A negative environmental effect of free trade in Costa Rica is the regulatory effects it will have on such things as policy. Free trade has the possibility of paralyzing environmental regulations because these regulations are seen as restrictions on free trade and thus are given a negative connotation. One example of this is the issue with intellectual property rights.
Conversely, technology effects could be very positive for Costa Rica. There could be new environmentally friendly technologies that would help with a huge range of problems including waste and waste water management, renewable energies, sustainable agriculture and many more. Costa Rica could benefit greatly from new information technology as well.
Though social issues and environmental issues are inextricably linked, there are some impacts of free trade in Costa Rica that lean more towards social issues. One of these is the income effect. With bigger companies coming in, people with small businesses can’t compete. This leads to unemployment. This is also an environmental issue because those people will have little choice but to begin farming land that could otherwise have remained forested.
Though it could go either way, free trade might create a product effect that would increase the amount of green products in the country. As the Kuznet curve shows, wealthier populations show more interested in caring for their environment. Consumer demand for green products is an example of this phenomenon.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
NRM- Strengths and Weaknesses of Bottom Up Natural Resource Management.
The main weakness of bottom up natural resource management is the lack of governmental support and resources. With smaller, bottom up management, the funding and resources that could possibly have been allocated to natural resource management initiatives are harder to come by. The support that governments can give is useful because it gives the group legitimacy and makes it harder to stop initiatives. If the Tarcoles river initiative had more governmental support, perhaps it would not have been shut down. Without governmental leadership, bottom up resource management can also become decentralized to the point of disorganization.
A strength in bottom up natural resource management is that it gives power to the people who will really be affected by the issues. Instead of waiting around for a government official to make a decision on something that has no pertinence to his/her life, bottom up makes use of the people who feel the consequences of resource exploitation. It also is much more efficient in that it directly works with the ones responsible for resource use instead of being removed from the problem, like top down management is.
A strength in bottom up natural resource management is that it gives power to the people who will really be affected by the issues. Instead of waiting around for a government official to make a decision on something that has no pertinence to his/her life, bottom up makes use of the people who feel the consequences of resource exploitation. It also is much more efficient in that it directly works with the ones responsible for resource use instead of being removed from the problem, like top down management is.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Culture- William Walker Biography
William Walker was a famous American Filibuster. Filibusters were adventurers who attempted to invade Latin American countries in the 1800's. He was born in Tennesee in 1824. He got his medical degree very early but tried out many professions before becoming a politician and army leader. He declared himself the president of lower California and eventually of Nicaragua as well. Costa Rica became involved when they sent an army to Nicaragua out of concern that Walker would soon turn his attention to their country. This started a war between Walker’s “Immortals” and the Costa Rican army, though more soldiers died from disease than were killed in the war.
He launched several more invasions but was thwarted continually by the British Navy. Walker is also famous for his pro-slavery stance and his book, “The War in Nicaragua.” Though Walker was finally captured and executed in Honduras, he had the potential to alter history greatly. Had he been successful in invading the Central American countries, the tide of the civil war could have been changed since there would have been more support for slavery. In Costa Rica there is a national park and monument devoted to the battle during which Walker was driven from the country.
He launched several more invasions but was thwarted continually by the British Navy. Walker is also famous for his pro-slavery stance and his book, “The War in Nicaragua.” Though Walker was finally captured and executed in Honduras, he had the potential to alter history greatly. Had he been successful in invading the Central American countries, the tide of the civil war could have been changed since there would have been more support for slavery. In Costa Rica there is a national park and monument devoted to the battle during which Walker was driven from the country.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tropical Ecology- Carbon Fluxes
There are two direct carbon fluxes caused by human activity; fossil fuel combustion and land use change. As of now, carbon flux from fossil fuel combustion is alleviated somewhat by the oceans and the terrestrial biosphere. Out of the two types of fluxes, land use change is of uncertain magnitude. Land use change is largely due to tropical deforestation. There are a few different figures for determining land use carbon flux but there is not a consensus on which is correct.
Some reasoning for the uncertainty regarding land use change is that deforestation occurs at different rates. A second reason is the variation in what happens to the land after it is deforested. Depending on the level of vegetation, different amounts of carbon will be fluxed. There are also differing outcomes for soil that has been deforested. The last reason is the different levels of biomass in the forests to begin with. Because of the varying spatial distribution of the forests, determining a universal system is very difficult. The amount of uncertainty surrounding land use change is a problem for understanding climate change and predicting future problems.
