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Education on recycling must be provided during the first school years because environmentally aware students are more likely to become environmentally aware citizens. The aim of the present study is to investigate the factors affecting the recycling behavior of students attending the last grade of primary school in the regional unit of Evros in Greece. To select the sample, multistage sampling was used, and to collect the research data, a questionnaire with closed-ended items was designed. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the non-parametric Friedman test, and categorical regression. Our results showed that the students had positive views, attitudes, and behaviors in relation to recycling and were actively involved in it. Categorical regression analysis indicated that the other family members affected students’ recycling behavior to a high degree, whereas students’ parents’ occupation and students’ participation in environmental education programs at school exerted a lower influence on their recycling behavior.

Tourism is arguably one of the most promising options for economic prosperity in rural areas. Effective strategies aiming at tourism development, however, should be based on a thorough analysis of residents' preferences as well as visitors' expectations and satisfaction. Hence, the aim of this paper is to investigate residents' views on tourism development and the contribution of various productive sectors to local development as well as to examine event visitors’ views and satisfaction level in a rural area in Greece. Results based on quantitative data collected via questionnaires showed that the residents perceived that nature-based types of tourism should be developed and preferred Greek rather than foreign investors to be involved in tourism development. Moreover, the majorities of visitors attending events regarded the study area as a value-for-money destination and experienced positive emotions during their stay. In addition, half of visitors attending a Christmas event expressed their willingness to attend the event again in the future whereas most film festival visitors were significantly less willing to do so. Moreover, the visitors of all events were highly satisfied with the natural environment in the destination. Finally, it may be concluded that events are able to establish areas as value-for-money destinations and to contribute to local development. The results presented in this paper may be particularly useful to local authorities and stakeholders involved in the development of tourism in rural areas both in Greece and elsewhere.

Abundant research has focused on the public acceptance of renewable energy sources (RES) since their successful implementation is often dependent on the public. Yet, little is known about the attitudes of university students towards RES whose study field is related to the environment, even though the mindset of these students is considered relevant since they are possible experts in the RES field. To contribute to this neglected research strand, this paper aims to explore the awareness about and attitudes towards RES of students majoring in the Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources at the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece. Results based on quantitative data collected via questionnaire show that the surveyed students support renewables and have awareness about the current polluting energy system. Moreover, they have positive environmental attitudes and fully recognize the need for energy transition. Finally, there are significant differences among students from different years of study, highlighting that fourth- and fifth-year students take greater interest in working in the RES sector after they complete their studies.

The global environment is being constantly degraded, placing humans at increased risk for outbreaks of infectious diseases. In this regard, environmental quality must be enhanced in order to prevent pandemics in the future. However, it is unknown whether future environmental experts are aware of the intricate relationship between environmental degradation and infectious diseases. This question is important because if they lack awareness about this relationship, they may not be able to contribute to biodiversity conservation which, in turn, can prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases. Hence, the aim of this paper is to investigate the attitudes of environmental students towards the pandemic. The primary objective is to examine their views on the origin of COVID-19 and a secondary objective is to discover the factors that affect the endorsement of conspiracy and non-conspiracy theories on the origin of COVID-19. Our findings indicated that an alarmingly high percentage of students endorsed the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 is a man-made virus for which there was a vaccine before it emerged, whereas only one in five students perceived that the virus is associated with climate change. These students are the future scientists who will be responsible for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to environmental students, both in Greece and elsewhere, and examine if such perceptions stem from any deficiencies in curricula or from the effects of the media.

Policymakers often assume that farmers with pro-environmental behavior are more likely to follow proper pesticide practices and thus, in order to improve the safety of their pesticide practices, they implement strategies and programs designed to raise environmental awareness among the general public. The aim of this paper is to examine whether pro-environmental behavior can instigate proper pesticide practices among farmers. According to our results, farmers&rsquo, environmental behavior does not affect their pesticide practices and thus strategies aiming at raising environmental awareness among the general public would not prompt them to follow proper pesticide practices. In addition, the respondents reported following overall proper practices such as wearing masks and appropriate clothes during sprayings as well as rinsing the empty containers by performing the triple-rinse method. However, they did not wear gloves during applications, and many disposed the remaining pesticide concentrate to non-arable land. To conclude, in order to improve farmers&rsquo, pesticide practices, strategies and programs specifically designed for farmers must be developed because those addressed to the general public would not be effective. Moreover, certain improper practices found in this study ought to be addressed by policymakers and actors involved in the agricultural sector.

