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A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 52
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 Ministerio de Seguridad Pública
photo
Police said these chicks
would be reinserted into the wilds.Police bag man
with birds in a bag
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Residents of San Antonio de Bagaces were concerned that a vendor was keeping parakeet chicks in a sealed plastic bag as he strolled the streets looking for buyers. So they called police. Police liberated the four chicks Saturday and detained the man as a possible violators of the wildlife laws. Job seekers became prostitutes, agents say By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Three women are accused of trapping women in San José into prostitution. Judicial agent detained the trio Friday in Tibás and Paso Ancho. The Judicial Investigating Organization said the trio advertised for help in two San José bars and offered the employees housing on the premises. After a few weeks they would accuse the employees of taking money from the cash register and give them the remedy of working as a prostitute to make up the missing money. Agents said that there were 16 women in the locations when agents arrived. Robbers kill guard at isolated finca By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Judicial agents said that robbers killed a guard at an isolated finca over the weekend. A neighbor found the guard, who had the last name of Hernández mortally wounded Saturday. The 68-year-old man died later at the Hospital de Guápiles from a bullet wound in the stomach, agents said. The finca is in the mountains at a location called Colonia Kubujuki de Sarapiquí. Intruders sacked two homes on the finca, agents said.  Ministerio de Seguridad Pública
photo
Seven
robbery suspects suffered bruises when their getaway vehicleoverturned near Palmares early Sunday, said the Fuerza Pública. They are accused of holding up workers at a car wash in Alto Santiago de San Ramón. New Yorkers to get ceramics exhibit Special to A.M. Costa Rica
After two years in Washington, D.C., the exhibition “Cerámica de los Ancestros: Central America’s Past Revealed,” will travel to the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City, where it will open April 18 and remain on view through next Feb. 29, said the Smithsonian Latino Center. The exhibit includes some Costa Rican ceramics. "This incredible exhibition highlights the ancestral heritage and celebrates the cultural patrimony of Central America, said the Smithsonian. The exhibit includes more than 200 pieces of ceramics along with gold and jade. The exhibit is a collaboration between the Center and the National Museum of the American Indian. Mexican governor stages media campaign Special to A.M. Costa Rica
The Inter American Press Association has expressed solidarity with Mexico’s Grupo Healy newspapers and condemned a media campaign initiated by the Baja California state governor to discredit three of its newspapers that had published reports about wrongdoing in the government. Gov. Francisco Vega de Lamadrid and the mayors of five cities in the state published an announcement in local and national Mexican newspapers, claiming to be victims of blackmail and of defamatory reports by the Grupo Healy newspapers, said the press organization. They stated that in reprisal they would stage a commercial boycott of those papers. This came after the newspapers La Crónica in Mexicali, Frontera in Tijuana and Frontera Ensenada in Ensenada, belonging to Grupo Healy, published a series of reports on the precarious economic and social situation in the state, and in particular on certain properties acquired by the governor during his term in office and his refusal to provide information about them. Press organization President Gustavo Mohme expressed the organization’s solidarity with Grupo Healy. “This campaign to discredit,” he said, “shows that the newspapers are doing their job rather well.” Mohme, editor of the Lima, Peru, newspaper La República, condemned the commercial boycott which he said takes a special dimension when the one carrying it out is the very government, “constituting an unlawful and illicit action with irreparable aggravating circumstances by its being the government itself the one that contravenes constitutional principles, going against private property, and limiting the public’s right to know about matters regarding the public administration.” Grupo Healy rejected the complaints and said in an editorial by its president and editor-in-chief, Juan Fernando Healy, that “we do not extort, we report.” He added, “We defend the right to freedom of expression, not because we feel it gives us the power to say what we want, but to communicate to the people what we believe is important for the development of a more plural, participative and democratic society.” Maduro gets his expanded powers By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Venezuela's parliament granted President Nicolás Maduro new powers Sunday, enabling him to legislate by decree until the end of the year. He says parliament's action Sunday allows him to defend the country from threats from the U.S. government. Maduro asked for the expanded powers after the U.S. placed sanctions on several Venezuelan officials accused of human rights violations. Opposition leaders say the new powers are nothing more than a power grab designed to detract attention from Venezuela's domestic issues, including food shortages. The president said he has prepared a letter for the people of the United States, denouncing what he said is U.S. aggression in Venezuela. “I have a letter ready for the people of the United States and President Obama telling them the truths of Venezuela, denouncing the aggression of the decree that he signed, demanding in the moral name of the people of Bolivar that Barack Obama repeals the presidential decree that threatens our country,” said Maduro.
