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Aug
9
Recycle Clean Plastic Grocery Store Bags at ATEC
August 9, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Environment | Leave a Comment
ATEC will now accept clean plastic grocery bags for recycling at their office. Look for the box near the entry.
They will be used by a women’s group that weaves them into handbags and other products for sale and then further support of their activities.
Bags that look like this:
Will be transformed into this:
The finished product can also be purchased at ATEC.
Thanks to Greencoast News for the heads up.
Jun
26
Recycling in the South Caribbean
June 26, 2008 | Tags: Environment | Leave a Comment
 Aluminum cans are ReciCaribe’s #1 revenue source. Please don’t throw them out! |
Did you know that ReciCaribe is a model recycling association for all of Latin America, even the world? We’ll soon have more options in recyclable materials in our little corner of the world than in New York City! Currently we recycle most plastics (#1, #2, #5), all kinds of glass (minus light bulbs,) and aluminum!
Did you know that ReciCaribe is a non-profit association that owes it success to the support of individuals and businesses in Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo, Cahuita, BriBri and other surrounding communities? Their financial and material support keeps the operation running. “Reci” currently employees six employees, all Costa Rican. Everyone else that works with Reci is an unpaid volunteer working to make Talamanca a healthier place.
Right now ReciCaribe is working with a grant* to expand the recycling center located in Patiño-between Hone Creek and BriBri. They’ll get a larger work space, a materials compactor, a glass breaker, and a washing station. This new equipment will allow them to increase greatly the amount of materials processed, to recycle All types of plastics, and soon to run a test project for recycling cardboard!
Don’t start sending in the new materials yet, they’ll let you know when they’re going to want to start collecting everything recyclable, to let nothing recyclable go to the open air dump in Olivia.
*The grant is solely for the purposes of this expansion, there’s not a dime for purchasing gasoline or paying salaries, so your generous support is still GREATLY appreciated.
They are working on a lot of other projects too - you can read the rest of this article updating you on the happenings of ReciCaribe on the GreenCoast News.
May
23
Greenpeace Denies Endorsing Marina
May 23, 2008 | Tags: Economic Development, Environment | Leave a Comment
Greenpeace has denied any endorsement of the marina project proposed for Puerto Viejo.
The newspaper Seminario Universidad of the Universidad de Costa Rica had quoted Walter Coto, an ex-government minister who now acts as the lawyer for Grupo Caribeño Internacional S.A., saying that the company projects “a design and use of construction techniques certified by the ecological organization Greenpeace.”
The article was first published in February, but got the attention of Greenpeace when it was referenced by the Argentinian news source Argenpress.info Tuesday.
“Greenpeace does not have, nor has had, any kind of relationship with the Grupo Caribeño Internacional S.A.,” said Milko Schvartzman, the ocean campaign co-ordinator for Greenpeace Latin America.
“Greenpeace has not certified any project of that corporation and does not dedicate itself to certifying projects,” he added
The organization’s statement also said that it opposes projects that have a negative effect on the environment. After analyzing documents by scientists and environmentalists about the marina, it continues, Greenpeace manifests its opposition to the marina project.
Due to pressure from environmentalists, who say the five-star marina resort will damage nature reservations near Puerto Viejo, the company has already said it will only be constructing a marina with 100 slips for yachts rather than the originally planned 398.
Source: A.M. Costa Rica: Greenpeace denies it has approved Puerto Viejo marina plan
Apr
19
Marina and Environmental Concerns Draw National and International Media Attention
April 19, 2008 | Tags: Community News, Economic Development, Environment | 5 Comments
 Tourists watch for monkeys along the canals of Tortuguero National Park. Government reports released last fall revealed that 97 percent of Costa Rica’s sewage flows untreated into rivers, streams, or the ocean. Photo by David Sherwood, courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor |
The hot issues of development and the environment and the way they are being played against each other continue to draw a lot of media attention to the Puerto Viejo area.
The Tico Times again features the story this week as their Top Story. The article, entitled Puerto Viejo Marina Plan Eyed Warily by Natives, discusses the effect that the marina project would have on the local Bri Bri people. The article proposes that the project could not only damage the low-key ecotourism that the area has developed on but could also herald the disappearance of Talamanca’s other resource, the indigenous culture.
Timoteo Jackson, a native Bribrí leader, is quoted as saying, “for us indigenous, this is only a bad thing.