Public attitudes are increasingly viewed as a hindrance to the implementation of renewable energy sources (RES). Despite the general support for renewables, public attitudes to specific projects can be negative and conflicts are often created between the public and project leaders. For this reason, there is abundant research work on public attitudes to renewable energy (RE), but understanding these attitudes is still challenging due to dissimilar research methodologies and different contexts. A review of research on public attitudes toward renewable energy in general and the different renewable types in the countries of the European Union (EU) was carried out for this chapter. It is concluded that the public in these countries is familiar with and has positive attitudes to renewable energy in general. However, there is a clear preference for solar energy and considerable skepticism to wind energy mainly due to its visual intrusion into the natural landscape. In addition, there is substantial evidence that the support for renewable energy is driven by environmental values and concerns, particularly about climate change. These findings are promising, but also suggest that further work is required to understand profoundly the dynamics of public attitudes.

Investments in renewable energy have taken a center-stage discussion among policymakers and several incentives are now provided to landowners to encourage them to install photovoltaics on their land. However, such investments remain below their potential and thus insights into what affects potential investors’ decision are needed. This study focuses on landowners who are willing to install photovoltaics on their farmland and analyzes the effect of various factors on the amount of money they would pay in order to install photovoltaics on their land. According to our analysis, landowners’ personal view on the profitability of the investment, the degree to which they agree with the installation of solar parks in a location visible from their residence and the hectares of the dry and irrigated land they own, explain the amount of money the landowners would invest in photovoltaics. The findings of the present study may be particularly useful to policymakers and may help them prepare practical and attractive propositions for potential investors thereby improving the existing investment environment for photovoltaics on farmland.

Renewable energy production is undergoing an unprecedented expansion across Europe but investments are still required in order to transition to a sustainable energy future. A deeper understanding of the factors affecting landowners’ decision to invest in photovoltaics and the barriers preventing such investments is critically important for policymakers and energy developers. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine the economic and environmental factors affecting the decision to invest in photovoltaics as well as to investigate the barriers inhibiting such investments among landowners in a Greek rural area who are willing to invest in photovoltaics. Results obtained via structured questionnaires show that the investment decision is highly and positively affected by economic advantages. In specific, earning a stable income, reduced electricity costs and low taxation on investment are the most important economic factors. The respondents are also driven by their desire to contribute to flora and fauna conservation as well as to the reduction of air pollution which is caused by conventional energy production. However, high interest rates on bank loans for renewable energy investments along with high initial capital requirement prevent respondents from making such investments. The results presented in this paper not only assist a more thorough understanding of the factors and barriers affecting investments but also consist a basis for improving the relevant policies to facilitate the implementation of investments in renewable energy.

The ongoing economic development and prosperity have led not only to the exhaustion of the planet&rsquo, s natural resources but also to numerous environmental problems. To address these problems, it is necessary that more individuals adopt energy saving practices while promoting alternative energy sources. In other words, future generations ought to adopt behaviors that will involve the sustainable management of energy. To that end, sustainable education can create citizens who not only have knowledge and awareness about the environment and the severe environmental issues but are also willing to take action to address these issues. Hence, the aim of the present study is to investigate the environmental attitudes and behaviors among primary school students and their parents in the municipality of Orestiada, in Greece. To achieve this objective, a structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions was used. Results showed that both students and parents had adequate levels of environmental awareness while their beliefs were translated into actual behaviors as they had adopted, to a significant extent, energy saving habits and practices.

As the impact of green space shrinkage in urban centers becomes obvious, local and regional authorities must adopt environmental planning policies that can help create new green areas to ensure a good quality of life for citizens, along with the rehabilitation of the natural environment. One approach is the promotion of green infrastructure on buildings, including multi-dwelling apartment buildings. In order to effectively promote green infrastructure on buildings, it is essential to comprehend public attitudes toward green infrastructure, so that suitable and effective strategies can be implemented by policy makers. In this study, eight hundred respondents were asked to provide their views on green infrastructure on buildings, on construction that should take place on blocks of apartments in order to accommodate green infrastructure and on the related benefits that may arise from creating green spaces on buildings. A structured questionnaire and stratified sampling were used for the interviews, which were conducted with apartment owners in two regional units of Athens. The results showed that most citizens are willing to proceed with the installation of a green roof, trellis or vertical garden, in order to improve the aesthetics and functionality of the building they live in. Most of the respondents are not familiar with the energy savings that may occur from the installation of a green roof, vertical trellis or garden and wish for a subsidy from the state in order to implement green building solutions. To conclude, the participants in our study are not environmentally aware, since they are not interested in energy conservation but only about the aesthetics of their building; furthermore, they expect to receive financial support from the state in order to make any changes to their home.

