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John Elkington

John Elkington

A world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

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Nisyros And The Crater

John Elkington · 5 June 2022 · Leave a Comment

This was another mind-bending visit, from our mooring in Mandraki. En route, we stopped off in the cove of Giali for a swim. Then passed a giant quarry on the island of Yali, that apparently extracts volcanic materials like pumice and perlite. long ago it was a key source of obsidian, too.

A sense of the history of mining in the region can be gained here. From the Internet, I learned that the miners are committed to sustainable development. Let’s see what that means when the site is worked out.

A good deal of quarrying must have gone into building the astonishing castle at Paliokastro, though the real astonishment lay in the close-cut, irregular masonry used to build the walls. Probably to ward off earthquakes, but strongly reminiscent of Inca stonework.

Going down into the crater that lurks at the heart of Nisyros was a special treat, though I wondered whether Elaine would manage with the smell of hydrogen sulphide – given that she had such problems at Larderello, Italy, when I was researching my book Sun Traps back in the 1980s. The reality turned out to be rather glorious, with the group drinking a local nut milk concoction under giant eucalyptus trees, whose prolific blossoms were thrumming with aerial legions of bees.

In the evening we headed up into a hilltop village that looks down on the crater, for a stunning meal in a little family-owned restaurant. Pretty sure that this was the Emporeiou taverna. Would love to go again if I happened to be passing.

En route, a vast quarry for volcanic materials
The extraordinary, close-cut stone blocks of the castle at Paliokastro
Closer in
Gateway to the castle
Michael on the walls, the red blob being the device he used to whisper in our ears
Elaine enjoys shade
Amanda and Pia enjoy the view
Nota looks down into the Stefanos crater
Looking down into the crater, the pumping heart of Nisyros
Eucalyptus blossoms, in the crater bottom, thrumming with bees
A slightly sulphurous spot
As we walk up into a village overlooking the crater
Wending our way
Our restaurant looks down onto the crater – and terracing
Nota and Michael explain where we are
The cats greet us
Looking back towards the crater

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Introduction

I began this blog with an entry reporting on a visit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, on 30 September 2003. The blog element of the website has gone through several iterations since, with much of the older material still available.

Like so many things in my life, blog entries blur the boundaries between the personal and the professional. As explained on this site’s Home Page, the website and the blog are part platform for ongoing projects, part autobiography, and part accountability mechanism.

In addition, my blogs have appeared on many sites such as: Chinadialogue, CSRWire, Fast Company, GreenBiz, Guardian Sustainable Business, and the Harvard Business Review.

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About

John Elkington is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. He is currently Founding Partner and Executive Chairman of Volans, a future-focused business working at the intersection of the sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation movements.

Contact

john@johnelkington.com  |  +44 203 701 7550 | Twitter: @volansjohn

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