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and may
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 52 | |
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| Volcano remains calm on the exterior, but there is internal
activity |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Turrialba volcano had not erupted since 9:07 p.m. Friday, as of 1 a.m. today. That is typical of the volcano that has established a long routine of eruption and periods of calm. The volcano experts warn, however, that the danger is not past. Experts at the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica say that the low emission of gas from the volcano suggest that there is some blockage inside the mountain. This will remain until the interior pressure of the volcano is high enough to remove it via another eruption, they said. Volcán Turrialba did little damage in its week-long period of eruptions. And emergency officials were able to check their plans for a bigger event. Only four schools that are close to the volcano will remain closed today. The chaos caused by the volcano was outside the emergency commission's game plan. Thousands of travelers were stuck at Juan Santamaría airport when officials closed the runways Thursday afternoon due to ash that had cut visibility and could have been damaging to aircraft engines. The airport did not reopen until Friday afternoon, and then operations were not at 100 percent. The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo said it sent bilingual guides to the airport to help travelers, but there were many reports of unhappy travelers who were not getting accurate information. The tourism institute said that some 16,000 persons entered and flew out of the airport Saturday and that the passenger load was 30 percent higher than normal. The institute also said that some airlines sent bigger aircraft to carry more passengers. United Airlines operated 12 flights Saturday. The airlines took no responsibility for housing or feeding stranded passengers. |
 Ministerio
de Salud photo
Another view of an erupting Turrialba.
Those working with the emergency commission know how bad an eruption can be. They may have been children when Volcán Arenal erupted July 29, 1968, but they have seen reports. That disaster buried at least a dozen square kilometers under rock and ash. The volcano destroyed three communities, killed 87 persons and countless livestock. Boulders the size of Volkswagens were propelled hundreds of meters, and hundreds of acres of agricultural land were ruined by gas and ash. The Red Sismológica Nacional said that although there have been no eruptions since Friday night at Turrialba, there have been swarms of low-level earthquakes under the mountain. These show that the mountain still is active. |
| Brakes blamed for runway mishap By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A single-engine aircraft lost its breaks and skidded off the Quepos runway Saturday just before noon, said the Fuerza Pública. The Cessna aircraft struck a fence alongside the runway. Damage was confined to the propellor and the cowling, said police. The pilot was identified as David Castro and the copilot as Sabrina Suárez. Police said they were the only persons aboard. |
 Ministerio
de Seguridad Pública photo
Aircraft wheels ended up in a depression
alongside runway.
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| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 52 | |||||
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 Instituto Costarricense de Turismo photo
The tourism minister,
Wilhelm von Breymann, and airport officials were meeting Friday to
figure out what to do. |
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| Airline customer service was non-existent on flight to
nowhere Friday |
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By Peter Aborn*
Special to A.M. Costa Rica While many people in Costa Rica were enjoying their sleep for the night, a group of travelers were preparing early Friday what they thought might be a short, uneventful trip to Managua and beyond. Do you remember when travel, visiting other countries were exciting, you could barely sleep the night before, anticipating of a great adventure? Well, this adventure was far from enjoyable. It was 4 a.m. when the taxista rang the front doorbell. It wouldn't be light for another two hours. There was almost no traffic traveling to Juan Santamaria. Little did we know what lay in store for us and many thousands like us? When we arrived we noticed that there were more people than expected at this hour. We would soon realize that they were stranded since Thursday when the airport closed at 4 p.m. It was apparent that the airlines and airport authorities were not prepared to address emergency situations resulting from the awakening of the Turrialba volcano affecting the climate, air quality and conditions of the tarmac. We were met by COPA Airline representatives who informed us the airport was closed and directed us to the check-in counter. This COPA employee provides details about the emergency closing and checked us in. She informed us that the airport is scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m. and our flight would leave shortly thereafter. That was to be the end of any information offered, courtesies or interest shown by any COPA representative. We continue to security to follow the protocol that will lead us to our departure gate. We arrive at Gate 6. This would be our home and for a lot of other travelers for the next eight hours The information screen at the gate kept flashing delay, and that the next schedule advisory would be at 8 a.m., four