“Right now, we have tourists coming to see nature, conservation and the indigenous way, but this will stop if the marina comes.”
The influential Christian Science Monitor recently weighed in on the struggle to find a balance between sustaining nature and continuing economic development in Costa Rica. The article, entitled Costa Rica sees tourism’s environmental dark side, goes into the water quality problems that recently caused the shutdown of several large hotels on the Pacific and the loss of blue flag status for a number of Costa Rica’s beaches, including our own Playa Negra.
The article strikes an alarming tone: “In the past decade, construction of hotels, second homes, and condominiums has surged in coastal regions, taking advantage of a vacuum in planning and enforcement. The total land area that has been developed grew 600 percent in that time, according to a government report. As a result, the biodiversity that has long lured visitors is disappearing, say scientists. Monkey and turtle populations are plummeting, and infrastructure is strained to a near breaking point.”
But it does go on to acknowledge that, despite all the problems, ”Costa Rica remains decades ahead of its neighbors” in environmenal protection and that the goverment “seems increasingly willing to listen.”
Televison news has not shied away from coverage either as this TV news report shows:
If you can’t view the video on this page, click here to see it on YouTube.
Apr
15
Environmental Inspectors Shut Down Construction at Several Hotels
April 15, 2008 | Tags: Economic Development, Environment | 6 Comments
 Inspectors confirm logging is occuring in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge. Photo courtesy La Nación. |
The inspectors from the environmental tribunal who arrived in a large group last week have shut down several construction projects.
The construction on a new hotel in Puerto Viejo was shut down with the inspectors saying that the construction was infringing upon the restricted maritime zone of Playa Negra. The property, owned by a lawyer whose name has not been reported, was apparently about to start operations.
Two other hotels, both located in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge protected zone, had their expansion construction projects halted.
At the hotel Villas del Caribe at Playa Cocles, inspectors said that the expansion of the hotel was not respecting the maritime zone boundaries. The hotel was apparently also using coral to line paths and gardens.
The inspectors also shut down the construction of a concrete building by Hotel Almonds and Corals (located between Punta Uva and Manzanillo). Apparently 2,500 square meters of forest had been cleared to build the project which is located at the entrance to the hotel.
The hotel is denying that the construction project is theirs.
The chairman of the Tribunal, Jose Lino Perez, lamented the disorder found in the area. “The Wildlife Refuge is not being respected. There are houses inside, logging and construction in public areas occuring without permits,” he said.
Still, Perez said the situation is not as serious as in the Pacific, where the same court closed three hotels with 380 rooms.
“Here there is less investment and it shows. Yet our intervention is timely to ensure that the tourism development begins to take off in the area is sustainable. We must try to preserve this paradise.”
Reporting from: La Nación: Tribunal Ambiental frena obras en Limón.
Apr
10
Environmental Court Inspects Area
April 10, 2008 | Tags: Environment, Local Business News | 1 Comment
The Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo (Environmental Administrative Court) began on Apr 7 their program “Barrida Environmental Limon”, with 14 experts inspecting the developments and projects in Limon Province. According to La Nación, the inspections are to take place in the mountains, in farms, in the centre of the province and in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge.
One local hotel owner reported “1 van load and 2 SUVs of MINAE inspectors” arriving unannounced at his hotel yesterday to ask questions.
This is the second of its kind. The first campaign was conducted on the Pacific coast.
The Talamanca News welcomes this effort to root out the few bad apples who are not treating our tropical paradise with the respect it deserves.
Apr
6
Marina Foes Launch Website
April 6, 2008 | Tags: Economic Development, Environment | 3 Comments
 Site of the proposed marina. Graphic courtesy of La Nacion |
Opponents of the Playa Negra marina have launched a website, www.salvemospuertoviejo.com, to act as an information source for those wanting to take action about the marina.
The website, in Spanish, links to several news stories on the marina as well as links to different government agencies where letters opposing the project can be sent.
Mar
31
Current Puerto Viejo Weather and Forecast now Available! Surfing too
March 31, 2008 | Tags: Environment, Site news | Leave a Comment
We’ve just found a weather service which is providing current weather conditions and forecasts for Puerto Viejo, Cahuita and Manzanillo! See the Weather Page.
Used to be the closest information we could get was for Limon which as we all know despite just being 75 minutes driving north, could have very different conditions.