Some reasoning for the uncertainty regarding land use change is that deforestation occurs at different rates. A second reason is the variation in what happens to the land after it is deforested. Depending on the level of vegetation, different amounts of carbon will be fluxed. There are also differing outcomes for soil that has been deforested. The last reason is the different levels of biomass in the forests to begin with. Because of the varying spatial distribution of the forests, determining a universal system is very difficult. The amount of uncertainty surrounding land use change is a problem for understanding climate change and predicting future problems.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Econ Log – Solutions for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is a complicated issue that will only be solved with a combination of many different solutions. Key aspects of this plan should include solid caps for greenhouse gas emissions, carbon taxes, subsidies for clean energy instead of for fossil fuels, education and incentives for clean energy like certifications. These are all types of institutional change that are very important in encouraging behavior change for consumers. Technology is also an important aspect of sustainable development and should be explored deeply, but not relied on to solve all of the problems.
Right now, the most important step towards sustainable development is for people to strongly encourage their leaders to enact restrictive policies for carbon emissions and incentives for clean energy development. Since the science shows that we need to have less than 350 ppm of carbon in the atmosphere to avoid passing crucial tipping points for our earth’s climate, we need to be shifting developed countries towards clean energy and helping developing countries to invest in clean energy instead of dirty energy sources like coal and fossil fuels.
On an individual level, consumers need to be making informed choices about what they buy, and more importantly, what they don’t buy. Cutting back on consumption is the best way to reach a more sustainable lifestyle.
Right now, the most important step towards sustainable development is for people to strongly encourage their leaders to enact restrictive policies for carbon emissions and incentives for clean energy development. Since the science shows that we need to have less than 350 ppm of carbon in the atmosphere to avoid passing crucial tipping points for our earth’s climate, we need to be shifting developed countries towards clean energy and helping developing countries to invest in clean energy instead of dirty energy sources like coal and fossil fuels.
On an individual level, consumers need to be making informed choices about what they buy, and more importantly, what they don’t buy. Cutting back on consumption is the best way to reach a more sustainable lifestyle.
NRM Log - Water and Waste Management
One of the key problems for water supply in Costa Rica is the pipe leakage that occurs. Though Costa Rica is not currently a “water stressed” country, 48% of the clean water is lost due to poor infrastructure. Since so much of the water that is being withdrawn, is not even being used, it is hugely wasteful and could be a huge problem in times when water is scarcer and populations are higher.
The waste water management system in Costa Rica is not incredibly successful. Only 4% of all water is treated and this water is released back into the rivers, which are full of untreated, polluted water. This 4% is a good first step, but the main problem is that the septic tanks seep into the ground. The aquifer is close to the surface and is easily contaminated by these seeping tanks. This degrades the environment and pollutes the drinking water.
One of the key problems for waste management in Costa Rica is that there are very few sanitary landfills and virtually no recycling facilities in the country. This means that the recycling must be shipped somewhere else to be processed. Apart from the enlarged carbon footprint this causes, it also means that there are 78,000 tons/year of recyclables that are not recycled.
The waste water management system in Costa Rica is not incredibly successful. Only 4% of all water is treated and this water is released back into the rivers, which are full of untreated, polluted water. This 4% is a good first step, but the main problem is that the septic tanks seep into the ground. The aquifer is close to the surface and is easily contaminated by these seeping tanks. This degrades the environment and pollutes the drinking water.
One of the key problems for waste management in Costa Rica is that there are very few sanitary landfills and virtually no recycling facilities in the country. This means that the recycling must be shipped somewhere else to be processed. Apart from the enlarged carbon footprint this causes, it also means that there are 78,000 tons/year of recyclables that are not recycled.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Econ- Socioeconomic Challenges Facing CR
Socioeconomic Challenges Facing Costa Rica in 2015
One of the biggest socioeconomic challenges that will be facing Costa Rica in the next five years is the growth of the ecotourism industry. Costa Rica is transitioning from an agricultural economy to a service based economy and ecotourism is considered a service. While there are many positive affects of the ecotourism industry, there are also many negative affects. Balancing this will be a huge challenge. Some of the plusses include more jobs, awareness of environmental issues, benefits to citizens and overall revenue. However, the negative affects are the huge influx of tourists. The natural areas will not be able to sustain that much traffic on a daily basis and will begin to degenerate.
A second challenge is the huge national debt. Costa Rica has a very high internal and external debt. Costa Rica had 49.3% public debt as a percent of GDP in 2009. It is the 47th of all countries for debt according to the CIA factbook’s List of National Debt by Country.