hours later. It was the only reliable source of information anyone of us would receive all day. For most of the time, there is no one to ask, for information. The COPA employees we all notice occasionally came to the gate area but to only share stories and jokes among themselves. They showed no concern for the growing numbers of travelers who are overwhelmed with the turmoil. Meanwhile, with every passing minute, the airport swelled with more arriving people expecting to board their flight. New friendships and acquaintances are quickly formed. There was not much else to do. At last it was 10 a.m., but with another notice that they will make another announcement at 12 noon. After six hours waiting without any regular updates, sitting in chairs that make the back ache, nowhere to go, people began to complain: COPA is not caring about the well being of its customers. COPA’s response: “Why are you so angry? It’s not our fault or responsibility.” There were elderly, people with histories of medical problems, mothers nursing infants. Did not the |
airlines
care to
make conditions tolerable? One employee did pass out some coupons for
breakfast, but only to people who complained the loudest. Other
employees ridiculed customers who were upset. "Why are you complaining?" FYI: the food court, sells a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich for $13 and a drink for $8. After 10 a.m., the word is passed around by the other waiting travelers, NOT THE AIRLINES, that COPA is scheduling a flight at 5 p.m. to Managua but with limited space. We soon realized that these continuous false promises and arrangements by COPA were not realistic. Even if we were to travel to Nicaragua on the 5 p.m. flight, the day was lost, and we were paying the hotel just to sleep for the night. COPA canceled the 5 p.m. flight to Managua at 2:30 p.m. The representatives at the airport refused to help with lodging and food. “The problem is neither the fault nor responsibility of COPA,” they said. It was later reported on the Channel 7 news that COPA decided to make flights to Panamá a priority and cancel other trips! We were now told by a COPA rep at the desk that we can reschedule the flight with no penalty. We accepted the offer, and say adios and good luck to many new friends. We were told we need airline personnel to walk us out of the airport, retrieve our baggage and receive credit for the departure tax. We returned to the COPA check in counter. By this time, there was a sea of humanity filling the entire floor of customer check-in for all airlines. People squeezed together to make room for us to pass. At the counter we were handed a small piece of paper with the number of their call center. "Please call this number." It was obvious these employees barely had time to breath. I wondered where do these people think they were going? Why was COPA checking them in when COPA knew it was not going to fly them out? After another taxi ride home, we tried the call center number. Their response: ‘'What problem? I don’t need to hear your story. You have until the 19th to use your ticket. Your schedule is not our problem" and on and on. These people gave rudeness, disrespect, arrogance new meanings. No matter who we called, we were met with the same obnoxious disregard. We decided to apply for a refund. We are told COPA will apply an $85 penalty per ticket. Huh? Heads up. Be forewarned. If you use this airline, you may have the same experience. To date everyone I have spoken with confirm our experience with COPA airlines providing even worse scenarios, *Dr. Aborn is a long-time Costa Rican expat. |
Here's reasonable medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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2015 and may
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth
news page
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 52 | |||||||
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Tiny Vanuatu devastated by category 5 cyclone Pam By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Relief supplies began flowing into Vanuatu Sunday after a devastating tropical cyclone slammed into the South Pacific island nation late Friday and Saturday. Cyclone Pam, carrying winds up to 300 kph, destroyed entire villages, reduced buildings to timbers, tore off rooftops, downed power lines and toppled trees. Aid workers described the situation as catastrophic. Authorities have confirmed at least eight deaths and more than 20 injuries, but the toll is expected to rise as rescuers reach the most remote islands in the archipelago. Aid workers were particularly worried about the southern island of Tanna. An official with the Australian Red Cross said an aircraft had managed to land there and aid workers confirmed there was widespread destruction. Aid workers say virtually every building not made out of concrete has been flattened. Authorities have declared a state of emergency. With communications and power lines down, officials have had a difficult time getting information as to the extent of the damage. ". . . even if information is limited, it is important to prepare for the worst," said Hannington Alatoa, head of the Vanuatu Red Cross. Alatoa spoke from Japan where he was attending a U.N. conference on disaster risk reduction, along with Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale and other country officials. Aid officials said the disaster could be one of the worst the Pacific region has ever experienced. The cyclone affected at least half the population of Vanuatu, including about 54,000 children. Oxfam said water, sanitation and hygiene supplies are an urgent priority. Witnesses in the capital