Humans have been using fossil fuels for centuries, and the development of fossil fuel technology reshaped society in lasting ways [...]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline the views of citizens on issues related to energy saving and the realization of bank products in buildings under renovation such as energy saving interventions in the building envelope, installment of maximum efficiency air-conditioning systems, etc. Design/methodology/approach The collection of data was done through a structured questionnaire. The data are important because they show the attitudes of citizens while they simultaneously assess the effectiveness of the program after the application for many years of the energy saving program by the state. Findings The results of the research show that with regard to responsible actions by citizens as far as impacts on climate change are concerned, cognitive factors are more important than behavioral factors. The most important reason with regard to citizens restricting the consumption of electrical energy is saving money. Finally, the vast majority of citizens declare that they know about the existence of “green” bank financial programs and claim that these contribute to environmental protection. Despite all this, a very small percentage of citizens have realized some sort of financial program in order to save energy claiming that the main reason for their choice was the country’s economic crisis. Originality/value This investigation of the views of citizens may constitute a tool both for designing of effective environmental policy but also for the assessment of energy saving programs such as the one discussed in this paper.

Alternative crops, combined with modern farming methods, are integral parts of the new agricultural model and dominant priorities of agricultural policy. The new conditions created in the internal and global markets of agricultural products indicate significant opportunities for growing alternative crops and for the introduction of modern farming practices and processing. The present study aims to assess the factors that determine the landholder’s decision to uptake an alternative crop. Primary data were gathered through a quantative survey (in-depth interviews) with landholders in two remote and less-favored prefectures of Northeastern Greece, and were analysed through a logistic regression model. The results indicate that the most significant determinants for adopting an alternative crop involve the scientific support to farmers, the development of product demand in the market, the creation of agricultural cooperatives, the development of promotional campaigns for the alternative products, the education and knowledge regarding alternative crops, and the landholder’s satisfaction with income. On the contrary, negative factors to their decision refer to exports development, product subsidies, landholder’s age, membership to a cooperative in its current form, and satisfaction with pesticides prices. Despite the dominance of conventional agriculture models and varieties, the new favorable investment conditions can spur the promotion of alternative crops.

Renewable energy sources (RES) have gained increased popularity across the world mainly due to their ability to contribute to environmental protection through the generation of infinite &lsquo, clean&rsquo, energy. To achieve a greater diffusion of renewables, however, small-scale investments implemented by individuals are critically important. In contrast to citizens whose attitudes have been consistently explored by research, there is little evidence on the attitudes towards investments among environmental students who will occupy positions of responsibility and play key roles in the environmental sector in the future. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to identify the most important factors that affect environmental students&rsquo, willingness to invest in renewable energy (RE) by developing a logistic regression model. According to our analysis, the participants in their majority expressed their willingness to invest, while environmental values, the low risk and profitability of renewable investments, as well as preferences for certain energy types were significant factors determining this willingness. However, willingness to invest was irrespective of the current taxation and subsidies, suggesting that significant improvements are required in these areas. The present study could be particularly useful for policymakers since the necessary steps to create favorable investment environments in Greece and elsewhere are highlighted.

The excessive consumption of fossil fuels not only leads to resource depletion, but also involves negative environmental effects on both public health and the climate. However, Greece&rsquo, s renewable energy (RE) capacity is considerable and could meet a great part of the country&rsquo, s energy needs while helping to tackle the ecological problem our planet faces. At the same time, the deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) can facilitate the creation of new jobs and enable households to become energy independent, while addressing energy poverty. The present study investigates the views and attitudes of citizens of the Thessaloniki conurbation towards RES. To collect the data, structured questionnaires were used, which were completed through personal interviews. Moreover, random sampling was performed to select the sample, and in total 420 citizens participated in the survey. Results showed that the respondents supported the replacement of lignite plants with renewable energy sources since they perceived that they constitute a necessary solution providing opportunities for economic growth and improvement to their quality of life. Finally, the vast majority expressed increased interest in future investment in photovoltaic systems, which in their opinion could contribute to improving air quality and increasing the energy independence not only of Greece but also of households.

