Costa Rica to become a Carbon Neutral Tourist Destination Right Now.

Costa Rica announced plans to become the world's first carbon-neutral tourist destination.

At a sustainable tourism conference, the country's ecotourism organization (CANAECO) and the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications signed an agreement that puts in place a system to cover the offsetting of tourists' flights.

Visitors to Costa Rica will not be asked to pick up the costs of the carbon offset for their flights (approx. US$10-$30 per tourists) and offset costs will be raised from those businesses who benefit from a tourist visit to Costa Rica - from international tour operators down to the small lodge housing visitors during their stay, making the ecological effort more affordable.

This is just part of Costa Rica's commitment to become carbon-neutral over all by 2021.

While the tourist receives a carbon-offsetting certificate and the money raised will go to the nation's forestry financing fund (FONAFIFA) to plant what will basically be carbon-absorption forests. Most of the trees to be planted will be indigenous, and will have a 20-year lifespan – at that point, the trees pass their maximum carbon-absorbing ability and will be harvested, with the local farmer receiving the profit.

Full and excellent coverage of this story can be seen at the Globe and Mail

Synthetic Trees - an update

Of the various geoengineering schemes being proposed to cool an overheated planet, one approach — extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using “artificial trees” — may have the most potential. But both questions and big hurdles remain before this emerging technology could be widely deployed.by David Biello in Environment 360, Business and Innovation section.

A tiny pinwheel spins in the desert breeze atop the roof of the Global Research Technologies headquarters in Tucson. For seven months, the pinwheel has endured the blazing Arizona sun, blistering heat, wind, dust, and — finally — torrential rains. At the end of it all, the synthetic resin that makes up this seeming child’s toy has pulled carbon dioxide from the air that flowed through it and, with the rains, released it again. The pinwheel is one of the first demonstrations of a technology that may one day be in great demand this century: devices that can extract from the air some of the billions of tons of heat-trapping CO2 being generated by industrial society. Known loosely as “artificial trees” for their ability to mimic a plant’s own uptake of carbon, such “air capture” technology has been touted as one of the most promising of the many proposed geoengineering schemes that could be used to cool an overheated planet.“If we really do get into a situation where we realize that we’ve changed the atmosphere too much for our own well-being, there are at least ways to back off of that,” argues climate scientist Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution of Washington at Stanford University, an expert on geoengineering.

“There’s no fundamental limit on how much you could scale those activities up. It’s mostly a matter of how many resources you throw at it.”Recent reports from the U.K.’s Royal Society and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers singled out air capture as the safest and potentially most effective of proposed geoengineering technologies. Even if the technology is successful, scientists face the problem of what to do with the CO2. Although air capture is certainly not without its environmental impacts, the two groups noted that other geoengineering schemes — such as seeding the oceans with iron to stimulate the growth of CO2-absorbing algae, mimicking a volcanic eruption to shade the planet, or launching mirrors into space to deflect the sun’s energy away from Earth — could have far more unpredictable and potentially destabilizing effects.

Proponents of air-capture technology acknowledge it is far from a perfect solution and will not enable humankind to continue spewing CO2 into the atmosphere with impunity. First, although it has been successfully tested on a small scale, air capture is at least five years away from being tested on a larger scale and, after that, could take at least two decades before it could be widely deployed. Second, to set up enough artificial trees to make a dent in reducing the vast amounts of CO2 being produced by humanity would require massive production at enormous expense.“The cost estimates for capturing CO2 from ambient air are gross underestimates,” says principal research engineer Howard Herzog at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It’s actually still a question whether it will take more energy to capture CO2 than the CO2 associated with [fossil fuel] energy in the first place.”

Even if artificial trees do prove capable of pulling large amounts of CO2 from the air, scientists then face the problem of what to do with that carbon dioxide. Underground sequestration — one possible solution — is still in the experimental stages. And deploying such artificial trees on a mass scale will have significant environmental costs, including producing the electricity needed to run them, the large land area the air capture devices would occupy, and the manufacture and installation of devices using resins, plastics, and other substances that could release air pollutants.As the Royal Society report notes, air capture could “require the creation of an industry that moves material on a scale as large as (if not larger than) that of current fossil fuel extraction, with the risk of substantial local environmental degradation and significant energy requirements.”In short, to extract enough CO2 from the atmosphere to begin to lower temperatures would require decades of building millions of air-capture devices that have been refined to minimize their environmental impact.