of Port Vila described sea surges of up to eight meters (26 feet) and widespread flooding as the category 5 cyclone hit. Residents said the storm sounded like a freight train. Port Vila was strewn with debris and looked as if a bomb had gone off. Formerly known as the New Hebrides, Vanuatu is a sprawling cluster of 83 islands and 260,000 people, 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) northeast of the Australian city of Brisbane. It is among the world's poorest countries and highly prone to disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and storms. Aid officials said the storm was comparable in strength to Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013 and killed more than 6,000 people, and looked set to be one of the worst natural disasters the Pacific region has experienced. Police shooting suspect says cops were not target By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Police in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson in the U.S. Midwest have made an arrest in connection with last week's shooting of two police officers during a protest outside of police headquarters. The shootings took place early Thursday morning, just hours after the city's police chief resigned following a U.S. Justice Department report accusing the department of racially biased policing. One officer was shot in the shoulder, the other in the face. Both are expected to make full recoveries. St. Louis prosecutor Robert McCulloch said 20-year-old Jeffrey Williams told authorities he was firing at someone with whom he was in a dispute, not at the police officers. Williams is charged with two counts of first-degree assault, one count of firing a weapon from a vehicle and three counts of armed criminal action. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the arrest "sends a clear message that acts of violence against our law enforcement personnel will never be tolerated." U.S. delegation returns to Cuba for more talks By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A U.S. delegation was traveling to Cuba Sunday for a third round of talks between the two countries about re-establishing diplomatic relations and easing economic and travel sanctions imposed decades ago. Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson is heading up the U.S. delegation set to meet with Josefina Vidal, director-general of the U.S. division of Cuba's Foreign Ministry. The historic talks between the U.S. and the Castro government began earlier this year. The development is opposed by many Cuban-Americans and others who say it legitimizes Cuba's Communist government that has been tightly controlled by Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl. U.S. officials have said that discussions with Cuba would include improving the human rights situation in the country. Ms. Jacobson said the two sides have discussed establishing civilian air links between the U.S. and Cuba, but that the date for human rights discussions has not yet been set. Later this month, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is due to visit Cuba as a next step in talks aimed at boosting trade relations between the 28-nation bloc and the Communist state. Ms. Mogherini will meet with her Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez, her office announced Saturday. She is the highest-ranking EU diplomat to visit the island. Ms. Mogherini's March 23-24 visit comes at a crucial time for negotiations between the two sides, the statement said. "Cuba is facing a very interesting period, and the European Union is keen to see how we can take the relationship forward with strong momentum," it said. The EU has been in talks with Cuba for the past year to increase trade and investment. Brussels lifted the sanctions on Cuba in 2008 after half a century. U.S. cancels consular service in Saudi Arabia for two days By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh has canceled consular services for Sunday and Monday in the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran because of heightened security concerns. In a statement issued Saturday, the embassy said the telephone lines would not be open either. Fox News, citing an intelligence source, said the threat was serious enough that the facilities would have only essential staff over the next two days. The embassy advised U.S. citizens to cancel all nonessential trips to Saudi Arabia and be extra cautious when traveling through the country . The statement did not specify reasons for the extra precaution. It advised all Americans to avoid crowds, identify safe areas and prepare for emergencies while in Saudi Arabia. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the embassy statement or the Fox News report. Friday, the embassy warned that Western oil workers in Saudi Arabia might be the target of militant attacks. The message did not identify the militants. Survey says U.S. citizens most irked with government By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
