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José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 139
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Another tropical
wave due here today
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional said Wednesday that another tropical wave would pass over the country today. The waves are long troughs of low pressure running north to south. They have been credited with the heavy rains that have hit the northeastern part of the country since June 20. Some rain and thunderstorms were reported in the southern part of the country Wednesday night. The weather institute said that some rain was expected in the province of Limón early today and that the rain would increase during the day. Rain would not become heavy in the Central Valley and the Pacific coast until the afternoon, the forecast said. The weather institute issued a bulletin about the tropical wave at mid-afternoon and followed up with an evening forecast. The waves are a product of winds in Africa, and they travel east to west around the globe at tropical latitudes. Artisan fair set for end of month By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The culture ministry said that 100 artisans will present their wares at a three-day event that begins July 31 in the Antigua Aduana. The products range from leather to wood, glass, metals and recovered materials, said the Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud. The event is being called the Feria Hecho Aqui: Artesanía Costarricense, meaning that the goods were made here. The goal is to sell products, but the ministry said that there also would be space for discussions and explanations. Admission will be free, said the ministry,and here also will be dancing, music, theater, story telling and puppets. The Antigua Aduana is on Calle 23 in east San José. México cranks up effort to find fugitive By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Mexican troops were deployed Wednesday in the municipality of Badiraguato, including roads leading to La Tuna, the birthplace of drug lord Joaquin Guzmán as part of an operation to re-capture him. Soldiers set up checkpoints in Badiraguato, stopping vehicles and reviewing drivers' licenses and registration. Mexican police are also engaged in a larger manhunt in the country, stepping up border security and shutting down an international airport, in addition to checkpoints. Four days after Guzman’s escape from the Altiplano maximum security prison, about 90 kilometers west of Mexico City, some residents in his hometown were supportive of his escape. One resident, Karla Janeth, said "we do not mind that he escaped because he does not bother us. He is a hard-working man, and it is okay with us that he escaped." Another resident who only gave her name as Maria, said "to be honest, we did not know that he escaped until now that I am hearing it." But she said that "people like him," and that "we love and respect him." Guzmán managed to escape through a 1.5-kilometer tunnel connecting the shower of his cell to a half-built home in a rural area. Officials said the tunnel would have required noisy digging equipment and are investigating whether prison employees helped in the escape Newly-released security camera video showed the moment when Guzmán escaped from the prison for the second time in 14 years. He was captured last year. The video showed Guzmán crouching behind the partition wall in his cell before he disappeared. Prison officials said the partition walls were designed to give prisoners privacy while taking a shower. Guzman's escape is a major embarrassment for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. His crowning achievement in Mexico's war on drug cartels and their elusive kingpins was the capture of Guzmán, who had been on the run for 13 years after his earlier escape.  United Nations
photo
A
plane load of electoral material arrives at Haiti’s internationalairport in Port au Prince, for use in the first round of elections. Elections
in Haiti called historic milestone
By the United Nations news service
Haiti’s impending elections will be an historic milestone for the Caribbean country as it continues on its journey toward economic and political recovery, according to two senior United Nations officials. “It has not been easy to arrive at this moment. The Haitian people have been waiting three years for these elections,” Jessica Faieta declared in an op-ed published Wednesday in the Miami Herald. “Haiti has made significant strides to restore confidence in the political process and to hold elections on time.” She is under-secretary-general for U.N. Peacekeeping and the director of the U.N. Development Programme for Latin America. The opinion piece was released ahead of a meeting today at United Nations Headquarters, where U.N. officials, the Prime minister of Haiti, government representatives and international partners will reaffirm common commitment to the democratic consolidation of the country and solidarity with its people’s aspirations and hopes for progress. The elections – set to kick-off on Aug. 9 – are wide-ranging in their scale and complexity. Some 6 million Haitians will vote for 1,280 representatives for local administrations, 140 mayors, 139 Parliamentarians and for the president. The several rounds of electoral processes could last until the end of the year and will aim to restore the country’s parliament, which has been absent since January. The officials noted that the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti and other UN partners have invested significant effort over recent years to strengthen national electoral capabilities. Indeed, thus far, the joint effort by the national authorities and international donors has generated enough resources to finance only the first round of polls. Haiti continues to reel from the devastating 2009 earthquake which flattened large swathes of the island nation and killed more than 200,000 people. A cholera epidemic which caused 9,000 deaths and affected more than 735,000 people subsequently emerged in the earthquake’s aftermath in October 2010. The series of disasters came at a particularly delicate time for the nation. The country was already attempting a political and economic recovery following the popular uprising that removed former Haitian president Jean-Claude Duvalier from office. Our reader's opinion
