Energy Consumption and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of a Suburban Coastal Transport System

This paper explores energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of a coastal transport system envisioned as a substitute for road transport. Past work investigating the economics of coastal passenger transport via high-speed small passenger dolphin-type ferries has shown that the most profitable sea itinerary is achieved when fewer mid stops and the highest ticket price is applied. Road and maritime distances, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions were calculated for typical passenger cars and marine vessels. Although a ferry is a massive consumer of energy and emitter of CO2 compared to a single passenger car, the capacity of a ferry is much larger. The reduction that must be achieved in the number of cars per ferry trip in order to overcome the increase in CO2 emissions due to the ferry was estimated for various occupancy levels up to a capacity of 250 persons. Depending on the number of mid stops, high occupancy levels of the ferries must be achieved in order to realize a negative CO2 contribution to the atmosphere

Energy Consumption and Carbon Dioxide Emissions of a Suburban Coastal Transport System

This paper explores energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of a coastal transport system envisioned as a substitute for road transport. Past work investigating the economics of coastal passenger transport via high-speed small passenger dolphin-type ferries has shown that the most profitable sea itinerary is achieved when fewer mid stops and the highest ticket price is applied. Road and maritime distances, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions were calculated for typical passenger cars and marine vessels. Although a ferry is a massive consumer of energy and emitter of CO2 compared to a single passenger car, the capacity of a ferry is much larger. The reduction that must be achieved in the number of cars per ferry trip in order to overcome the increase in CO2 emissions due to the ferry was estimated for various occupancy levels up to a capacity of 250 persons. Depending on the number of mid stops, high occupancy levels of the ferries must be achieved in order to realize a negative CO2 contribution to the atmosphere

The relationship between professional burnout and satisfaction: a case study for physical education teachers in a Greek urban area

The aim of the present study is two-fold. Firstly, this research investigates the relationship between the variables of professional burnout and satisfaction among physical education teachers who work in sports organizations of large municipalities in the region of Attica, Greece. Secondly, the relationship between organizational factors and the variables of professional burnout and satisfaction was examined. All the teachers who took part in the survey are occupied in a municipal program called “Sports for all”. With the method of random sampling, a total of 100 questionnaires, representing 10% of the survey population, were filled out by physical education teachers, occupied in 9 municipalities of Attica (Marousi, Kifissia, Heraklion, Metamorfosi-Pefki, N. Ionia, N. Philadelphia, Ilion, Haidari). The analysis reveals that Greek physical education teachers reported low levels of professional burnout and high levels of professional satisfaction. Moreover the results confirm the existence of a relationship between organizational factors, professional burnout and satisfaction

Renewable Energy and Economic Growth: Evidence from European Countries

This paper aims at examining the relationship between energy consumption deriving from renewable energy sources, and countries’ economic growth expressed as GDP per capita concerning 25 European countries. The used dataset involves European countries’ data for the period from 2007 to 2016. The statistical analysis is based on descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), and reveals that all variables are related; this suggests a correlation between the dependent variable of GDP and the independents of renewable energy sources (RES) and Non-RES energy consumption, gross fixed capital formation, and labor force in the long-run. Furthermore, the results show that there is a higher correlation between RES’ consumption and the economic growth of countries of higher GDP than with those of lower GDP. The obtained results are consistent with other papers reviewed in this study

