Benefits on public health from transport-related greenhouse gas mitigation policies in Southeastern European cities

Climate change is a major environmental threat of our time. Cities have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions as most of the traffic, industry, commerce and more than 50% of world population is situated in urban areas. Southern Europe is a region that faces financial turmoil, enhanced migratory fluxes and climate change pressure. The case study of Thessaloniki is presented, one of the only two cities in Greece with established climate change action plans. The effects of feasible traffic policies in year 2020 are assessed and their potential health impact is compared to a business as usual scenario. Two types of measures are investigated: operation of underground rail in the city centre and changes in fleet composition. Potential co-benefits from reduced greenhouse gas emissions on public health by the year 2020 are computed utilizing state-of-the-art concentration response functions for PM x , NO 2 and C 6 H 6 . Results show significant environmental health and monetary co-benefits when the city metro is coupled with appropriate changes in the traffic composition. Monetary savings due to avoided mortality or leukaemia incidence corresponding to the reduction in PM 10 , PM 2.5, NO 2 and C 6 H 6 exposure will be 56.6, 45, 37.7 and 1.0 million Euros respectively. Promotion of ‘green’ transportation in the city (i.e. the wide use of electric vehicles), will provide monetary savings from the reduction in PM 10 , PM 2.5 , NO 2 and C 6 H 6 exposure up to 60.4, 49.1, 41.2 and 1.08 million Euros. Overall, it was shown that the respective GHG emission reduction policies resulted in clear co-benefits in terms of air quality improvement, public health protection and monetary loss mitigation. Document type: Articl

The Role of Social Culture in Internet Adoption in Greece: Unpacking “I Don't Want to Use the Internet” and Frequency of Use

This article examines the role of social culture in Internet adoption in Greece. It employs Hofstede's five-dimensional framework of national culture and analyzes the European Social Survey 2008 data. It finds that social culture in general and particularly people's past or future orientation in life, and to a lesser extent their degree of openness to difference and novelty in life, are significant drivers of Internet adoption in Greece. It argues that the persistently low level of Internet adoption in Greece can be explained by pointing to a traditional, uncertainty-avoidant, and novelty-resistant culture that discourages technological development and innovation. It concludes that to explain the statement “I don't want to use the Internet“ and frequency of use and other such behavioral patterns, one should look beyond demographics, practical, and real-life factors and examine broader and socioculturally embedded drivers of Internet adoption