Tourism sector unites in fight against climatic change

Taken from: www.larepublica.net

Being conscious that the main commodity in Costa Rica is its nature, diverse sectors of the tourism industry have implemented their own regulations to diminish global warming, in agreement with the National Strategy of Climatic Change (ENCC). These measures that have been adopted have to do with the maximization of resources and the reduction on the production carbon that is created by human activities.

In this direction, the National Chamber of Tourism, the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism and other companies have developed a plan of action.

The proposals have to do with the renewable energy sources use and the sensitizing of suppliers, employees and tourists about the importance to be "ecosensitive".

"Little by little, the tourists will prefer those businesses that are known to be ecosensitive", explained Patricia Forero, director of Investigation and Development of Horizontes Tour Operator.

In this case, the business was in charge of measuring the quantity of its carbon dioxide emissions, and then to compensate this they planted trees alongside the City Hall of San José.

Besides, a campaign was developed to raise consciousness toward the employees, directed to the energy saving and the consequences of the global warming.

Un ejemplo de utilización máxima de recursos es Mapache Rent-a-Car. Actualmente la arrendadora de autos tiene en marcha un plan de reutilización del agua. “Tomamos el agua jabonosa del lavado de los carros, y la purificamos de manera que vuelva a ser usada. Así no contaminamos más agua limpia”, comentó Alfredo Cruz, asistente de gerencia de la empresa.

The increase in temperature may be of 4.4 degrees Celsius in 2100, being carbon dioxide the main cause of this temperature raise, according to the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climatic Change. The levels of this gas in the atmosphere have enlarged a whopping 80% from 1970 to the present.

An example of maximum utilization of resources is Mapache Rent-a-Car. At present the company has in motion plans to recycle water that’s been used by them. "We take the soapy water of the cars we wash, and we purify it so that it may be used again. Thus we won’t be contaminating more clean water", commented Alfredo Cruz, assistant manager of the business.

Archaeological treasures return home

Taken from: www.elfinancierocr.com

The evolution of the Costa Rican pre-colombian cultures is the theme of the exposition that the National Museum inaugurated Friday December 10, in the room of temporary expositions.

This is a collection that will be available to the public for a year, and that shows a total of 225 artifacts, the majority of which haven’t been shown previously to the public.

All the pieces are property of the National Museum, but the idea of this proposal was elaborated as a group with Canadian experts: the exhibition, titled Costa Rica land of wonders, is a work of the Museum Pointe á Calliere of Montreal and the National Museum.

According to Ricardo Vásquez, archaeologist and curator of the exhibit, the exposition is divided into five thematic axes, whose titles reflect the growth of the plants they ate, human societies, their development and decadence

"This will permit the visitor to understand the variety of cultural expressions that existed in Nicoya, the Central Region and in the three sub regions of the Pacific", the curator indicated.

According to the communications department of the National Museum, the collection presents pieces of jade, stone, gold and ceramics. The majesty, the detail and the artistic quality are one of the main attractions for the public.

This exhibit will permit the visitors to know about the hierarchies in the different pre-Colombian groups, the development of its art, the relation with the nature and the own biodiversity of the different periods, among others themes.

The exhibition is open to the public every day from 8:30 am to 4 p.m. In December the 2010 the collection will travel to Rome.

Woman will swim across Golf Dulce in an effort to protect the marine ecosystems will swim

Taken from: www.nacion.com

Renate Herberger, a German with a disability that impedes her to stay standing for a long time, will swim Golfo Dulce to create conscience on the importance of the fight on the preservation of marine ecosystems. This is the third time that she comes to Costa Rica with this mission.

Her passion for swimming was born after she suffered a thrombosis in her left leg. This injury doesn’t permit her to be standing or to walk for long periods of time. Swimming became a form of therapy for her, and later in her way to generate social conscience.

"The coasts are rich places in marine sanctuaries that have been threatened by fishing in such a great scale. What I want is to do an urgent call to authorities to protect the marine species that are endangered, like the turtles and sharks", said Herberger.

The crossing of Golfo Dulce will begin this Thursday 17 of December and will finish December 24.

After that, she will try to swim from Punta Burica in the southernmost part of Costa Rica, to Bahia Salinas, in Guanacaste, really close to the border with Nicaragua.

59% of Latin-Americans support democracy

Taken from: www.elfinancierocr.com

The support of democracy in Latin America descended to 54% in the year 2007 and then rose to 57% in 2008 to end up at 59% in the year 2009.

While the people with greater education now support democracy than ever before, the less educated currently support democracy less than in the past.

According to the annual publication Latinobarómetro, this difference implies that the crisis has had an impact to the lowest adhesion, that they’re the less educated.

"This crisis may have opened the gap in the way as the adhesion evolves to democracy, becoming more critical to those who were impacted, and more positive to those who were less impacted", emphasizes the document.

It is necessary to observe the differences by country: 8 5% of Venezuelans approve the democracy, followed by the Uruguayans (81%); 74% of the Costa Ricans approve of democracy.

Another detail to point out is that 57% of the citizens say that there cannot be democracy without congress.

New mural unites art and science

Taken from: www.nacion.com

A new mural in the National Center of Biotech Innovations (Cenibiot) was officially inaugurated last Tuesday morning.

The work of muralist Eduardo Torijano measures 160 square meters and presents images relating to biotechnology and science in general, from DNA to the Vitruvius Man and the cog as a symbol of the industry.

The Cenibiot is a laboratory where microorganisms and Costa Rican plants are investigated with diverse objectives. For example, they seek to improve the productive processes of an industry, and are on a mission to find new biofuels and better processes to get rid of organic waste.

The mural is located in the building Franklin Chang Díaz, where the old AID was located, in Pavas. The mural can be found in the north sector of the building.

Belen businesses present different techniques for environment contamination

Taken from: www.nacion.com

Businesses situated in the district of Belen have presented different techniques that will be utilized to prevent environment contamination.

This occurred during the II Business Fair with the help of the city hall of Belen, and which is believed that there was an attendance of 3,500 people.

Battery recovery, recycling and tree planting, among others projects, are part of the proposals.

INA graduated advanced English technicians

Taken from: www.nacion.com

The National Institute of Learning (INA) recently graduated 1,000 people that completed the courses of advanced English, or level C1.

Such classes are part of the program Multilingual Costa Rica that tries to expand the English language among Costa Ricans.

The INA reported that the titles were delivered in the Formation Center of an José, located in the Don Bosco neighborhood.

The graduates are certified with the management of the English language, according to the European Common Framework.

Eight schools reduce by 70% their consumption of water

Taken from: www.nacion.com

The above statement happened thanks to the A&A effort in changing the whole tubing system in such schools.

The centers that were benefited were: Colegio Instituto de Guanacaste, Unidad Pedagógica de Cuatro Reinas de Tibás, Kinder María Jiménez de Desamparados, Escuela Riojalán de Puntarenas, Escuela Invu Las Cañas de Alajuela, Escuela San Pablo de Turrubares, Escuela Rogelio Fernández and el Liceo de Esparza.

The reduction in the consumption of water is of 2 million liters less each month in each educational center.