://www.mariolopoulosfoundation.gr/medcity2014/
Standing from the left, the MKF Chairman Mr. C. Zerefos, Academician, Professor Thomas Stocker, University of Bern, IPCC WGI AR5, Professor E. Xoplaki, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Germany, Mr. Kurt Vandenberghe, Director for Environment at the European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation, the Secretary General for Research & Technology Mr. C. Vasilakos, Mr. Gilles Ollier, Sector Earth Observation, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Belgium, and Dr. Evangelos Gerasopoulos, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Athens Observatory (Athens, 2014).
- On June 12 and 13, 2014, The National Athens Observatory and the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences co-organized in Athens the 8th GEO European Projects Workshop (GEPW-8) which is a basic organization of the European Union – Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. In the workshop were presented all the research programs elaborated in the EU on the implementation of GEOSS and national activities related to Earth observation. The participants were all those who have actively contributed to the World System of Earth Observation from European countries. The results of the programs were presented at the meeting and it was discussed how Europe can contribute through the Horizon 2020 program framework as well as the vote on the renewal for another 10 years of the GEO office in Geneva by accepting the present Geneva Declaration of 2014 in which the MK Foundation for Environmental Sciences was represented. http://www.greekgeo.noa.gr/wp/blog/2014/06/12/8th-geo-european-projects-workshop-gepw-8/
A commemorative photo of the participants at the entrance of the National Athens Observatory Museum at Theseion (Sina’s building, Nymph Hill, 2014).
- From February to June 2014, the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences, the French Institute at Athens (in the framework of the program Greece-France Alliance 2014) and the International Science Geo-Meetings 2014 Festival, organized a series of events under the general title: “Water, Air, Earth, Fire: observing the planet.” The events targeted the wider audience, students of all ages, university students and professors and they were held at the French Institute, the Evgenidou Foundation, the National Athens Observatory, Moraitis School, Patakis bookshop, “Eugene Delacroix” Greek-French School and at the Lexis-Logos Greek Language Teaching Centre. http://www.ifa.gr/el/livre-idees-savoirs/debat-didees/1471-les-rencontres-de-la-terre-eau-air-terre-feu-observer-la-planete-. Professors Jean Jouzel and Christos Zerefos presented state of the art on man-made climate change. Professor Jean Jouzel is Director of Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute and has coordinated the science activities at COP21 in Paris 2015 which resulted to the famous Paris Agreement in the frame of UNFCCC.
The Vice Chairman of the GIEC scientific team and Director of Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute Prof. Jean Jouzel, the MKF Chairman Academician Christos Zerefos and the coordinating journalist Mr. Pericles Vasilopoulos (French Institute, Athens, 2014).
A commemorative photo from the 2nd GEO Cooperation Meeting for Members from SE Europe (Athens, 2014).
- In October 2014, the 2nd GEO Cooperation Meeting for Members from SE Europe took place at Electra Palace Hotel. This meeting was co-organized by the Greek GEO Office, the National Athens Observatory, the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences and the BEYOND Program in order to focus on natural disasters in SE Europe. There was discussion about issues pertaining to all kinds of disasters caused by natural phenomena, such as earthquakes, extreme weather conditions, forest fires, emissions of toxic gases, Sahara dust intrusions, air quality and volcanic eruptions and their impact on human health. It was attended by scientists from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, FYROM, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. This meeting reinforced an ongoing cooperation among scientists from these countries.
- In October 2014, an expedition was organized (the 27th) to Alexandria within the framework of the Research Program ”Study of the East Mediterranean Coasts Vulnerability to Tsunami Events,” with the participation of the Foundation Secretary Mr. C. Repapis, the Professor of the Geology Department of the University of Athens Mrs. N. Evelpidou, Geologist Mr. I. Kambolis and the HISAMA team under Mr. G. Nomikos. The expedition included exploratory visits to the coast of Alexandria and scuba diving explorations at the sites of Chatby, Sporting, Miami Island, Montaza and Abu Qir, where geological samples were collected for further study.