Socioeconomic evaluation of green investments and green products

Ιn our times, there is a strong tendency to limit the use of fossil fuels, mainly because of the recognition of their negative effects on climate change. The shift to green investment is seen as imperative, as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement require their integration into national politics. Social acceptance of green investments is monitored at both national and local levels as it has been observed that citizens' attitudes towards them may vary not only between countries but also between regional entities in the same country. In the above context, the purpose of this thesis is to assess the social and economic dimensions of green investments and products, focusing on the renewable energy sector. In this dissertation, particular emphasis has been placed on the psychographic characteristics of respondents. The concepts of emotional intelligence and eco-consciousness are for the first time related to the social acceptance of green investments. Research objectives include: a) exploring the desire to join green investments; b) exploring the desire to pay for green energy and c) exploring the socio-economic acceptance of green investments. In the theoretical part of the study an extensive bibliographic review is being carried out to investigate the relationship between RES and economic growth and, in addition, to present the social and economic dimensions of green investments, specifically in the field of solar and wind energy, biomass and hydroelectricity. Through the questionnaire survey and the statistical analysis that followed, the social and economic dimension of green investments in the prefecture of Evia, a region with high wind and solar potential, which is the country's first place in wind energy investments, is being examined. The research section noted that people have a high level of information on wind and photovoltaic investments, while there is little information on biomass and hydropower. The most important advantages were the protection of the environment, the strengthening of energy independence and green "sustainable" development. People living in rural and urban areas are generally more inclined to invest in RES than residents in the semi-urban areas of the sample. There has also been a correlation between green investment acceptance and occupation, education, area of residence and gender. Farmers and entrepreneurs are showing greater interest in the economic dimensions of green investments, while women seem to be more sensitive than men. In addition, a correlation of the desire for additional payment with high income and emotional intelligence was identified, while a relationship between the eco-consciousness index, the benefits of green investments and the desire for additional payment was identified. In a logit model of identifying the desire to join green investments, the statistical analysis revealed as most important variables those of "emotional intelligence" as well as "economic and environmental benefits”. Indeed, the installation and operation of any green investment requires social acceptance and communication with the local community to reconcile conflicting interests. Our country maintains an abundant range of renewable energy sources that promise to meet the energy demand of both continental, coastal and offshore regions.