Iran got everything it wanted with pactDear A.M. Costa Rica: The charade posing as a nuclear treaty with Iran is a pact with the Devil. Everything Iran wanted, they got, including the lifting of trade embargoes, access to frozen bank accounts and the right to refuse inspection of nuclear development sites. In exchange, the U.S. didn't get (I doubt Kerry even asked for) the return of four Americans who are languishing in Iran prisons. Persians are celebrating over the agreement. Americans in large number are hanging their heads in worry and shame. James Saxon
Heredia, Costa Rica
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reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 139 | |
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| Calderón Guardia staffers report a succesful double
lung transplant |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Physicians at Hospital Calderón Guardia have completed successfully a double lung transplant. The patient, a 24-year-old man, suffered damaged lungs because he long had been exposed to glass dust in his job, the hospital said. The hospital staff announced the results of the operation Wednesday. It is only the third lung transplant at the hospital |
and the first
double transplant in Costa Rica, staffers said. The operation took eight hours. Rodrigo Chamorro was in charge of the 12-person team that did the operation. The patent was reported in stable condition. Marlene Jiménez Garro, a physician who specialized in lungs, said that the man underwent a series of procedures to prepare him for the surgery. He is expected to participate in rehabilitation once he is out of the intensive care surgery ward, said the hospital staffers.. |
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Whoops!
Woman held in
immigration bribe case
By the A.M. Costa Rica staffImmigration officials said that a Chinese woman who is a permanent resident, tried to bribe a member of the Policía Profesional de Migración Wednesday in an effort to expedite paperwork. The immigration agency said that the woman offered an envelope that contained 30,000 colons, about $57, as she inquired about the status of a work permit for a fellow foreigner. She was accompanied by a group of Chinese nationals, said the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería. The woman was arrested on the spot in the la Uruca immigration complex, officials said. The case was turned over to prosecutors in the Ministerio Público. |
 Dirección General de
Migración y Extranjería photo
Woman is led to jail.
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| Infinito Gold announces it is going out
of business |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
(This story appears in the midday Wednesday
update)
Infinito Gold, Ltd., said Wednesday that it is going out
of business
because it cannot get any more financing. This is the firm that
is involved in an international arbitration case with Costa Rica. The
company, based in Calgary, Canada, issued an announcement that said
all directors and officers had resigned. Infinito, through a Costa Rican subsidiary, planned to operate the Las Crucitas open pit gold mine in northern Costa Rica. The plan was opposed strongly by environmentalists and some government officials even though the company had been granted all necessary permissions.. Last month Infinito announced that it had accepted an offer of a loan for up to $500,000 from Exploram Enterprises, Ltd., its major shareholder, and that $115,000 has been |
advanced to
the company
under the loan to date. The money was to bankroll Infinito's
legal battle against Costa Rica. However, Wednesday the firm said that the company's major shareholder and creditor has advised the company that it is unwilling to advance any further funds. A key figure in the company has been is Ronald Mannix, operator of Exploram and a wealthy Canadian. The company said today that it owes $90.1 million. The announcement came over the PR Newswire. The decision by the company leaves the status of the arbitration case in doubt. The case is in the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, and an arbitration panel already has been formed. |
| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | |||||
| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 139 | |||||
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| New drug in development may cure and even prevent malaria
infections |
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By the University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center news staff Researchers in Texas and Australia have shown that a drug currently in testing shows potential to cure malaria in a single dose and offers promise as a preventive treatment as well. The new drug, DSM265, kills drug-resistant malaria parasites in the blood and liver by targeting their ability to replicate. Malaria is a highly infectious, mosquito-transmitted disease that kills nearly 600,000 people worldwide each year, mostly children under 5 years old living in sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly 200 million cases of malaria are reported annually, and about 3 billion people are at risk of malaria in 97 countries, including Costa Rica. “DSM265 could be among the first single-dose cures for malaria, and would be used in partnership with another drug,” said lead author Margaret Phillips, professor of pharmacology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “The drug also could potentially be developed as a once-weekly preventive.” In addition to University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the research team included the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Australia, the University of Washington, and the not-for-profit Medicines for Malaria Venture. The study was published in Science Translational Medicine. Researchers determined that the compound DSM265 kills the malaria parasite Plasmodium in both liver and blood stages of infection. Further, the compound was shown to be well tolerated and effective in preclinical models. Currently, the frontline anti-malarial treatments are combination therapies which are credited with helping to reduce the malaria |
infection.