It’s not the economy, immigration or terrorism. For the fourth month in a row, Americans think the number one problem in the United States is its government. Eighteen percent of Americans said dissatisfaction with government is the top problem facing the nation, while the economy and jobs came in second place with 10 percent each, according to a Gallup poll which was conducted March 5 to 8. “While dissatisfaction with government is by no means a new issue to the American people,” wrote Gallup’s Justin McCarthy, “it has not in recent months been as clearly the leading problem as it is now, given that fewer Americans mention the economy.” Terrorism (6 percent) and national security (4 percent) are also still on the minds of many people. The results aren’t a complete surprise. Recent polls show about three-quarters of Americans are unhappy with Congress, which is often accused of being out of touch when it comes to issues of importance to average Americans. For example, a great partisan fight over immigration reform is currently taking place on Capitol Hill, despite recent findings from the Public Religion Research Institute that there is a consensus among Americans, 60 percent or six of every 10 people, about creating a path to citizenship for immigrants now living in the country illegally. “The majority of residents in all 50 states say their preferred policy solution would be that immigrants that are in the country illegally should be allowed to become citizens provided they meet some basic requirements,” said Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute. “This shows the debates we see at the elite level among partisans in Congress don’t always reflect the opinions of Americans on the ground.” President Barack Obama fares a little better than Congress when it comes to public opinion. The most recent polling gives the president a 49 percent approval rating, while 50 percent disapprove. Brazilians take to streets seeking ouster of president By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of cities across the country Sunday demanding the ouster of President Dilma Rousseff over government corruption. Much of the public anger toward Ms. Rousseff stems from revelations of a kickback scheme at state-run oil company Petrobras, which prosecutors call the biggest corruption scheme ever uncovered in Brazil. At least $800 million was paid in bribes and other funds by the nation's biggest construction and engineering firms in exchange for inflated Petrobras contracts. Dozens of political figures, including close allies of the president, and former Petrobras executives, are under investigation. No one has been convicted yet, but 22 deputies, 13 senators and two governors have been implicated in the bribe-taking allegations. Some of the alleged wrongdoing took place while Ms. Rousseff was chairwoman of the Petrobras board. She is not being investigated. In addition to the corruption scandal at Petrobras, Ms. Rousseff also is facing rising inflation and a Brazilian economy that is on the brink of recession. Sunday's gatherings were mostly calm and festive, with little of the violence that tarnished a wave of massive demonstrations in 2013 when Brazilians protested spending to host the 2014 World Cup of soccer. By late morning, thousands of residents, many dressed in the blue, green and yellow of Brazil's flag, crowded along Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beachfront, singing the national anthem and shouting "Dilma, Out!" Bus crash toll in Brazil is at least 49 persons By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
At least 49 people died Saturday in southern Brazil when a tour bus plunged off a cliff, local officials said. Authorities warned the death toll at the crash site in Santa Catarina state, in southern Brazil, could rise. The bus, en route from the neighboring state of Parana, swerved off a curve and fell dozens of meters before crashing in a wooded area. Rescue crews were still trying to rescue survivors and recover the bodies of the victims late Saturday. Police did not know how many passengers in all were aboard the bus or whether the driver was one of the victims. Rescue workers said at least six survivors have been pulled from the wooded ravine where the bus landed. Pope speculates on length of his time in top office By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Pope Francis marked the second anniversary of his election Friday with a prediction that he would not be pope for long. "I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief — four or five years," he told Mexican broadcaster Televisa. "I don't know. Or two or three. Well, two have already passed." Francis said he did not dislike being pope but missed his freedom. "The only thing I would like is to be able to go out one day without anyone recognizing me and go to a pizzeria to eat a pizza," he said. The Argentine-born pontiff has indicated he could retire like his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Last year, Francis jokingly said he might die in two or three years. Commemorating his anniversary Friday, the 78-year-old pope also announced an "Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy." The year will begin Dec. 8. The last two extraordinary holy years were 1933 and 1983, marking the 1,900th and 1,950th anniversaries of Jesus' death and resurrection. The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, Francis has been hailed for his openness and tolerant approach to issues such as homosexuality and divorce. Within the church, his views have not been received well by everyone, but they have drawn praise worldwide. During his two years as pope, Francis has visited Eastern Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East. In September, he is set to become the fourth pope to visit the United States since Pope Paul VI traveled to New York City in 1965. Francis is traveling to the U.S. to attend a global conference on families in the eastern city of Philadelphia. Speaker John Boehner of the U.S. House of Representatives said this month that Francis would also visit Washington and address Congress. Church officials have said the United Nations in New York will most likely be another stop on his trip. Three teens held in London for plan to join terrorists By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Three