The war in Ukraine, the climate and energy (gas) crisis and the Welcommon Hostel

WELCOMMON Hostel is an innovative hostel as well as a center for social and green innovation and economy, a center for awareness, training and mobilization on energy efficciency, renewable energy, energy transition, energy cooperatives and circular economy. WELCOMMON HOSTEL is run by a social cooperative. We don’t share profits to our members.

We invest in energy efficiency, reduction of fossil fuel use, led lighting and solar energy (for producing hot water for use) with good results in reduction of CO2 emissions because we want to participate in the energy transition and climate protection movement.

We ask for understanding and change of behavior of our clients  as an impact of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis as well as of the climate emergency.

It is true that we want to solarize our hostel and turn it to a zero emissions tourist enterprise, a demonstration project for the sector and an example of what the social economy can do for the green transition. Although without any grant and during the financial and health crisis, we have already changed 2400 lights to energy efficient LED ones. We have also installed 20 solar panels for the production of hot water  for our clients reducing the use of oil up to 60%. We are looking for possible social investors for the needed investments for making the hostel a solar one. Until then, we have to make our best in order to reduce the energy consumption and the use of fossil fuel in general but also to stop fueling the war of Putin in Ukraine.

Why we ask the understanding and participation of our clients in our efforts:

As an impact of climate crisis and the change of the micro-climate of Athens,  the heatwaves are longer and influence our daily life very badly.  At the same time we experience a very difficult situation with the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and the current restrictions in energy availability and affordability. We must reduce energy consumption, if we don’t want to experience black out of the electric system – in many areas we have already power outages, although not serious at the moment . We try to do our best under these conditions:

– As a hostel we try to keep AC for temperatures under 27 degrees. Additional to this we offer extra 1-2 ventilators  if the temperature in the rooms is higher than 23-24 degrees. If you don’t have enough ventilators, please ask the receptionist to give you extra.

– We ask our clients to participate in our effort for a comfortable stay in the rooms, taking some easy measures, like  to keep the curtains closed (they are blackout) during the hot hours of the day (otherwise we have overheating of the rooms as an impact of the glasshouse effect), to open the doors and windows of the room for a few minutes for refreshing and cooling the air especially after the sunset or if they stay for a long time in the room.

We must be active for keeping the climate crisis under control – Air temperature changes in the 21st century in the East Mediterranean and the Balkans 

According to climatic simulations for 2100, in the case of the IPCC Α2 scenario (up to 250% more greenhouse gas emissions in 2100 compared with 1961-1990), the mean maximum temperature over the entire Eastern Mediterranean is projected to increase. In July the mean maximum temperature in the Balkan countries is projected to increase by up to 12⁰C compared to current values. In Greece, the increase is in the order of 7-8⁰C in southern regions (including the area of Athens), while in central and northern Greece the increase is higher and varies between 8 and 10⁰C. In June and September the increase of the maximum temperature is slightly lower, varying from 6 up to 8⁰C in Greece.

• The WELCOMMON Hostel is also a center for awareness on climate protection and energy transition

Sleep for dreaming, be active for climate and social issues. Our social cooperative “Anemos Ananeosis” and the WELCOMMON Hostel in Athens participates in the #globalclimatestrike. It is not business as usual. It is about our life and our Planet.

Sleep for dreaming in the Welcommon Hostel, be active for climate protection and energy transition. We invite all our guests-travelers, tourists, volunteers, personnel, refugees, migrants – pupils of our intercultural courses) – to participate in the climate actions. We invite all to JOIN US and raise our voices together! ?Be active for climate. We believe that action must be taken NOW to stop the catastrophic consequences of climate change and build a sustainable future for everybody.

#climateaction #climateprotection #globalclimatestrike #volunteersinathens #athens #gogreen #ecofriendly #socialinclusion #socialcooperative #hostels #HostellingInternational #Hostelworld #LeMatEurope #youth #youthforclimate #WindofRenewal #WELCOMMONHostel #fridaysforfuture

Enjoy a comfortable stay in the real Athens while funding essential green programs for environmental protection, energy transition and climate protection.

• Seminars and discusiions on energy transition, climate action, energy cooperatives in the Welcommon Hostel

We organize seminars and public discussion on energy transition, climate protection, energy cooperatives in our innovative Hostel. Recently we organised a public discussion on”Energy crisis, energy transition and the role of energy communities”. with keynote speaker,  Dirk Vansintjan, the president of the REScoop.eu REScoop.eu

We have also organised many seminars, eg teaching the renewable energy n schools, energy democracy and justice etc