In Greece the baton of the global climate relay “Running out of Time”

The baton of the “Running out of Time” initiative crossed the Greek border yesterday, i.e. “our time is running out”, with the aim of raising awareness about the climate crisis. The global relay started from Glasgow, Scotland on September 30 and will cross Greece until October 27, when it will continue through Cyprus and Israel on its way to end in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt where the Conference of UN on Climate Change COP27. The goal is, together with the baton, to transmit from country to country the message of the necessity for universal, quality environmental education, a topic that is on the agenda of the conference that will take place from November 6 to 18.

The route in our country covers a total distance of 750 km, divided into 72 sections, of which 39 are designed for runners and 33 for cyclists passing through several towns, off the main roads, starting from Megali Prespa and continuing to the village of Psarades, Kastoria, Kleisoura, Voriko and Ptolemaida. The route also includes Veria, Katerinis beach with the participation of schools, Platamonas, Gonnos, Rodia and Larissa, which for the occasion has been decorated with creations of the town’s students. On Wednesday, October 28, the cyclists and runners will pass through Farsala, Domoko, Lamia and Anthili where officials of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPPF), which is behind the organization of the Greek participation, will discuss with students for the protection of the rich biodiversity of Oita which is threatened by the climate crisis. The baton will then travel to Kamena Vourla, St. Konstantinos, Skala, Martino, Akraifnio and Aliarto. On the last day, October 27, Thebes, Oinophyta, Avlonas, Afidnes and the Marathon dam are included in the stops of the world relay. In fact, during the Marathon athletes and representatives of the Fire Department will inform about the environmental and social effects of the fires, while a theatrical event will be held and from there the runners will follow the Marathon Route to the Panathenaic Stadium, where the baton will be changed in the presence of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Lyceum of Greek Girls.

The next change, in the Acropolis, there will be a presence of students from schools and music schools that participate in the educational programs of the EEPP “Ecological Schools, Learning about Forests” and “Young Journalists for the Environment”, in which more than 2,000 teachers participate every year. Finally, at 16:05 the baton is expected to arrive at the Floisvos Marina, where it will be handed over to the racing yacht AKRON AOTON that will take it to Cyprus.

The relay is supported by UNESCO and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCCC), while important is the participation of schools, municipalities and regions, athletes, NGOs and local bodies that along the entire route will contribute to spreading the message of nature protection, protection of life itself, of climate action.

The relay has already crossed 10 countries, with important stops including the Channel crossing and ceremonies at the European Parliament in Brussels and the UNFCCC headquarters in Bonn, Germany. As part of the relay, one million students from around the world will take part in Schools Action Day on 3 November, through an impressive virtual program that promotes solutions to the climate crisis, while empowering young people to create an environmentally conscious world through experiential educational actions. Greece is 3rd among the 101 countries that will participate so far, with 145 schools already registered for the action.

One of the runners is the vice president of the International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and president of the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPPF), which is the national member of FEE, Mr. Nikos Petrou, who underlined on the stake of the UN Conference that: “Quality climate education will empower us all to understand the causes and consequences of climate change but also provide us with the skills, knowledge and opportunities to build sustainable, climate-friendly resilient and just communities. Because only together will we succeed.”

Watch the relay race live here: https://running-out-of-time.com/map

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