male British teenagers allegedly seeking to join Islamic State extremists in Syria have been arrested in London, after being deported from Turkey. Scotland Yard police Sunday did not identify the three suspects but said they were detained Friday in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Turkish media reports say the trio, two age 17 from northwest London and a third age 19, were arrested after a flight from Barcelona. All three face charges of violating Britain's 2006 Terrorism Act. Turkish sources say the 17-year-olds were arrested after tips from British authorities, while the 19-year-old was detained after questioning by airport police. These arrests come just weeks after three British schoolgirls gained international attention by fleeing London for Istanbul. Days later, Turkish authorities said the girls had crossed into war-torn Syria and likely joined the extremist group. Western security analysts estimate that 600 young Britons have gone to Syria or Iraq to join militant groups, including the purported executioner featured in Islamic State videos showing beheadings of hostages. In revised figures released last month, U.S. analysts say 20,000 foreign fighters from 19 countries have joined Islamic State, including at least 3,400 recruits from Western countries.  Voice of America photo
A typical wind farm with
many turbines.Scientists seek
efficiency
in wind farm turbines By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Modern wind turbines usually operate in groups or so-called wind farms, some of them with more than 100 turbines. But the air turbulence they create decreases their overall efficiency. Scientists at Vanderbilt University are trying to solve this problem. Wind energy is cheap and sustainable, and the number of installed wind turbines is rising everywhere in the world. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, wind turbines now supply nearly 5 percent of electrical power in the United States. The average efficiency of wind turbines is about 50 percent. But because of the turbulence they create, their interactions with each other in a wind farm tends to lower that number. Observing what they call the conversation of three turbines placed in a wind tunnel, scientists at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, are trying to find a way to reduce the adverse effects of the wake turbulences. Engineering professor Doug Adams, the team leader, says the turbine blades are fitted with sensors. “We use that sensor to track the motion, to do motion tracking of the blade but monitor also what we call the dynamic response. So every time a blade moves we are monitoring it and that tells us something about that conversation that is happening from one turbine to the next,” he said. Adams says the sensors feed data to computers, which constantly adjust the rotors' blades compensating for the loss of energy due to the wake effect. The benefit comes not only in increased output but also in the reduction of wear on the turbine’s mechanical parts. Savings of only 2 to 3 cents per kilowatt hour, he says, could mean a lot for turbine operators. “That is a game changer from the standpoint of the viability of wind energy. It becomes absolutely competitive with the fossil fuels that we rely on today. Without subsidies it starts to become cost-competitive,” says he. Adams says mutually-adjustable turbines could lead to wind farms producing more energy with smaller numbers of units, while reduction of fatigue may prolong their usefulness by as much as 10 years. Intel science search draws sophisticated research By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Some of the brightest high school students in the United States showcased their ground-breaking math and science research at the annual Intel Science Talent Search. Forty high school seniors, who came up with new technologies and scientific breakthroughs, competed for the top prizes of $150,000. Their innovations included a blood testing kit for smartphones and a computer that identifies potential new drugs to combat disease. Diseases like cancer, tuberculosis and ebola kill millions of people each year. By combining computer technology with biochemistry, 17-year-old Anvita Gupta identified new medicines to combat these illnesses. She used an innovative technique to get a computer to look for potential drugs, earning a third place award at the competition, and $35,000. “I actually found four new tuberculosis drugs. They’re natural compounds that have been screened from the ocean, isolated from the ocean near China,” said Miss Gupta. The search to cure skin cancer began as a personal quest for Emily Ashkin, after her mother was diagnosed with the disease. She took a novel approach to enhancing a treatment that uses the body’s own immune system T-cells to help fight melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. “I discovered how to make the cancer cells more recognizable to the killer T-cells by using chemotherapy treatment, by using drugs to manipulate the cancer cells, slow them down, and make them more vulnerable and susceptible to the killer cells to be able to recognize them,” said Miss Ashkin. Early malaria detection can save many lives. A smartphone that detects the parasites that cause malaria and other blood diseases may be the wave of the future, especially in developing countries. Tanay Tandon created a low-cost microscope lens that attaches to a smartphone camera. Photos of patient blood samples give rural doctors a tool to quickly identify parasites. “The thing that I was targeting this towards is in rural areas," say Tandon. "There’s devastating parasite mortality rates because a lot of times these diseases go undetected.” Cutting edge technology is helping these high school students make real scientific advances, according to Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, sponsor of the competition. “Most of these students are doing work that’s certainly sophisticated enough that it would be at the senior levels of university level research," she said. And that includes the work of Dhaivat Pandya, who thinks he’s found a way to increase the available bandwidth on large computer networks, including the Internet, which continues to grow worldwide. |