Political scientist Roger Pielke, Jr. of the University of Colorado-Boulder estimates that 650 billion tons of carbon will need to be disposed of by 2100 to keep atmospheric concentrations of CO2 around 450 parts per million, a level that could easily lead to temperature rises of 2 degrees C (3.6 F) or higher.“You need 30 years of development time and 100 years of deployment before you start to see the effect you’re looking for,” says oceanographer John Shepherd, who led the Royal Society study of air capture and other geoengineering technologies.That said, if humanity fails to rein in its greenhouse gas emissions, the need for air capture technology could be urgent. If emissions are not reined in, the need for air capture technology could be urgent.After all, concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide have reached 387 parts-per-million (ppm), more than 100 ppm higher than pre-industrial levels and quickly moving beyond what some consider to be a safe level of 350 ppm. Since the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, fossil fuel CO2 emissions have grown by more than 30 percent and overall human-caused emissions have now reached roughly 30 billion tons per year.“Unless future efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are much more successful than they have been so far,” the Royal Society wrote in its September report, “additional action may be required should it become necessary to cool the Earth this century.” Pulling CO2 from the air is simple chemistry. After all, a bottle of sodium hydroxide — also known as lye and a primary constituent of everything from soap to pulp and paper — must be kept carefully sealed. That’s because the strong base — the opposite of acid — will be neutralized if exposed to air by rapidly sucking up the CO2 and then transforming the lye into sodium carbonate and, ultimately, baking soda. The captured CO2 can then be extracted via the industrial process of heating the compound above 900 degrees C in a kiln, releasing the CO2, and enabling the sodium hydroxide to regenerate its ability to suck up yet more CO2.The process works, but as physicist Klaus Lackner at Columbia University’s Earth Institute — one of the scientists behind the GRT pinwheel — explains, “The energy to pry out the CO2 is very high.” So-called “artificial trees” mimic a plant’s own uptake of carbon.That’s why Lackner has moved in the direction of finding a strong base resin, such as Dow Chemical’s Marathon A, typically used to produce purified water. The synthetic resin in the pinwheel absorbs CO2 to form bicarbonates when dry, but then spits out the CO2 when exposed to water. “Basically, we can swing between being dry and wet,” Lackner says. “Let the resin sit in air, because air will dry it, and it will absorb CO2, taking an hour to load up. Make it wet, and it’s an hour to unload.”This type of device could be housed in an “oversized furnace filter,” about three feet wide by eight feet long, loosely filled with sheets of the resin, constituting the leaves of this artificial tree. Such a device could capture CO2 for less than $300 per metric ton, though it wouldn’t function in cold climates or the humid tropics.

A number of experiments involving air capture technologies are underway, ranging from efforts to use solid amines — ammonia transformed into compounds capable of bonding with CO2 — to technologies now used to capture some flue gases from exhaust at fossil fuel-fired power plants. Scientists also are attempting to use algae — the workhorses of the Earth’s natural carbon cycle — to cleanse the air of excess CO2. That could have the benefit of creating a new source of fuel or power, since algae incorporate nearly as much energy per kilogram as coal. But as the U.K.’s Institution of Mechanical Engineers put it, algae bioreactors “are a fledgling technology and at the moment are too expensive to be commercially viable.”Artificial trees, on the other hand, could be available as soon as next decade.