Highlights • Respondents were angry and concerned about the pandemic. • Female students experienced fear, panic, concern and despair more than male students. • Male students were more optimistic about the pandemic. • The measures that mostly affected respondents were the closure of universities and online learning. • Most students did not commit to daily outdoor exercise even though they could., University life has changed profoundly due to social distancing measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Over the longer term, the coronavirus crisis may affect the mental health of undergraduate students who are required to cope with remote options and forgo the usual campus life. The aim of this study is thus to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on undergraduate students’ mental health and daily life in order to assist policymakers improve pandemic control plans and help educators and healthcare experts provide support to affected undergraduates. Results are based on quantitative data collected via online questionnaires which were completed by 181 Greek undergraduate forestry students. The analysis indicated that the students were highly affected by the closure of universities and the transition to distance learning. Moreover, they experienced negative emotions, mostly concern and anger, during the lockdown. T-test showed that female respondents experienced strong negative emotions like fear, panic and despair to a higher degree than male students who were more optimistic about the pandemic. Surprisingly, the students did not exercise outdoors every day even though it was allowed during the 42-day quarantine. In addition, they used mostly television and scientific articles to obtain information about COVID-19. The results presented in this study offer insights into university students’ experience with the pandemic and reveal their reaction to remote education. It is recommended to monitor university students’ mental health frequently and to provide them with psychological counselling and practical advice on how to manage anxiety and fear. Finally, education and training on remote learning could help reduce students’ anxiety over online classes and exams.

In Greece, lignite has played a key role in energy security and has delivered notable social benefits such as local employment. Since mining projects affect profoundly the life of residents living in the vicinity of these projects, the understanding of residents' attitudes to lignite mining assumes a great importance as it can guide the design of policies. Hence, this study investigates the attitudes towards new investments in lignite mining among residents living near Greece's largest lignite center which is located in Western Macedonia. Results showed that a considerable share of residents desired new lignite projects and categorical regression analysis revealed that men desired new lignite plants more than women while, in terms of occupation, workers, undergraduate students, unemployed and private employees desired new lignite investments more than public employees and farmers. In addition, this study segmented survey respondents into three attitude groups (positive, neutral and negative) based on their desire for new lignite plants in their vicinity to indicate how the views of each attitude group on various topics related to resource extraction differentiate. As lignite phase-out is approaching in Greece, the findings of the present study may be particularly useful to policymakers in order to design a more socially acceptable decommissioning plan.

Agriculture has been attracting severe criticism due to the negative impact of its practices on the environment while many voices have been advocating the need for adopting sustainable farming practices. If such fundamental changes are to be made, farmers are charged with a critical role since their actions have a profound effect on the environment. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand farmers' attitudes towards farming practices and especially of those farmers performing farming activities in protected areas. Hence, the present study aims to investigate crop and livestock farmers' attitudes towards sustainable agriculture in the protected area of Lake Pamvotis in Greece in order to draw conclusions on their behaviour. Overall, our results demonstrated that both crop and livestock farmers had positive attitudes and conformed to regulations protecting the environment from the adverse effects of agriculture, however, significant room for improvement was detected both in terms of sustainability and business development.

The understanding of residents' profile and attitude toward local development is critically important since it can guide the efforts to promote local development especially in rural areas which suffer economic disadvantage. Using categorical principal components analysis, categorical regression and cluster analysis, this paper identifies resident types in the Regional Unit of Drama in Greece based on the variables constituting local development and the factors contributing to local development. According to our analysis, the desire for development and development potential were the most important dimensions in local development and these dimensions were affected by participants' demographic characteristics. Moreover, there were three types of residents with the majority belonging to the first type which expressed a positive desire for development and perceived that the region involves a moderate development potential. Moreover, the results can be used to highlight implications for policymakers and local authorities as well as to point to opportunities for future research.

The aim of this paper is to identify groups of citizens and their characteristics so that effective climate change communication strategies can be designed. The research was carried out from January 2014 to June 2015, 1536 questionnaires were completed which were evaluated on the basis of the co-efficient α-Cronbach, descriptive statistics, Friedman’s non-parametric criterion, factor analysis and cluster analysis. The research showed that Greek citizens think that the most important concerned parties for taking action against climate change are environmental organizations, scientists and local citizen environmental groups. In addition, two groups of citizens were identified. In the first group belong mostly citizens aged 31–40 and less citizens aged 41–50, married, mainly graduates of secondary and tertiary education, most are public servants or unemployed and satisfied from governmental activities regarding municipal projects concerning adaptation, energy saving and lifelong learning. In the second group of citizens also belong young to middle age citizens, unmarried, who mainly work in the public and private sector, who are satisfied both from the activities of non-governmental concerned parties as well as governmental activities regarding adaptation to extreme environmental phenomena, mitigation and waste management.