However, malaria strains resistant
to these drugs have recently been reported in Thailand, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos. “The problem is we’re starting to see more drug resistance, and this is what’s taken out every anti-malarial drug we’ve had,” said Professor Phillips. “The parasite is very good at adapting and becoming resistant to drugs. This is inevitable. What we can do is deliver new medicines with new modes of action and safeguard the longevity of the anti-malarial through use in combination as long as possible.” In order to combat drug resistance, DSM265 likely would be partnered with another new drug and used as a one-dose combination therapy. Another option is to develop DSM265 as a once-weekly preventive for individuals traveling to malaria-endemic regions or for people living in areas where malaria infections are primarily seasonal and human immunity is low. Either scenario is still several years away, pending the outcome of current and future trials, said Professor Phillips. DSM265 targets the ability of the parasite to synthesize the nucleotide precursors required for synthesis of DNA and RNA, she said. The first clinical trial was a safety study in Australia, followed by an ongoing efficacy study in Perú to evaluate the ability to treat patients with malaria. Additional human studies are planned, including one to test the drug as a preventive medicine. Southwestern is assisting in an advisory capacity in these studies and is providing support with biomarker assays. Work on DSM265 began in Professor Phillips’ lab. In 2008, her research team identified an inhibitor of an enzyme that the malaria parasite requires for survival. This enzyme, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, enables the parasite to replicate and spread during infection of humans. |
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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Colorado
S.A. 2015 and may not be reproduced anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth
news page
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| San José, Costa Rica, Thursday, July 16, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 139 | |||||||
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| Obama defends pact with Iran and says it is the best route By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
President Barack Obama staunchly defended the historic deal that aims to restrain Tehran's nuclear development program Wednesday, saying it represents the world's best means of ensuring Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. Seeking to sell the Iran nuclear deal to skeptical U.S. lawmakers and the American public, Obama insisted the landmark agreement is also the best way to avoid a nuclear arms race and more war in the Middle East. At the nationally televised White House news conference, the president repeated his conviction that the pact cuts off every single path for Iran to build a nuclear bomb, making the United States, its allies and the world safer and more secure. He said if the U.S., through the congressional review process, misses the chance to approve the deal, "history will judge us harshly," and that another opportunity to complete a deal with Iran "may not come in our lifetime." Obama also called U.S.-led negotiations with Iran "a powerful display of American leadership," emphasizing the increased transparency the agreement entails on part of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, who would carry out the "largest inspection regime in history." "Without a deal, the international sanctions regime will unravel, with little ability to re-impose it," he said. "With this deal, we have the possibility to peacefully resolve a major threat to regional and international security." Without a deal, Obama said there would have been a risk of more fighting in the Middle East, and that other countries in the region would feel compelled to pursue their own nuclear programs in the most volatile region in the world. While the U.S. cannot control regional conflicts in the Middle East, he said the United States can work with its Mideast allies to provide support for educational programs that help improve the plight of impoverished, poorly educated youths, so that they will be less open to Islamic State appeals to them to join insurgents in their fight against the West. Obama answered some questions about U.S. domestic issues, but at one point pleaded for more Iran questions from reporters, in hopes of rebutting other complaints about the deal, to "make sure no stone is left unturned." "If you listen to some of the critics of this deal, you'd think Iran was going to take over the world," he said, insisting that is not the case. Obama said that even if Iran eventually decides to build a nuclear weapon after 10 or 15 years of international monitoring, the U.S. would still be in position to mobilize other countries against Tehran's efforts. It is incumbent on critics, he said, to say how a future U.S. president would be in a worse position with regard to Iranian nuclear intentions if the deal is not implemented. After Iran and six world powers sealed an accord in Vienna on Tuesday, White House officials reiterated their long-held belief that robust debate over the deal would – and should – follow in Congress, where it faces wide opposition from Republican lawmakers and Republican presidential contenders seeking to replace Obama when his second term concludes in 2017. He called the contention by some opponents that Iran should have no nuclear capability, not even for peaceful purposes, unrealistic. The president also said he does not anticipate that Republicans in Congress will rally around the nuclear pact, but said that if lawmakers vote based on the facts the majority of them should approve the deal. "The world does not agree that Iran can't have a peaceful nuclear program," he said, adding that the United States and other countries have joined in forcing constraints