Anguish over the future at Our Ocean Conference

Trepidation about the future of the environment was expressed at the 9th International Our Ocean Conference in Athens, with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry saying that no country is close to living sustainably. Politicians, scientists and organizations from all over the world expressed similar concerns.

"The data from global meteorological organizations are now frightening about the change the planet is experiencing," said Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, Spain's ecological transition and demographic challenge minister, while Papua New Guinea's Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Jelta Wong said, "Small island nations are victims of circumstances."

The picture became somewhat more concrete about two new Greek marine parks. The Ionian Sea one will cover 14,000 sq.km (including 3,668 sq.km of the 13 Natura 2000 sites). The Aegean one will cover 8,000 sq...