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contents of
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2015 and may
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| A.M. Costa Rica's sixth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, March 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 52 | |||||||||
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Food |
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“The only way to buy time,” said my friend Shirley “is to buy a mature fruit tree.” Hmmm. She’s right, you know. You can go to most any vivero and buy a little fruit tree in a gallon pot for less than $10. Then you go home, dig a suitable hole, fertilize it properly, and wait. That
This is no tiny vivero tucked into someone’s yard (I love those) or spread out over a hectare, this is 17 acres of trees of all sizes and ages. On our walk through with the garden club, we were offered ripe, sweet, red grapefruit from some of the trees and they were quite a treat. Those are the trees we had delivered. Yes, there will be transplant shock, and we will do everything we can to reduce its impact. No, I don’t really expect a huge harvest next month but I am not going to have to wait for years for that harvest either. I am buying time. Buying time is important to me right now because I am mumble-mumble years old. I get cranky thinking about waiting for even five years before harvest. Do I have waiting-to-harvest trees? Yes, my coconuts. They are now 2 years old and won’t fruit for another four or five. So much for coconut cake, but it is, after all, not my favorite. Grapefruit, real sweet red grapefruit, is a favorite, and I am willing to pay for an early harvest. So, there we are. If you bought a property with a large mango or manderina tree that is already producing fruit, or a vigorous avocado to enjoy with breakfast, you are fortunate. But if you want to buy time, look for a mature tree and dig a nice big hole. You won’t regret it.  Plant of the Day
My newly delivered Valencia orange is today’s plant.
This 30-gallon tree will be moved by ox cart to a new spot in the
yard. My biggest worry now is that the leaf cutter ants are going
to take one look, rub their feelers together in joyful anticipation and
decide that this is what’s for dinner. Fingers crossed!If you would like to suggest a topic for this column, simply send a letter to the editor. And, for more garden tips, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arenal-Gardeners/413220712106845 |
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| From Page 7: Cheaper euro might revive European economy By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The surging dollar and plunging euro are making problems for U.S. exporters and bargains for American tourists and shoppers. Some top economists say the currency mismatch could, eventually, help revive the sagging European economy. The euro has fallen sharply, hitting its lowest level in 12 years compared to the dollar. Carnegie Endowment international economist Uri Dadush said Europe’s faltering economy is hurting its currency. “A big gap has opened between the performance of the U.S. economy in particular and the Europeans,” said Dadush. European officials are working to revive economic growth by pushing down long-term interest rates through a complex program called quantitative easing. Lower interest rates make it easier for businesses to borrow the money needed to buy new buildings and equipment to expand operations and hire more people. Low interest rates also mean investors take their money elsewhere, however, in search of better returns. That reduces demand for euros and causes the value of the currency to fall. By contrast, the United States cut interest rates some time ago, has resumed growing, and is getting ready to raise interest rates. That is attracting more investment, boosting demand for dollars, and raising the value of the greenback. PNC Bank economist Gus Faucher said the expensive dollar is creating some headwinds and slowing down the U.S. economy. “The stronger dollar against the euro that makes imports to the United States less expensive, makes exports from the U.S. abroad, to Europe and other places, more expensive, so that’s a drag on growth,” said Faucher. Faucher says the strengthening U.S. economy will overcome these headwinds and continue growing, cutting unemployment and boosting wages this year. In the meantime, the weak euro is making European exports a relative bargain on world markets, boosting demand for them and helping the companies and countries that export products. “It is definitely going to help, the Europeans in particular," said economist Dadush. The current sharp differences between the U.S. dollar and the euro may ease over time. When Americans buy a lot of foreign goods, but sell fewer exports, the resulting trade deficit subtracts from economic growth and will tend to reduce the value of the dollar. The cheap euro will boost European exports, and tend to increase economic growth, and strengthen that currency. |
