This issue of The Greek Star is asking the question of whether Greece matters. A variety of contributors are adding their viewpoints to this question. I've been asked to address the environmental side to this question.
Besides the unquestionable beautiful beaches, picturesque mountains, and fabulous food Greece offers the world -- does it matter environmentally? I think a better question to ask the Greeks themselves is do they matter from a population perspective. Despite the unabated population growth in the world the Greeks seem to be on a path of extinction – at least in Greece proper. Greece has never exceeded 10 million people, and according to the CIA World Book, Greeks outside of Greece only number a mere 4 million. An interesting Greek population tidbit – in 1980 Greeks were 99 percent of the total population in Greece.
In 2008 Greeks were 93 percent of the total population in Greece. Greece's own census data shows a population growth rate of 0.083 percent, and with that rate ranks 184th in the world in population growth. Actual birthrate is 9.21 births per 1,000 population and places Greece at 205th in the world. On the other side of the equation, the death rate is 10.7 deaths per 1,000 population, and that places Greece at number 44 in the world. It doesn't take a math genius to see a country that is slowly sliding into extinction. The average age in Greece is 42.5. Greece is aging, and the young are not adding to the population to replace the aging at an equal rate.
Greece has had in the past a stable population, but the current trend is of concern for future generations of Greeks. Reasons for the decline are not quite clear. Perhaps Greece's current economic situation has played a role, but this trend has been going on since the 1990's according to Greek census data, and Greece has only recently experienced a sharp economic downturn. Another possible reason is that young Greeks are not following their parents into matrimony and child bearing. The average age couples are having children in Greece is 28.5, and the majority are only having one child. If Greece does not address this issue, then in a not too distant future the Greeks of Greece will follow the Dodo bird into extinction.
Editor's note:John Vlahakis has maintained a keen interest in our environment and the human experience. He is the founder of Earth Friendly Products, a green household products brand, and a daily blogger at earthyreport.com. He has always had an interest in protecting the environment. John is an avid entrepenuer, author of Green Bites: Ecological Musings from the Front, photographer, father, husband, and not necessarily in that order. He is a graduate of Northwestern Univeristy Kellogg Graduate School of Management. John can be followed at earthyreport.com and his photography can be viewed at johnvlahakis.com.
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