The mechanical engineers believe a demonstration could occur as soon as 2014, followed by a full-scale “artificial forest” by 2018 and global deployment by 2040. In the long term, such air capture theoretically has the potential to cancel out human emissions of CO2, according to earth system scientist Tim Lenton of the University of East Anglia.Assuming that CO2 can be pulled from ambient air, that still leaves the other half of the problem: storing it safely somewhere. Efforts to capture CO2 from coal-fired power plants have seized upon geologic sequestration as a potential solution.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the continental U.S. alone has room for 3.9 trillion tons of CO2 underground, more than enough room for the 3.2 billion tons emitted every year by large industrial sources. Still, major questions remain about underground sequestration, including its impact on groundwater supplies, subterranean pressure, and the potential for the CO2 to leak back into the atmosphere.Certain geologic formations may offer a solution by mimicking the chemical transformation of air capture itself. Basalt formations — a residue of volcanic activity — can absorb CO2 and, over decades, transform it into minerals. An experiment by Reykjavik Energy to prove the concept by injecting the CO2 from a geothermal power plant into basalt beneath the surface is underway in Iceland, which is primarily composed of the igneous rock.Even if technology and storage issues are resolved, CO2 air capture will require significant amounts of new electricity to power the devices. Lackner proposes a new fleet of nuclear reactors or widespread solar power.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers estimates that it could take as many as 10 million air-capture devices sucking up one metric ton of CO2 per day to absorb just 3.6 billion tons — about one-tenth of current global emissions. The costs of deploying these devices could be staggering. Climatologist James Hansen estimates it would cost roughly $20 trillion per 50 ppm of CO2 removed. “It’s on the scale of the global military effort,” the Carnegie Institution’s Caldeira says. “The tragedy is there’s no reason to be considering these options at all if we could just learn to cooperate [on reducing emissions], but the evidence that we are learning to cooperate is not very strong.”Still, Lackner remains undeterred. By the end of the year, he hopes to have a small demonstration of his resin-based artificial tree — looking more like a mobile home with a large pinwheel on top — running at Columbia University.

Physicist David Keith of the University of Calgary will launch his air capture company, which uses amines to extract CO2, in October.“If we had lots of money and things went really well, we could build a pilot plant in five years,” Keith says. “I’m not saying we will be. This field is filled with people’s overconfidence.”The Royal Society’s Shepherd said that, given the expense of air capture technology, “the first line of defense would be carbon capture and storage and taking it out at the point of emission.” But air capture could be effective in offsetting emissions from sources such as airlines, Shepherd said.The challenges — and expense — of air capture also serve as a stark reminder to policy makers that the best tactic for combating climate change is to pursue energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and avoid emitting CO2 in the first place. As the Royal Society report notes: “The safest and most predictable method of moderating climate change is to take early and effective action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. No geoengineering method can provide an easy or readily acceptable alternative solution to the problem of climate change.”Not even artificial trees.

POSTED ON 08 Oct 2009 IN Business & Innovation section of Environment 360

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Costa Rica is the Safest Country in Latin America

The third annual Latin Security Index developed by FTI Consulting Ibero America for Latin Business Chronicle has ranked Costa Rica as the most secure country in Lain America for foreign multinationals and their executives.

The Latin Security Index measures the danger level in Latin America based on a number of factors affecting corporate security and the safety of foreign business executives. These ratings are based on official numbers from public security secretariats, local police, governments, NGO's and institutes of criminal investigations.

Each country receives rating from 1 to 5 with 1 representing a non-dangerous country and 5 representing a very dangerous country.

Full coverage of this story is available in Inside Costa Rica.

Shameless Plug

Andrea Kirkby wrote an excellent extensive article on Costa Rica Invest and the opportunities in Cost Rica and Finca Di Pacifico Dos in the Overseas Property Professional Magazine and you can download the article here

Shameless self promotion!

Nature Air Ranked Number 1 Eco Friendly Airline Worldwide

According to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, the CO2 from aviation accounts for 1.6% of all global greenhouse gas emissions and is set to reach 2.5% by 2050. IATA started the environmental movement for airlines by setting an important and semnificant goal – creating a zero-emissions airplane within 50 years.

Last month, the airline industry also made a pledge to halve emissions by 2050 to force the development of a new, greener technology they can use. Some airlines have went further by pioneering new eco-friendly technologies that really make a statement. The Airline Post's picked the 5 most eco friendly airlines in the world and at number 1, they placed Nature Air, Costa Rica's national airline.

The airline is built on a 100% carbon neutral aviation program. Nature Air, Costa Rica’s national airline, engages passengers in a carbon offset scheme and a commitment for fuel reduction, both on the ground and in the air. They operate 74 daily flights with 8 aircrafts and improved fuel efficiency by 7% by training their crew, reducing aircrafts’ weight and focusing on flight planning. Nature Air has developed Costa Rica’s only bio-diesel fueling station and aims to become climate neutral by 2021, when the country will celebrate 200 years of independence.