No idea where AccuWeather is getting their information. The weather forecasts from Costa Rica’s Instituto Meteorólogical Nacional still show their closest forecasts are for Limon and Sixaola.
They even offer 15 day forecasts on their site although we know that the potential accuracy of a 15 day forecast for this area has to be rather limited with the quickly changing weather we have.
We’ve also updated the weather page to add more information about surfing conditions in the area. Check out surfing conditions.
Mar
30
Update on Wastewater and Blue Flag Certification
March 30, 2008 | Tags: Environment | Leave a Comment
 Untreated grey water runs down a street in Mexico. |
We received a letter (below, translated from Spanish) from Rolando Soto, of the Caribe Sur Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, giving us an update on the ongoing efforts of his group and the community with regards to two important related issues facing our community that have been reported recently in the Talamanca News: Playa Negra losing its blue flag certification and the lack of municipal wastewater treatment facilities in Puerto Viejo.
The chamber has continued for more than 2 years to insist with the municipality and the Minister of Health that the 3 creeks which drain grey water (*editor: see note below) from the town of Puerto Viejo into the sea, must be treated. The treatment of grey water is neither very complicated nor expensive. In our case it would require only political will and action on the part of our authorities. It is for this reason that our beautiful Playa Negra beach in front of Puerto Viejo lost its blue flag. The chamber has again offered its collaboration with the Development Association and other persons interested in this problem to try to resolve this problem soon. The chamber can be contacted at turismocaribesur@yahoo.com.
*In much of Costa Rica and in much of the world (but not so familiar to North Americans), ”black water” (from the toilet) and “grey water” (from sinks and showers) are separately drained with the black water flowing to a septic system and the grey waters being sent in a separate direction. A properly constructed grey water field will treat these waters properly without contaminating creeks, the sea or ground water. But unfortunately many grey water systems are just drains which flow where they will. In this case, it is clear that this is the cause of the problem in Puerto Viejo.
Mar
29
Puerto Viejo’s Playa Negra loses Costa Rica Blue Flag Certification
March 29, 2008 | Tags: Environment | 1 Comment
 Map of Costa Rica Beaches with the Blue Flag designation and those that recently lost it. Map courtesy of La Nación. Click the image for a larger copy. |
Eight beaches this week were defrocked of their Bandera Azul Ecológica (Ecological Blue Flag) designation.
Recognizing that three-quarters of visitors to Costa Rica make a beach excursion, the national water utility, Aqueductos y Alcantarillados, in conjunction with the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, began evaluating and ranking water and environmental quality in coastal communities in 1996. Beaches that achieved a 90 percent score were awarded a Bandera Azul Ecológica (ecological blue flag) to fly as a symbol of excellence.
In Puerto Viejo, Playa Negra the beach on the North side of downtown Puerto Viejo has lost its certification. Local business owners have speculated whether the source could be the 2 creeks that run out of town into the beach area and have welcomed efforts by health officials to more closely monitor wastewater outflows from local businesses.
But Playa Negra also stretches all the way North to Cahuita National Park and presumably the area which was tested was the area close to town. Unfortunately the part close to town is also the most popular beach for both swimmers, due to its proximity to town, and for surfers, due to its wave break, which is excellent for beginning surfers.
 The Blue Flag continues to fly at Punta Uva as well as other area beaches. |
The other area beaches with the blue flag certification: Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita, Punta Uva, Mile Creek and Gandoca/Manzanillo all retained their blue flag status. The 3 Cahuita beaches with the certification: Playa Blanca, Playa Negra de Cahuita and Puerto Vargas also all retained their blue flag status.
All the other beaches which lost their certifications were on the Pacific in the Guanacaste and Puntarenas provinces. They were: Arenilla, Ocotal, Tamarindo, Manzanillo, Agujas, Pelada de Nosara and Dominical.
Tamarindo’s beach did not regain certification, even though Mayor Jorge Chavarría said that the test he ordered in February showed the beach was much better than August 2007 tests conducted by the National Water and Sewer Institute. The August test results led to that beach losing its designation and a wave of inspections by the Health Ministry that resulted in 65 sewage citations and 11 business closures. The daily La Nación reported that Tamarindo received the worst rating from the Blue Flag program, which is run out of the National Water Laboratory, because of fecal contamination.
