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Hello, We have the honor today to host two members of the research team

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in charge of designing and building a pilot prototype device for Saltwater Desalination

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Nikitas Nikitakos is professor at the University of the Aegean

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and Theodoros Lilas, electronic mechanician, also a professor at University of the Aegean.

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I would like to thank you for being here and ask you about this prototype device for Saltwater Desalination called "Hydriada"

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This device has drawn attention everywhere else in the world, yet in Greece is not known as should for what it does.

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So, what exactly is "Hydriada" and how does it work?

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Hydriada is a the result of e research program funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

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It's a pontoon desalination platform which uses solar and wind energy

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to convert seawater into drinkable water by a desalination plant using reverse osmosis.

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As mentioned before, it was funded by ERDF and it is situated in Irakleia Island (Cyclades)

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It works with wind and solar energy to produce its minimum energy requirements,

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and produces the everyday drinkable water requirements of the Iraklea island.

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It was a small scale prototype platform and it is mostly used for experimental and improvement reasons.

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We intend to build a bigger desalination unit and produce 1000 tons of water per day

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instead of 70 tons of water per day that the current unit produces.

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We have positive feedback and grater expectations, but unfortunately

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due to the latest events and the financial and economic crisis

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we are experiencing delays in bureaucracy and procedural matters.

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We hope to overcome these problems soon

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and hopefully attract more interest from abroad.

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Could you give us more information on this matter?

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There has been interest from abroad from the presentation in European and global scale for this archetype unit.[br]

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Thank you for your invitation. This unit has attracted European and global interest.

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It has been awarded as an innovation for regional european development.

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It has been presented in many developed countries, such as Norway.

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In events for pattern that could attract investment interest.

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It has been presented in the USA in competitions for for business patterns and reached top classification.

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This means that there are big chances to be developed abroad.

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There has also been interest from countries having scarce in drinking water. Such as in North Africa and the Middle East,

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where there have been presentation in collaboration with the ministry of foreign affairs.

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So, these countries have shown great interest through their ministers for investment in this field.

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We expect to make presentations and meetings in order to promote this technology abroad.

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Which do you believe are there the main advantages of this technology in comparison

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to other technologies used in Greece to fed our islands with water?[br]

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Meaning desalination process and carrying water in lorry tracks.

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There are currently 3 feeding methods of clean water to these islands.

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First: Carrying water with boats from other islands.

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Meaning, when an islands is in need of clean water we carry it with boats to and from the islands,

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and polluting the environments by using this method and burning fuels.

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Second: The old fashioned desalination methods that have been done using electric power on the islands.

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We should note that Desalination is a process requiring great amount of energy

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and the islands have limited power and energy availability

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So by using the existing energy supply on the island for desalination purposses

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we may probably cause energy shortage on that island.

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Energy shortage is the reasons for energy black outs during the summer in those islands.

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There are also the method for producing energy by using fuels,

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but this way we cause environmental pollution.

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Third method is the one we use.

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This is an autonomous unit which uses renewable energy sources

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meaning that it doesn't produces any carbon dioxide and doesn't pollute the environment.

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This way it produces its necessary energy for the desalination process.

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In short, with this method we solve energy and water shortage problems for these islands.

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Another great advantage is that it can be transferred from one place to another.

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So, in case somewhere is needed, we can transfer it with a boat in any area.

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There are also other significant advantages for the environment.

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It's anchored somewhere with big depth, so in these depths there is no problem of making the water salter

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by returning extra salty water from the desalination process.

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It's a process like water evaporation and does not cause any environmental problems.

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We do not use any chemical in this process.

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So, by solving these problem we have a natural way of producing drinkable water,

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which does not affect the environment.

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Unlike other method narrow places which can cause many problems in that ecosystem.

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We can say that the cost is low since it use free and renewable energy sources

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Since it uses solar and wind produced energy and does not pollute the environment.

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Which are the economic profits that could result from using this method?

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First of all, in greek islands, electricity is subsidized by the government as it is very expensive for these areas.

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With the new European Community legislation (ETS) electicity will get even more expensive.

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So, the desalination method using electricity power will get even more expensive.

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With our desalination method the only cost is the cost for building the unit, as it produces its own energy,

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as solar and wind energy is for free.

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And the only thing necessary is a small maintenance every 2 years

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as well as a general maintenance every 10 years.

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This unit life expectancy is up to 30 years.

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As a result, this method is a sustainable investment and it gets even more with bigger units.

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Which is what we are trying to do nowadays.

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My next question is about the possibility to extend the dimensions and the size of this unit

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in order to produce bigger quantities for bigger islands.

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I can give you an example for what we are currently trying to do.

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We would like to produce 1000m3 drinking water per day.

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To create such a system we need either one unit on land

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or one, like our autonomous unit, in the sea.

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On the one hand, for the one on land there would be a cost of 1 million Euro to build it.

