Irrationality and instrumentalization of science: The biggest threat to the most important resource, water

D. Koutsoyiannis, Irrationality and instrumentalization of science: The biggest threat to the most important resource, water, Water: The Most Important Resource and the Greatest Environmental Concern, European Parliament Offices, Athens, ELIAMEP, 2024.

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[Greek]

The following seven simple statements are investigated: (1) Lack of water is a threat of death—but not from thirst. (2) Humans are not fish. (3) The availability of water depends on uncontrollable natural processes. (4) Natural availability of water is not sufficient. (5) Wind and solar energy without water energy is a recipe for failure. (6) Predicting is a guessing game for fools. (7) Science and technology solve problems and improve safety and well-being.

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See also: https://archive.is/https://europedirect.eliamep.gr/nero-o-spoydaioteros-poros-kai-i-simantikoteri-perivallontiki-anisychia/

Remarks:

I am recording the series of actions here as this event turned out to be an unprecedented experience.

  1. On 2024-06-20 10:41 I was invited (by email) to participate in the event on the subject, in which Dr. Triantafyllos Karatrantos, Principal Investigator, and, as Moderator, Dimitris Kollias would also participate.
  2. On 2024-06-20 11:24 I replied that I accept and could present the topic with the title as above.
  3. On 2024-06-20 11:41 I received a thank-you message for my acceptance, asking me to send my presentation by the morning of the event day.
  4. On 2024-06-20 17:49 I was sent the programme – invitation to the event, in the format reproduced here as an attachment (i.e. adding me to the two contributors above). At the same time, I was asked to promote the programme – invitation to my students and partners so that they have the opportunity to participate in the event, which I did.
  5. From 2024-06-20 to 2024-06-26, I worked to prepare my presentation.
  6. According to point ‎3 above, on 2024-06-26 11:15 I uploaded my presentation to the present URL and informed the organizers to download it from here.
  7. On 2024-06-26 11:17 I received a thank-you message for sending the presentation.
  8. On 2024-06-26 12:25 (i.e. an hour or so after sending the presentation, or six hours before the event), without any consultation and without being asked for my opinion, I received an email that the event cannot to take place, due to low participation and an extraordinary personal obstacle of the Coordinator.
  9. As I have been informed by partners who had registered for participation, on 2024-06-26 12:28 they received an email that the event is cancelled due to force majeure.
  10. On 2024-06-26 12:33 I replied that I do not accept the change, that I do not mind if the audience is small, that I can give the talk even for one person, and that I don't mind if the moderator changes.
  11. On 2024-06-26 12:41 I clarified that "I do not accept" means that I will be present at the specific place and the specific time, that it is up to them to allow my entrance or not, and that if they allow entrance, then I will give the talk, even with one present.
  12. On 2024-06-26 12:49 I received an email stating "we do not intend to cancel the event but to move it to the autumn" (in contrast to point ‎9).
  13. On 2024-06-26 12:57 I replied that I would be happy to participate in the other event in the autumn, but on the condition that today's event would take place as planned or even truncated, depending on the obstacles.
  14. On 2024-06-26 14:27 I was informed that the event is finally taking place, although not at the offices of the European Parliament, but of ELIAMEP with another coordinator.
  15. As I have been informed by partners who had registered for participation, on 2024-06-26 15:50 an email was sent informing them of the new location of the event.
  16. Eventually, the event took place as in point ‎14. The obstructed original coordinator and the other speaker did not show up. Consequently, I was the only speaker, but there was a very lively discussion with the participants.

Demetris Koutsoyiannis