on any development of an Iranian nuclear weapon. There will be real consequences for Iran if it violates terms of the deal, he said, including reintroduction of economic sanctions that will end if Tehran adheres to the deal it agreed to after months of negotiations with Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the U.S. Eradicating the prospect of nuclear weapons in Iran is something Obama has repeatedly described as an objective shared by international and domestic entities alike, including Democratic and Republican members of Congress. The agreement, which represents the biggest step toward rapprochement between Iran and the West since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is also perceived as a political triumph for Obama, who has made outreach to America's enemies a hallmark of his presidency. It is also seen as his biggest foreign policy gamble since taking office in 2009 Obama said the United States is continuing to pressure Iran to release three Americans being held by Tehran, including Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, former Marine Amir Hekmati, Christian pastor Saeed Abedini and ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson, whose whereabouts in Iran remains unknown. Some critics of the Iran deal said the president should not have agreed to it without the return of the four to the United States. Obama said the U.S. did not include the status of the jailed Americans in the nuclear talks because it would have made it more difficult to walk away from a deal the U.S. did not like. He also said he didn't want to encourage Iran to use the prisoners as leverage in the talks. Kicking off what is expected to be a lengthy campaign to lock in political support for the historic deal, Vice President Joseph Biden arrived at Congress shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday for a closed-door meeting to brief minority Democrats in the House of Representatives. One lawmaker quoted Biden as saying that "nothing in this agreement takes the military option off the table" for an attack against Iran if it violates the deal and starts building a nuclear weapon. Another said the vice president contended that the entire sanctions regime that has been imposed against Iran to pressure it to complete a deal would crumble if the pact negotiated by the United States and five other world powers is not implemented. Once Congress is handed the formal agreement, it has 60 days to consider whether to reject it, and even it does, Obama has promised to veto such legislation. If that were to happen, both houses of Congress would then have to produce a two-thirds majority to override the president's veto. Opponents of the agreement continued their barrage of attacks Wednesday. One leading Republican presidential contender, real estate mogul Donald Trump, called it a disgrace, while another candidate, Sen. Lindsey Graham, said it was a terrible idea. Key Points: * Iran will reduce stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 percent to 300 kg for 15 years • Iran will reduce by two-thirds the number of centrifuges operating to enrich uranium at its main processing center, • Iran is prevented from designing warheads or conducting experiments on nuclear weapons-related technology. • Arms embargo on Iran will be eased, as long as International Atomic Energy Agency judges Iran's nuclear program to be peaceful. * International sanctions on Iran will be lifted, enabling it to export oil. • If an international panel finds Iran is not honoring the accord, it can vote to restore sanctions. In an interview with The New York Times, Obama said the agreement achieves the basic goal that even critics agree with: that Iran should not have the capacity to develop a nuclear weapon. "This is our best option to make sure that not just for the first 10 years, but for years afterwards, we have a verifiable inspection regime that ensures they do not obtain a nuclear weapon," Obama said. "That is worth an enormous amount in terms of our national security, and Israel's national security and our other allies' national security in the region. It also prevents the possibility of a nuclear arms race in the region." He said whoever is president 10 or 15 years from now will have the same ability to use military action or to impose new sanctions, but with the agreement they will also have more insight into Iran's nuclear program and international legitimacy to act against any violations. Obama also mentioned the need to work with Israel and Gulf allies to guard against the possibility of Iran using money unlocked by sanctions to sponsor terrorism. Tuesday, the president discussed the Iran deal with various allies in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates. The White House said Obama recalled a summit earlier this year with Persian Gulf nations, and reiterated that the U.S. remains committed to working with them to counter Iran's destabilizing activities in the region. The prospect of an increasingly assertive Iran has seen Gulf States build up their militaries, largely with U.S. weaponry. Next week, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter will head to the Middle East to try to reassure allies that the Iran deal will not undermine America's commitment to their security. As of late Tuesday, the White House had disclosed only one stop: Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already condemned the accord as "a stunning, historic mistake." "We will reserve our right to defend ourselves against all of our enemies," Netanyahu told Israeli parliament Wednesday, saying the Jewish state isn't bound by the Iranian nuclear deal and will continue to oppose it. "We have strength, and it is great and mighty." Via Twitter, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke of the deal as a new diplomatic beginning for the countries involved, calling it “not a ceiling but a solid foundation. We must now begin to build on it.” Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday that he will visit Iran, after being invited by Zarif at the close of the negotiations. Fabius did not say when the trip would take place. McCain doubts that Congress can override an Obama veto By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, a leading critic of Tuesday’s landmark nuclear accord with Iran, has conceded that the U.S. Congress is unlikely to be able to block the deal, despite strong opposition from Republican lawmakers who control both chambers. McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, tsaid “it’s doubtful, just doubtful” that enough Democrats would join with Republicans to override a presidential veto of congressional votes disapproving the deal. Those votes could come in September, 60 days after lawmakers begin a review period of the accord. For now, opponents of the accord appear to outnumber backers, making initial simple-majority votes of disapproval likely. But overriding a veto would require two-thirds votes in both chambers, a far higher hurdle for congressional critics of the agreement. Asked if the pact is essentially a done deal, given that Republicans lack the numbers to override a veto on their own, McCain said, “I think that is likely, but we won’t give up the fight.” Congress has a contingent of strongly pro-Israel Democrats, many of whom have expressed deep reservations about a nuclear accord with Tehran. McCain said he expected the White House will put enormous pressure on these Democratic senators not to block the deal. McCain said the accord unveiled in Vienna “only pauses Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons – the original intent was to prevent them.” At the White House Wednesday, President Barack Obama said, “I can say with confidence, but more importantly, nuclear experts can say with confidence that Iran will not be in a position to develop a nuclear bomb. We will have met our number-one priority.” He added, “With this deal, we cut off every single one of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear program, a nuclear weapons program. And Iran’s nuclear program will be under severe limits for many years. Without a deal, those pathways remain open. There would be no limits to Iran’s nuclear program, and Iran could move closer to a nuclear bomb.” McCain dismissed the president’s argument that the deal is preferable to a continuation of Iran’s nuclear development unchecked. “It’s roughly similar to the same thing Neville Chamberlain said when he came back from Munich,” McCain said. “It can only help the Iranians. It can only assist them in their effort to spread terror throughout the region.” Other lawmakers are defending the pact. “For the first time, Iran’s nuclear activities have been reined in,” said Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer. “With this agreement in place, we will have more tools than we have ever had to inspect, monitor, and enforce – and more allies to make it work.” “If the United States walks away from this agreement, it is certain that the countries that helped us reach this point will walk away too. Without this perfect alignment for punishing sanctions, they will fall apart and we will lose this moment,” Blumenauer added. The president can waive or suspend sanctions against Iran, but only after the 60-day congressional review period and only if Congress either declines to vote on the deal or a vote of disapproval is not sustained. A future president could re-impose sanctions, a fact noted by some Republican presidential aspirants who have pledged to undo the deal if they win the White House next year. Both the Senate and House of Representatives are bracing for exhaustive hearings on the deal – a process that will be interrupted by lawmakers’ annual August recess, during which time they will hear from constituents. Although many Republicans already have signaled their opposition to the accord, other Republicans, along with most Democrats, are withholding final judgment, at least for now. Sen. Angus King of Maine urged his congressional colleagues not to make any snap decisions. “To denounce an agreement or a deal before the ink has even dried strikes me as an abdication of our responsibility,” King said. “Let’s slow down and take a deep breath.” McCain acknowledged that Republicans have an instinctual distrust of anything bearing Obama’s stamp of approval. “I think there’s a real lack of trust because of the record,” McCain said, pointing to the administration’s handling of Syria. “The president said that they’d crossed the red line – Bashar al-Assad with chemical weapons – and we did nothing. He has no credibility with Republicans, but more importantly, no credibility with the Sunni Arab nations.” President says no way exists to strip Cosby of medal By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
President Barack Obama has rejected the idea of revoking Bill Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom because of sexual misconduct allegations against the actor-comedian. Obama told reporters Wednesday at the White House there is no precedent or mechanism for taking back Cosby's medal. A sexual assault awareness group has petitioned the Obama administration to revoke the medal. Its online petition had nearly 11,000 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. The president declined to talk about the specific allegations against Cosby. However, he said if anyone gives a drug to someone else without that other person's knowledge, and then has sex with the other person, that's rape. Obama also said, "Any civilized country should have no tolerance for rape." Court documents show Cosby admitted under oath that he obtained quaaludes to give to women with whom he wanted to have sex. Numerous women have accused the entertainer of sexual assault and rape, with the earliest alleged incidents taking place in the mid-1960s, and with many alleged to have been drug-facilitated. Cosby has denied the allegations and has never been criminally charged. Cosby received his Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. Jurors consider mental state of Colorado movie murderer By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Jurors in the western U.S. State of Colorado have begun deliberations over the fate of James Holmes, who went into a suburban Denver movie theater three years ago, killed 12 people and left 70 wounded. The panel of nine women and three men will determine whether Holmes was legally insane. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to 165 charges including murder. Holmes, a 27-year-old former neuroscience graduate student from California, could face the death penalty if he is convicted of opening fire inside a midnight premiere of a Batman movie. During the trial, two court-appointed psychiatrists testified for the prosecution that while the defendant is severely mentally ill, he was sane when he plotted and carried out the massacre. The defense conceded that Holmes was the gunman who opened fire and killed the moviegoers, but it countered with two privately hired psychiatrists who concluded that Holmes is delusional and schizophrenic, and cannot be held legally accountable. If Holmes is convicted of first-degree murder, a decision to spare his life in the penalty phase would result in a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. |
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contents of this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río
Colorado S.A. 2015 and may not be reproduced anywhere without
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of beaches strewn with human garbage By the Plymouth University news staff
Marine litter can undermine the psychological benefits of coastal environments, a study has shown. The beneficial effects of the blue environment to human health and well-being are well documented, but there has been little research into how the growing global issue of marine litter might negate them. To measure this, Plymouth University secured funding to assess public reaction to the differing conditions of coastlines. Participants were shown images of clean beaches and some featuring seaweed (natural debris), but also ones with quantities of fishing debris (such as rope, nets and packaging) and public litter (including drinks cans, plastic bottles, sweet and crisp wrappers). The results – published in the journal Environment and Behaviour – showed the clean condition was consistently rated most positively, whereas the two littered conditions were rated more negatively, with the public litter condition being rated the worst. The paper’s lead author Kayleigh Wyles undertook the research as part of her doctoral studies, and is now working as a research fellow at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. She said: “When clean, the coast is associated with many psychological benefits including making us feel revitalized when experiencing it, but the reality is the coast is commonly degraded by the presence of marine litter. The interesting finding in this work is that not only does litter undermine the psychological benefits typically provided by coastal settings, but the type of litter is important. We hope this work strengthens the importance of addressing marine litter, for human health and well-being, as well as for the environmental and financial costs.” The research, a collaboration between psychologists and marine scientists, used both quantitative and qualitative methods where individuals rated the varied series of coastal scenes. From this, the researchers could examine the precise influence of litter in terms of perceived restorative quality and psychological impacts, with the results showing scenes with litter were rated negatively on a number of measures, with litter stemming from the public having the most adverse impact. Whilst studies of this kind in the past have focused on pristine, clean environments, the images used in this study were contextually much more realistic, using photos of marine environments which were spoiled from abundant marine litter, an increasing real-life issue in coastal environments worldwide. “We know that stated preferences directly translate into visits, and economic data shows tourism suffers when coasts are littered," said Sabine Pahl, associate professor in the School of Psychology at Plymouth University. "For our research, only a small quantity of litter was added to the scenes, covering less than 10 percent of the beach. This is much less than would be washed up after a storm, but still, we found these very consistent negative psychological effects. Given the increasing litter on our coasts and in our seas, the psychological effects can be expected to get worse.” “Marine litter is a global environmental problem, with habitats form the poles to the equator and shorelines to the deep sea contaminated with debris," said Richard Thompson of the School of Marine Science and Engineering at Plymouth University who has been working on the effects of marine litter for over 20 years. "We have previously shown marine litter is harmful to numerous species of marine life and it is clear there are major financial costs keeping tourist beaches and ports and harbors clean. Yet it is a problem that can be solved, and our work underscores the need for action to reduce emissions of litter to the environment and educate about its many harmful effects.” |
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| From Page 7: Road work at Tamarindo planned soon By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Work is expected to begin in the next few months to improve the 2.8 kilometers between Playa Tamarindo and Playa Langosta. The Municipalidad de Santa Cruz is expected to invest 94 million colons in the jobs, some $178,000. The repairs are being made with an eye to the growing flow of tourists, said the Cámara de Comercio y Turismo de Tamarindo. Workers already have begun doing a vehicle count for the roadway, and an evaluation has been made of weather damage, said the chamber. |