Στην εποχή μας, υπάρχει μια έντονη τάση για τον περιορισμό της χρήσης ορυκτών καυσίμων, κυρίως λόγω της αναγνώρισης των αρνητικών τους επιπτώσεων στην κλιματική αλλαγή. Η στροφή στις πράσινες επενδύσεις θεωρείται επιτακτική καθώς το Πρωτόκολλο του Κιότο και η Συμφωνία των Παρισίων, επιβάλουν την ενσωμάτωση αυτών των επενδύσεων στην εθνική πολιτική. Η κοινωνική αποδοχή των πράσινων επενδύσεων παρακολουθείται τόσο σε εθνικό όσο και σε τοπικό επίπεδο, καθώς έχει παρατηρηθεί ότι η στάση των πολιτών έναντι τους μπορεί να διαφέρει όχι μόνο μεταξύ χωρών, αλλά και μεταξύ περιφερειακών ενοτήτων της ίδιας χώρας. Στο παραπάνω πλαίσιο, σκοπός της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η αξιολόγηση της κοινωνικής και οικονομικής διάστασης των πράσινων επενδύσεων και προϊόντων, με εστίαση στον τομέα των ανανεώσιμων πηγών ενέργειας. Στην παρούσα διατριβή έχει δοθεί ιδιαίτερη βαρύτητα στην αποτύπωση των ψυχογραφικών χαρακτηριστικών των ερωτώμενων. Οι έννοιες της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης και οικολογικής συνείδησης, για πρώτη φορά σχετίζονται με την κοινωνική αποδοχή των πράσινων επενδύσεων. Ως ερευνητικοί στόχοι τίθενται: α) η διερεύνηση της επιθυμίας προσχώρησης σε πράσινες επενδύσεις, β) η διερεύνηση της προθυμίας πληρωμής για πράσινη ενέργεια και γ) η διερεύνηση της κοινωνικοοικονομικής αποδοχής των πράσινων επενδύσεων. Στο θεωρητικό τμήμα της μελέτης πραγματοποιείται εκτενής βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση, με σκοπό τη διερεύνηση της σχέσης των ΑΠΕ με την οικονομική ανάπτυξη και επιπρόσθετα την παρουσίαση της κοινωνικής και οικονομικής διάστασης των πράσινων επενδύσεων, αναλυτικά στους τομείς της ηλιακής και της αιολικής ενέργειας, της βιομάζας και της υδροηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Μέσω πραγματοποίησης έρευνας ερωτηματολογίου και της ακολουθούμενης στατιστικής ανάλυσης, εξετάζεται η κοινωνική και οικονομική διάσταση των πράσινων επενδύσεων στο νομό Ευβοίας, μία περιοχή με υψηλό αιολικό αλλά και ηλιακό δυναμικό, η οποία κατέχει την πρώτη θέση σε επίπεδο χώρας στις επενδύσεις αιολικής ενέργειας. Από το ερευνητικό τμήμα διαπιστώνεται ότι τα άτομα έχουν υψηλό επίπεδο ενημέρωσης για τις πράσινες επενδύσεις σε αιολικά και φ/β, ενώ υπάρχει χαμηλή ενημέρωση για τα ΜΥΗΣ και τη βιομάζα. Ως σημαντικότερα πλεονεκτήματα εντοπίστηκαν η προστασία του περιβάλλοντος, η ενίσχυση της ενεργειακής ανεξαρτησίας και η πράσινη «αειφόρος» ανάπτυξη. Τα άτομα που κατοικούν σε αγροτικές και αστικές περιοχές είναι γενικά περισσότερο διατεθειμένα να επενδύσουν σε ΑΠΕ σε σχέση με τους κατοίκους των ημιαστικών περιοχών του δείγματος. Παρατηρήθηκε επίσης συσχέτιση της αποδοχής των πράσινων επενδύσεων με το επάγγελμα, την εκπαίδευση, την περιοχή κατοικίας και το φύλο. Γεωργοί και βιοτέχνες δείχνουν μεγαλύτερο ενδιαφέρον για την οικονομική διάσταση των πράσινων επενδύσεων, ενώ οι γυναίκες φαίνονται περισσότερο ευαισθητοποιημένες από τους άνδρες. Επιπλέον, εντοπίστηκε συσχέτιση της προθυμίας για επιπρόσθετη πληρωμή με το υψηλό εισόδημα και με το δείκτη συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης, ενώ εντοπίστηκε σχέση μεταξύ του δείκτη οικολογικής συνείδησης, των πλεονεκτημάτων που προκύπτουν από τις πράσινες επενδύσεις και της επιθυμίας για επιπρόσθετη πληρωμή. Σε μοντέλο logit προσδιορισμού της επιθυμίας για προσχώρηση σε πράσινες επενδύσεις, ως σημαντικότερες μεταβλητές, από τη στατιστική ανάλυση αποδείχθηκε ότι είναι η «συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη», καθώς και τα «οικονομικά και περιβαλλοντικά οφέλη. Πράγματι, η εγκατάσταση και η λειτουργία οποιασδήποτε πράσινης επένδυσης απαιτεί κοινωνική αποδοχή και επικοινωνία με την τοπική κοινωνία ώστε να συμφιλιωθούν τα αντικρουόμενα συμφέροντα. Η χώρα μας διατηρεί άφθονο φάσμα ανανεώσιμων πηγών ενέργειας οι οποίες υπόσχονται να καλύψουν την ενεργειακή ζήτηση τόσο των ηπειρωτικών όσο και των παράκτιων και υπεράκτιων περιοχών