A third socioeconomic problem that Costa Rica faces within the next five years is Immigration. Because Costa Rica has such a low poverty rate, people from a few other Latin American countries have started immigrating to CR. Nicaragua and Colombia are the two main countries from where people are immigrating. There is much controversy surrounding the influx of Nicaraguan immigrants since many companies appreciate the cheap labor force, though most Costa Ricans disapprove of it.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Demasa Sustainable Management
Though growing a luxury food item as a mono-crop is not a very sustainable endeavor, Demasa’s sustainability program seemed to be quite extensive. They have worked through the experimental period, during which they had to use trial and error methods to find out which techniques work best. Now they have an efficient system for collected micro-organisms from the surrounding area (without over exploiting them) and cultivating them in tanks, for use in place of the agro chemicals they had used previously to grow the Palmito trees.
The process of cultivating micro-organisms gets more efficient each time they do it, which is a very strong sustainable management aspect. They are able to make more fertilizer with less organic matter each time, allowing them to extract less organic matter from the surrounding area. Using these fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers is more economically and environmentally sustainable.
One area of sustainable management that could be improved upon is that the fertilizer they are adding to the soil does not help to make the soil self-sustainable. Since the soil had basically been killed by the chemicals they used previously, they could be working on a technology that would rejuvenate the soil and bring it back to life so that it would not be necessary to re-apply the fertilizer constantly.
The process of cultivating micro-organisms gets more efficient each time they do it, which is a very strong sustainable management aspect. They are able to make more fertilizer with less organic matter each time, allowing them to extract less organic matter from the surrounding area. Using these fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers is more economically and environmentally sustainable.
One area of sustainable management that could be improved upon is that the fertilizer they are adding to the soil does not help to make the soil self-sustainable. Since the soil had basically been killed by the chemicals they used previously, they could be working on a technology that would rejuvenate the soil and bring it back to life so that it would not be necessary to re-apply the fertilizer constantly.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility means the duty of a corporation to operate in a way that is conscientious of not only the shareholder, but the stakeholder as well. Stakeholders are anyone affected by the corporation in any way. The list includes shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, community members, regulators, consumer advocates and many more. It also has to do with environmental responsibility and, of course, economic success. My favorite explanation of CSR uses the “triple bottom line” as a description. People, Planet, Profit.
CSR should be taken seriously because corporations (especially multi-national ones) have become the most powerful forces in the world today, even above many political powers. They have the ability to hugely affect people and the environment in positive and negative ways. It is important that they focus on aiming for positive affects for everyone, not solely the people who have money involved.
CSR should be taken seriously because corporations (especially multi-national ones) have become the most powerful forces in the world today, even above many political powers. They have the ability to hugely affect people and the environment in positive and negative ways. It is important that they focus on aiming for positive affects for everyone, not solely the people who have money involved.
Comparison of US and CR Presidential Election System
In both Costa Rica and the United States, there are presidential elections every four years. As in the US, Costa Rica has two main political parties. Though there are some smaller parties, the two that have a legitimate chance of winning are the National Liberation Party and the Libertarian Movement Party. Costa Rica elects two vice presidents instead of the single vice president that the US has.
The main differences in the election process are the tie resolution system and the Electoral College. In Costa Rica, in the event of a tie, there is a re-vote as opposed to the US, where it is sent on to the house and the senate for a final decision. Costa Rica has direct elections where each vote is actually counted towards the election of the president. In the US, there are indirect elections where votes go to the electors (representatives who have been elected in each state) who then cast their votes for president. This system is called the Electoral College.
It seems that elections in Costa Rica are taken more seriously. Election day is a national holiday and public transportation is free so that everyone can travel to his or her hometown to vote. In the United States, there is a big push to encourage people to get out and vote, however each state or town has their own system for getting people to the polls. There is no national break on transportation fees, though some towns/states organize free rides for those who have no means of transportation.
The main differences in the election process are the tie resolution system and the Electoral College. In Costa Rica, in the event of a tie, there is a re-vote as opposed to the US, where it is sent on to the house and the senate for a final decision. Costa Rica has direct elections where each vote is actually counted towards the election of the president. In the US, there are indirect elections where votes go to the electors (representatives who have been elected in each state) who then cast their votes for president. This system is called the Electoral College.
It seems that elections in Costa Rica are taken more seriously. Election day is a national holiday and public transportation is free so that everyone can travel to his or her hometown to vote. In the United States, there is a big push to encourage people to get out and vote, however each state or town has their own system for getting people to the polls. There is no national break on transportation fees, though some towns/states organize free rides for those who have no means of transportation.
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