Environmental and social issues are connected and should be approached in the spirit of collaboration by everyone, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said on Tuesday, during remarks opening the International Ecological Symposium at the Acropolis Museum.

From the very start of his interest in ecological issues, Bartholomew said, he had “noted the affinity of environmental and social problems, and the need to approach them in tandem and with everyone collaborating. The preservation and protection of the natural environment, and the respect and service we pay our fellow humans, are two sides of the same coin.”

At the 9th International Ecological Symposium “For a Green Attica: Preserving the planet and protecting its inhabitants”, the leader of the Greek Orthodox worldwide noted that almost half of Greece’s population lived in Attica and over 50 pct of the waste that found itself in the sea was concentrated in the Saronic Gulf area.

The Ecumenical Patriarch said the response to the ecological crisis should be a collaborative action that would leave to the next generation a viable planet and social justice.

Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Amanatidis welcomed participants on behalf of the prime minister and expressed appreciation for participants who included leading individuals from politics, religion, ecology and science.

Source: thegreekobserver