To read the full story on The Airline Post's website just click here

What is the cost of living in Costa Rica

I am often asked about the cost of living in Costa Rica and I came across this excellent article by Jerry Minchey which gives a good indication as to just how cheaply you can live (and live well) in Costa Rica.

Can You Live in Costa Rica on Your Social Security? - Five Facts and Techniques to Help You Decide

Just to see if it could be done, I lived in Costa Rica for five months last year on my Social Security check. And I didn't just get by, I lived very well.

Before I get the to five techniques that will allow you to live in Costa Rica on your Social Security, let me give you a few real-life examples from my experiences.

To start with you don't need a car. You can go anywhere on new modern buses. (The roads are rough, but the buses are nice.) Buses pass most points (even in rural areas) every hour and most of the time every 30 minutes. The fare to anywhere is about one US dollar an hour.

Food is inexpensive IF you buy things that are grown or processed in Costa Rica and this includes about everything. For example Heineken beer and Oreo cookies are cheap, (but don't try to even find fig bars). Beer is cheap, but wine is about the same as in the US because they don't produce wine - at least, not much. A good meal at a restaurant (bar-b-que ribs, or steak and all trimmings) will run you less than $3 and that includes dessert, tax and the tip.

Costa Rica orange juice is about $1 for a half gallon and Florida orange juice is about $7 for half gallon. In other words, watch prices and buy local products. Farmer's markets are a great place to get fresh produce at extremely low prices. For example pineapples are four or five for a dollar depending on the size.

I lived in an almost new (less than a year old) house for three months and the rent was $600 a month for everything - utilities, phone, high speed Internet and cable TV. Then I stayed in a new apartment (I was the first person to live in the apartment) and the same things were furnished. The rent for the new apartment was only $450 a month and again this covered everything.

I think you are beginning to see that it's quite possible to live well in Costa Rica even with a small Social Security check each month.

By the way, medicine and first rate health care are both inexpensive. Many people go to Costa Rica for dental work and cosmetic surgery because the prices are extremely cheap and quality is first rate.

Yes, you can drink the water. Costa Rica is rated as the cleanest country in Central America. I ate and drank in restaurants all over Costa Rica for five months and I never got sick.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for eating in the US. The first night after I arrived I got sick as a dog (from food I had eaten in the Ft. Lauderdale airport). I know this was the case because I had not had anything to eat or drink in Costa Rica before I got sick.

Since I was so sick that night, at 9:00 p.m. friends took me into town to see the local pharmacist. He lived behind the pharmacy and he came in from his home, checked me over and gave me some medicine and gave me a shot (yes, pharmacists can prescribe medicine and give shots in Costa Rica).

He also gave me his home phone number and his cell phone number and told me to call him if I needed him during the night. I was well the next morning and never got sick again for the next five months I was in Costa Rica.

So yes, you can live in Costa Rica on a small monthly Social Security check. And you will not be just surviving, you can live very well.

Here are the five techniques that will help you to live in Costa Rica on your Social Security check.

#1. Rent a small apartment -- $400 to $500 a month. (Remember, this includes everything - electricity, Internet, Cable TV, phone, water, etc.)

#2. Buy locally produced food and get a lot of it from one of the many farmer's markets. $100 a month per person is easy to do.

#3. Yes, you can eat out some. Just don't over do it.

#4. Travel by bus.

#5. One last point -- Check out Spirit Airlines' $9 club. They have $9 fares (each way) from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Costa Rica almost every month. Just be flexible with your travel dates.

This covers the basics and for many Social Security budgets this will leave a reasonable amount for extra things you want to buy, see and do.

Will these techniques allow you to live in Costa Rica on your Social Security check?

The answer depends on the size of your Social Security check and your definition of "living" verses "existing."

Jerry Minchey is an engineer, author and researcher. He cuts through the hype and gets down to the bare facts to reveal secrets that are easy to understand using non-technical terms. He has written several books and produced DVDs as a results of his research.

To see what people are saying who have moved to Costa Rica (or are considering moving), check out the Costa Rica Forum.

To see examples of new apartments you can rent for $450 a month (completely furnished with utilities, phone, cable TV and high speed wireless Internet included), take a look at some Costa Rica Apartments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Minchey