The problem of pollution in Athens is aggravated because it is surrounded by mountains, so the air is unlikely to escape. This is sort of an easy non - jargon way to put it.
Also, a phenomenon known as temperature inversion (an inversion of the gradient of temperature variation in the lower atmosphere) worsens this whole pollution problem.
However, Athens has no smog, which is abundant in London, and there have been no deaths in Athens by pollution, something which is in fact a regular occurrence in London.
I am a chemical engineer, I have worked on pollution prevention control and I currently live in Athens, so I would know. The Parthenon has withstood years and years of pollution. It even withstood bombing by Turkish forces, French battleships and Nazi aircrafts.
I am certain that electrochemical corrosion is not much of a problem compared to these, especially taking into account the various studies performed by the Greek professor Th. Skoulikidis.
The post that was quoted here has been removedAlso, the restricted access to the city center was mainly put in effect in order to boost the Athenian's usage of public transport. The greeks have a car fetish, they all have at least one car and they all feel compelled to use it, which kind of transforms the city in a big jam of cars, hence a heavilt polluted atmosphere, broken nerves for all drivers, and so on...
However, Athens has no smog, which is abundant in London, and there have been no deaths in Athens by pollution, something which is in fact a regular occurrence in London.Really? Are you sure you're not thinking of London of the 50's and the great smog of '52? Living in London, I know the air is not great, but regular deaths from smog is not something that happens. I did a quick google for both London and Athens. Couldn't find anything on recent deaths in London, but did find this from a Greek paper.
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100022_24/01/2007_79251
Pollution undoubtedly contribute to ill health in London as well, but your statement was blatently false.
As to the marbles, I can see why the Greeks want them, and I can also see the danger of a museum setting such a precedent. Personally it wouldn't bother me to see replicas at the museum, as long as they were accurate.
Originally posted by london nickBlatantly wrong? Are you perhaps exaggerating? I did not say that the deaths in London were recent. I did not state any time frame at all. I am only saying that this has never happened in Athens. I am aware that this is old news.
Really? Are you sure you're not thinking of London of the 50's and the great smog of '52? Living in London, I know the air is not great, but regular deaths from smog is not something that happens. I did a quick google for both London and Athens. Couldn't find anything on recent deaths in London, but did find this from a Greek paper.
http://www.ekathimer ...[text shortened]... sonally it wouldn't bother me to see replicas at the museum, as long as they were accurate.
So my statement was not false. Had I stated that the deaths from smog occured in 2005, I would have been wrong.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the Elgin marbles were in London prior to 1950 and the great pollution days of London.
So, if according to the people of the museum, the London 1950 pollution was unable to harm the marbles although it killed people, why should the Athens 2006 pollution harm them, if it doesn't kill people?
Originally posted by BoneMachine"something which is in fact a regular occurrence in London"
Blatantly wrong? Are you perhaps exaggerating? I did not say that the deaths in London were recent. I did not state any time frame at all. I am only saying that this has never happened in Athens. I am aware that this is old news.
So my statement was not false. Had I stated that the deaths from smog occured in 2005, I would have been wrong.
Correc ...[text shortened]... h it killed people, why should the Athens 2006 pollution harm them, if it doesn't kill people?
sugests the present tense to me. I could write dinosaurs grazing in the region of hyde park is "something which is in fact a regular occurrence in London". This would be false as it no longer happens.
Fair enough, maybe the blatant wasn't needed, but the statement was wrong. Just felt I should defend the honour of my beautiful, slum contradiction of a city!
I think the consensus is that if they had been left on the parthenon then they would have been damaged greatly. I don't think anyone is seriously thinking about putting them back, but enclosed in a museum nearby. I also think the nature of the pollution is different from london of the '50s which was primarily coal smoke, not petrochemical.