Drama/Theatre Performance in Education through the Use of Digital Technologies for Enhancing Students’ Sustainability Awareness: A Literature Review

The use of digital technologies in drama performances in education that address the sustainability issues that plague today’s world is highly acknowledged globally by the scientific community since digital technologies offer a variety of ways to provide students with an interactive and engaging learning experience. This article aims to present a literature review on drama/theatre performance in educational environments by applying digital technologies to increase students’ sustainability awareness. More specifically, this article presents a state-of-the-art study on the recent developments concerning digital drama performance and explores how the cultivation of sustainability consciousness by students in all educational contexts can be achieved. Additionally, it provides valuable insights into how combining digital drama performances and sustainability issues could improve crucial 21st-century skills for students at all levels of education. The dataset was collected using the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. This review is mainly interested in identifying the research gaps since the current literature focuses primarily on digital technologies in drama/theatre education. However, developing the sustainability awareness of students by performing digital drama seems to be under researched. The results of this study directly impact a wide range of educational experts, such as drama teachers, drama faculty members, drama education researchers, scholars, and theatre practitioners, including art critics, culture specialists, stage designers, drama directors, managers, consultants, and policymakers, to influence them to reflect and reconsider the potential benefits of introducing drama/theatre performance lessons in the official curriculum programs to motivate students to become aware of critical sustainable issues

User Preferences on Cloud Computing and Open Innovation: A Case Study for University Employees in Greece

Cloud computing hastens technology driven innovation by taking advantage of the speed, the cost-effectiveness, the efficiency and the security that such applications offer. By using cloud computing, public organizations can exploit the economies of scale and innovate both efficiency and rapidly. The present study focuses on the factors influencing the adoption of a new technological application within the procedures of change management. It examines the willingness to adopt cloud computing for the case of administrative employees in a higher education institute working environment. A prediction model explores a Ubiquitous cloud computing adoption system (USAS), utilizing the theory of technology acceptance model (TAM) and resulting that end users are welcoming the adoption of the cloud computing. Policy makers should move towards empowering the stakeholders with e-skills to stimulate technology driven innovation, resulting in improvements in effectiveness and efficiency, in the creation of new jobs and in the promotion of sustainable development practices

Public Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy: A Case Study from Greece

The purpose of this study is to discover the factors shaping public opinion about renewable energy sources and investigate willingness to pay for expansion of renewable energy sources in the electricity mix. Data was collected through a questionnaire applied in Nikaia, an urban municipality of Greece. The respondents have a positive attitude towards renewable energy systems. Most of them have good knowledge of solar and wind energy systems and are using solar water heating, while several respondents own a solar PV system. Environmental protection is seen as the most important reason for investing in a renewable energy system. Willingness to pay for a wider penetration of RES into the electricity mix was estimated to be 26.5 euros per quarterly electricity bill. The statistical analysis revealed the existence of a relationship between RES perceived advantages and willingness to pay for renewable energy. Furthermore, by using a binary logit model, willingness to pay was found to be positively associated with education, energy subsidies, and state support

An Application of the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) Scale in a Greek Context

Measuring and analyzing public perceptions of the environment are becoming core elements in promoting environmental sustainability, which is a key goal to be achieved. The New Ecological Paradigm Scale (NEP) is used as a unidimensional measure of environmental attitudes as it is developed in order to measure the overall relationship between humans and the environment. A high NEP score is associated with high ecocentric orientation. This research aims to measure and analyze citizens’ NEP score in a Greek area. Overall, the statistical analysis verified the existence of the NEP subscales, indicated increased environmental awareness among the respondents and revealed that the respondents’ NEP score is correlated with the area of residence. Furthermore, the NEP score is correlated at a statistically significant level with respondents’ willingness to pay for renewable energy expansion

User Preferences on Cloud Computing and Open Innovation: A Case Study for University Employees in Greece

Cloud computing hastens technology driven innovation by taking advantage of the speed, the cost-effectiveness, the efficiency and the security that such applications offer. By using cloud computing, public organizations can exploit the economies of scale and innovate both efficiency and rapidly. The present study focuses on the factors influencing the adoption of a new technological application within the procedures of change management. It examines the willingness to adopt cloud computing for the case of administrative employees in a higher education institute working environment. A prediction model explores a Ubiquitous cloud computing adoption system (USAS), utilizing the theory of technology acceptance model (TAM) and resulting that end users are welcoming the adoption of the cloud computing. Policy makers should move towards empowering the stakeholders with e-skills to stimulate technology driven innovation, resulting in improvements in effectiveness and efficiency, in the creation of new jobs and in the promotion of sustainable development practices