More on this story:
La Nación: Ocho playas pierden Bandera Azul por contaminación
Tico Times: 8 Costa Rican beaches lose Blue Flag
Mar
4
Health Officials to Monitor Wasterwate on Caribbean Coast
March 4, 2008 | Tags: Environment, Health, Tourism | 6 Comments
 The public restroom at the beach in Puerto Viejo |
The Ministerio de Salud has announced that every establishment catering to tourists and travelers will be asked to open its doors to inspectors who will assess the businesses sewage systems and whether they are contaminating the environment.
The announcement of the inspections comes in the aftermath of the closures of a number of businesses on the Pacific Coast after dangeoursly elevated fecal levels were discovered in the waters of the popular beach resort Tamarindo. Eleven businesses were closed as a result of the ministry of health investigation that followed.
Instances of hotels contaminating everything from rivers to the ocean have been popping up with alarming frequency along the Pacific Coast since this discovery. February saw the closure of Hotel Allegro Papagayo, located on Playa Manzanillo in Guanacaste (not to be confused with our local village Manzanillo just southeast of Puerto Viejo). This hotel was accused of lacking adequate facilities to treat the wastewater produced by the four-star, 600-capacity operation. Instead it was depositing it in nearby streams and in under-equipped treatment plants.
The most recent offense discovered was in Jacó, in a pool known as “Charco Anita.” Blame has fallen on Condominiums Tropical and Paradise, which had not been turning in operational reports to the ministry of health for a year. Owner Randall Van Patten was ordered to block the pipes that carry the wastewater to the site, and has been given 20 days to correct the problems.
The health ministry has promised a national review and the study in the Caribbean is part of that process.
The study in Limón Province only has 30 days for completion, and Inez Muñoz, the departmental environment officer, said that it lacks adequate personnel and transport facilities.
“Each region within the province is helping by making an inventory of hotels and tourist facilities within their area,” said Ms. Muñoz. “We do not yet have these so we do not have an exact idea of how many establishments we will be investigating. Our aim is to make sure everything is in order, and at this point I am quite sure that we will find some things that are not.”
Limón province has not seen a study like this before. In the past, the department of health for Limón dealt with each case of contamination as it occurred.
Since the government had already recognized that the growth in Puerto Viejo had outstripped the capacity of the systems and pledged money to deal with it (see Government Announces Money to Improve Puerto Viejo Water and Sewer, Talamanca News, Sept 21, 2007), it is not clear what action the government will take and whether that could include closures.
Read more: A.M. Costa Rica: Health officials to survey businesses on Caribbean
Jan
23
Court action threatened to block Marina
January 23, 2008 | Tags: Environment, Government and Politics | 3 Comments
 Many local residents fear the marina project could further damage the area’s coral reefs |
Back in October we wrote (Talamanca News, Oct 23, Community presents petition asking for more info and meeting on Marina) that various community residents and community groups had presented a letter to the municipality asking them to hold a public meeting on the proposed marina project to give the community a chance to ask questions of the municipality and of the developer on how they would mitigate environmental impacts and other questions on how the project would affect our commmunity. And while the mayor initially responded positively to that request, promising a meeting, it never came about. Instead interested residents held their own meeting in December (Talamanca News, Dec 12, Most Attendees at Marina Meeting Oppose Plans; Experts Highlight Risks), without the participation of either the municipality or the developer.
Well some local residents and community are tired of waiting for the municipality to offer public information on this $40 million mega-project and so have issued an ultimatum to the mayor of Talamanca. A letter demanding answers was sent Monday.
If no reply is received from Mayor Rugelis Morales Rodríguez within 10 days, the residents, supported by the Asociación Preservacionista de Flora y Fauna Silvestre, threaten to file an appeal with the Sala IV constitutional court, asking magistrates to pronounce the marina project illegal.
A release by the Asociación Preservacionista de Flora y Fauna Silvestre claims that the project will damage more than 18.5 hectares of living reef, which currently protects the coast form erosion.
The project announced by consortium Grupo Caribeño Internacional S.A. includes a huge marina for Playa Negra with berths for 384 boats. The plan includes the building of 2 breakwaters, a commercial zone, administrative offices, a artisan’s marketplace and yacht repair and maintenance facilities. The investors behind the group plan to invest $40,000,000 in the project and say it will create about 2,000 jobs. The plan has split the community, with many ex-pats and those who prefer the natural state of the community opposing it but many local residents seeing an opportunity for more jobs and money.