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On the other hand, if we build a complete autonomous desalination unit which can produce its own energy

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the cost be about 4,5 million.

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For the maintenance the price would be the same for both units.

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But for the island unit the power cost for would be 8 million euro for 10 years

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while the cost for our autonomous unit will be 0!

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So, instead of paying millions for paying fuels on producing energy,

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we could eliminate it and pay a portion of that money to build units like the one we do

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and give work to greek shipping yards and companies for building the necessary units.

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Overall, instead of using fuels, we could use a far less expensive and ecological method.

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Did you had ny obstructions when building this unit?

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Let's say with bureaucracy etc...

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The main obstacle was the nature of this unit itself, as it could not be set legally.

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Because, in order to transfer the unit we should make papers for this kind of device.

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That could not be covered by the existing maritime law.

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We had some help from our colleague and we could justify it as pontoon.

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Another problem was that we had to have a classification surveyor and to insure it.

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And generally follow a procedure for something unprecedented

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for the greek legislation and bureaucracy.

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We successfully went through this procedure and created a sort of case law for this invention

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and we estimate that this procedure will be much easier on our next unit of this kind.

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Do you think that the current financial crisis and the situation we lately face in Greece

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will affect negatively any future plans on extending and using these units

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and the ones concerning green development.

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Quite the opposite.

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We have a high cost on using current units

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so, by proposing and promoting innovative solutions we both offer jobs to people

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and diminish the total cost of production.

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Therefore, it's the current crisis that pushes us walk towards this direction.

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I would like to add something.

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The financial crisis is a result of globalization.

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We and our entire team, through this experiment, support that we must turn to local communities

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and try a new economic pattern which will be based on its own natural resources.

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Hydriada is such an example. It sufficiently produces its own energy, water and anything needed.

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"Ai Stratis" is another example in greater scale on an island.

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In the USA is called "a Resource Based Economy".

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An economy based on its own resources and supplies.

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This is what we beliene in and promote as a part of a Green growth

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Would you like to give us more details on the experiment of "Ai Stratis"?

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This experiment is about a small Island of 300 residents, which is away from the greek power network.

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We are trying to make 3 big interventions.

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1st: To make it power autonomous.

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That is to use photovoltaic and wind turbines and use 100% renewable power sources.

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This is our first target.

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2nd: To use the power produced for other purposes like geothermal and producing hydrogen

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in order to use electric cars and completely remove fuel using on the Island.

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To make greenhouse with photovoltaics and to process waste and water

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in order to produce new plants growing greenhouses.

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And the most important, build a power academy, in order to change the thinking of people

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starting from the youngest

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and shape and build the basis for a new economy and thinking of green growth.

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What was the reaction of the locals during this experiment?

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In Iraklea and Ai Stratis concerning the targets you've set.

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The participation of the local community is very important.

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Before we even start our projects we visited Islands and contacted the local boards

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We presented our projects and they completely accepted them.

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So before we started we had informed the people there and they accepted our projects.

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We think that for Ai Stratis to be a green Island, it is very important to participate the residents in this direction.

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The project will not be independent from the people but the will be aware of its boundaries and adjust their behavior

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so that to best co-exist in an 100% autonomous environment.

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And to be able to continuously work on renewable energy.

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In Iraklea Island the project was accepted by the residents at first.

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And then when some problems came up

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all the residents got together and even gathered signs to back up

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and wanted the project to also go on on other Islands as well.

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Therefor, the residents supported us on the problems we faced.

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You mentioned the creation of a power academy.

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Should this be something concerning the entire Greece?

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This is something mentioned in many local communities.

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First of all, we estimate that the approaching of the renewable energy is wrong.

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Renewable energy resources cannot be designed in an office and then setup.

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The should start from talking with the residents and then they should go along together and establish them.

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This is because often can come up many problems concerning the land and location.

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This power academy should mostly concern young people and children

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so that they start that human is not an financial figure

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but, every time one takes an act on his financial life, they should consider mother nature.

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Someone's activities should not oppose nature and the environment which cannot be recycled.

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It is crucial to understand this, otherwise our planet will face problems in the future.

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And this education starts from young children.

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We think that the power academy on Ai Stratis should be the center

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and on the other Islands should be connection to the academy and pass on the message that

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when doing anything we should think of the environment and that it should be maintained and improved.

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Nowadays though in Greece and the entire planet we see that economy profits from the environment

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and the environment is suffocating, no matter what the intentions are.

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Profit comes first everywhere.

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These are the new economic movements

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and they believe that the only thing that flows is money.

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In reality, the environment is above all things and the corporate social responsibility.

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In everything that we do we should think that everything should be on a stability ball.

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We should not always take from the environment for financial purposes

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but, always keep these variables in stability.

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There is now a global movement of reconsideration on all modern financial theories.

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I would like to inform you that in about a month a will publish a book which is a translation

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and it is about true green economy, which I would gladly like to present it to you.

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I would like to thank you both.

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Thank you.