Climate change no longer constitutes a prediction for the future but it is already occurring. For this reason what is necessary is both the adaptation of citizens to new changes as well as action by the scientific community and by the bodies involved in the fight against climate change. Thus, the bodies will need to organize and undertake effective action which will encourage citizens to participate in such actions in order to adapt to future impacts. The aims of this research are, on the one hand, the investigation of the characteristics which influence participation in activities and, on the other hand, the discovery of specific characteristics with regard to citizen preferences. In order to achieve its aims this research used a structured questionnaire and 1536 questionnaires were collected from January 2014 to June 2015. The main results include that younger citizens greatly trust scientists, show great willingness for voluntary action and get their information on climate change through documentaries. Also, those with higher educational level trust the actions of non-governmental bodies while middle aged citizens and secondary education graduates trust the actions of governmental bodies while older citizens prefer activities for the reduction of pollutants.

Education makes it possible for students to become familiar with the rational management of energy as well as learn to implement energy saving practices in their everyday life. The study of certain student characteristics helps in the direction of applying strategies of behavioural change. The aim of this research is to record the knowledge and attitudes of elementary school students in the Prefecture of Evros with regard to energy saving. The collection of research data was done through the use of a structured and anonymous questionnaire with closed questions. The method used for the collection of the research data was cluster sampling. This involved 17 elementary schools of the continental part of the prefecture. 612 questionnaires were completed by students of the 5th and 6th grade of these schools. The evaluation of the research data showed that 69.6% of the students think that the most appropriate house temperature is 20°C with 79.1% of the students keeping the thermostat switched off while the house is aired. With regard to the use of TV, stereo, play station and PC the research showed that 93.8% of the students switch off the above devices when these are not in use. In parallel, 86.6% of the respondents usually or always switch off the lights when coming out of a room and 46.2% of the students use energy saving bulbs. Also, 93% of the students recycle because they believe that doing so contributes to the protection of the environment while 41% always chooses to walk to school. With regard to the significance of reasons concerning energy saving 85.9% thinks that energy saving is important to very important for reducing environmental pollution.

Climate change is one of the most serious contemporary problems of our planet. Efforts to reduce the impact of climate change are crucial. The consequences of rising global temperatures will be very serious for humans and the environment unless urgent action is taken everywhere to reduce emissions. Renewable energy is very important in mitigating global greenhouse gas emissions by radically lowering the emissions profile of the planet’s energy system. In addition, beyond the use of renewable energy sources, the materialization of a sustainable energy future also requires citizen participation in decision making processes. For this purpose all bodies responsible for the realization of a sustainable future, such as schools and means of mass communication, need to equip people with the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to successfully deal with the challenges in front of them. The aim of this chapter is to investigate the opinions and emotions of elementary school pupils with regard to climate change and renewable sources of energy. For the collection of data a semi-structured questionnaire and cluster sampling were used and 632 questionnaires were completed by pupils of 5th grade (aged 11) and 6th grade (aged 12) in 17 elementary schools in the Prefecture of Evros. The research was carried out in May and June 2016. The results of the research showed that 56.5% of the pupils think that in order to deal successfully with many environmental problems, the use of renewable sources of energy is very important. In particular, boys as opposed to girls, think that renewable energy sources play a key role in dealing with environmental problems, and 5th grade pupils think that renewable energy sources are very important for the protection of the natural environment, as opposed to 6th grade pupils who think otherwise. The investigation with regard to the emotions of pupils as far as the issue of climate change is concerned, revealed that what most pupils feel, is interesting with regard to how this matter will evolve. Also, from the two factors extracted the first contains “positive emotions” and the second “negative emotions”. In the first factor belong the variables concern, fear and interest and in the second factor belong the variables pessimism, anger and anxiety. Finally, almost one in three pupils usually or always expresses his concern regarding the consequences of climate change, is not at all optimistic about climate change and usually or always expresses the anxiety he feels regarding the various dimensions of the issue. In addition, regarding the impacts of climate changes one in two pupils feels fear or anger.