See more: A.M. Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo residents issue an ultimatum to local mayor.
Jan
9
Race is fun way to bring Marina issue up in community
January 9, 2008 | Tags: Community Calendar, Environment, Sports | Leave a Comment
| January 26, 2008 |
On Saturday, January 26 COVIRENAS (Committee for Community Vigilance of Natural Resources) of Puerto Viejo-Cocles and the Corona del Mar Surf Club are sponsoring an event intended to spark open discussion about the proposed marina in Puerto Viejo. The plan is a kayak or longboard race beginning from in front of the lifeguard tower in Cocles, traveling across the area of the sea where the proposed marina may be, ditching your boat or board by the famous barge in front Buen Precio Pulperia and sprinting on the beach for the last 50 meters to the events stage on Black Beach–by Pan Dulce road which ends the area the marina is proposed to encompass. The event will start in late morning with music on Cocles Beach and surf contests. The organizers are looking for folks to support the event by donating conservation-minded prizes for the winners of different categories for the race. Everyone from people with serious sea legs to land-lovers are welcome to participate. Boat-less folks are invited to bike the route to show your support. Sign up the morning of the race on Cocles Beach. For more information about the competition write to martequi@yahoo.com or call 876 2830
To get involved with the committee that’s respectfully working to bring the municipal government and Marina investors to town to provide details to the community about the plan for the marina please call don Guido at 756 8165 or write to atecmail@gmail.com or swing by ATEC to get more details.
See more: Greencoast.com: Clean Ocean Big Water Paddle Board Race.
Jan
1
December was wettest month in almost 3 years
January 1, 2008 | Tags: Environment | 1 Comment
It sure felt like it and now local resident Charlotte’s rain gauge confirms it: December was very wet! She recorded 25.8 inches / 655 mm of rain in December, the most since 27.9 inches fell in January 2005 and substantially more than our December average of 16.5 inches.
2007 rainfall was 14.2″ in Jan, 2.8″ in Feb, 6.9″ in Mar, 6.9″ in Apr, 12.4″ in May, 10.2″ in June, 12.2″ in July, 7.9″ in Aug, 7.6″ in Sept, 6″ in Oct, 22.6″ in November and 25.8″ in December confirming the trend that most reliably “dry” months of the year are September and October.
Of course we Caribbean residents don’t complain about the rain. It makes everything so beautiful and green! Plus the rain is spread out over the year and not so seasonal like on the Pacific where getting drenched then drought is the norm.
Click on over to the Weather page to see the full weather chart in an enlarged version as well as local forecasts and info at any time. Or if you just want a soundtrack to go with the rain, head on over to the Photos, Videos and Blogs page and see the video Puerto Viejo “When it Rains”.
Dec
22
Winter solstice arrives with nary a squeek
December 22, 2007 | Tags: Environment | Leave a Comment
 Lanterns from the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, Vancouver, BC. Photos by Steena. |
I’m currently celebrating the holidays in Vancouver, Canada. Dec 21st is celebrated here not as the official beginning of winter but as the Winter Solstice, the shortest day/longest night of the year which means the days just get longer and the sun starts to return from here on out!
Costa Ricans don’t pay much attention to the solstice, nor to the official start of winter as we learned it in school up north; not surprising really as the difference between the longest and shortest day in Costa Rica is minimal, although actually more than I expected:
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Length of day |
| Dec 21, 2007 | 5:48 AM | 5:21 PM | 11h 32m 35s |
| Jun 21, 2008 | 5:17 AM | 5:59 PM | 12h 42m 30s |
A difference of over an hour (these times are for San Jose) but compare that to Vancouver where the shortest day is 8h 11m long and the longest 16h 14m, almost double.
Costa Ricans instead of celebrating the seasonal changes on Apr 21st, June 21st, Sept 21st and Dec 21st, have only two seasons: Winter (known in tourist brochure venacular as the “Green season”) from May to November when it’s wetter and Summer from December to April when it’s dryer. Of course, as those of us in the Caribbean know well, even this distinction is rather moot in our area, where the rain and dry pretty much alternate year round. Although if you check the Puerto Viejo Weather page, you’ll note that September and October are actually our dryest months.
I look for my personal summer to return Jan 8 when I return to Puerto Viejo.
Happy Holidays all from Puerto Viejo Satellite and The Talamanca News!
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