FEBRUARY 14, 2007

A POLLUTION Problem: These buses that head west into San José from eastern suburbs converge on Avenida Central, producing collective clouds of exhaust that is diminishing the city's air quality, according to the results of a study released by Universidad Nacional (UNA) yesterday.

CUPID at Work: Ana Calvo yesterday stayed busy with a steady stream of customers at her flower stand Kiosko Ana on San José's Avenida 2. She beefed up her inventory with cards and balloons relaying romantic messages for Valentine's Day, or El Día de Los Enamorados, today.

Good News, Bad News about San José Air Quality

Good news and bad news about San José's air quality were announced this morning by Universidad Nacional (UNA) researcher Jorge Herrera. The good news: for the first time, scientists have recorded a decrease in particulate matter such as dust and soot and less sulfur in the air. The bad news: nitrogen dioxide levels have continued to rise.

Bill Seeks to Crack Down On Child Porn

The Arias Administration included a proposal to crack down on those in possession of child pornography in its extraordinary legislative agenda sent to the Legislative Assembly yesterday.

500 Pelicans Found Dead In Gulf of Nicoya

Environment and Energy Minister Roberto Dobles this week expressed concern about the fact that approximately 500 brown pelicans were found dead on an islet in the Gulf of Nicoya by Costa Rican Coast Guard officials Friday, according to the wire service ACAN-EFE.

Coalition Plans Concert Against Commercial Whaling

Good News, Bad News about San José Air Quality

By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff | aroberson@ticotimes.net

Good news and bad news about San José's air quality were announced this morning by Universidad Nacional (UNA) researcher Jorge Herrera. The good news: for the first time, scientists have recorded a decrease in particulate matter such as dust and soot and less sulfur in the air. The bad news: nitrogen dioxide levels have continued to rise.

The decrease in particulate matter and sulfur, both of which are produced by cars and factories and can aggravate respiratory problems, can likely be attributed to the National Oil Refinery (RECOPE) requiring lower sulfur levels in the nation's fuels, Herrera said, addressing journalists as well as San José Mayor Johnny Araya, Public Health Minister María Luisa Avila and Environment and Energy Minister Roberto Dobles during a press conference.

Fuels with lower concentrations of sulfur means less of this element ends up in particulate matter, defined as solid or liquid particles dispersed as dust, ash and other materials, according to information provided by UNA.

Herrera called this news “encouraging,” but said government officials must improve the capital's public transportation system, the culprit of an increase in harmful nitrates.

The UNA study, which has been carried out for the past three years, uses meters to measure nitrogen dioxide levels at 14 points around the city. Five of these points showed levels higher than the 40 micrograms per cubic meter recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO): near the San Juan de Dios Hospital on Paseo Colón, the Metropolitan Cathedral on Ave. 2, the La Castellana gas station on Ave. 10, the National Water and Sewer Institute (AyA) building on Paseo de los Estudiantes and the Numar building in Barrio Cuba.

Nitrogen dioxide levels have increased in 65% of the points measured, which Herrera says is likely caused by the number of cars in the city increasing by almost 9% each year.

Herrera's suggestions to government officials include reorganizing bus routes, obtaining more modern buses and establishing a legal minimum quality for the country's fuel. Institutions including the ministries of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and Public Works and Transport (MOPT) as well as the San José Municipality should collaborate to make these things happen, Herrera said.

Bill Seeks to Crack Down On Child Porn

By Blake Schmidt
Tico Times Staff | bschmidt@ticotimes.net

The Arias Administration included a proposal to crack down on those in possession of child pornography in its extraordinary legislative agenda sent to the Legislative Assembly yesterday.

“Jail is the only place for those seeking to exploit society's most defenseless,” Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias said in a statement that announced the proposal's inclusion in the executive agenda.

The proposal's presentation in the assembly comes a week after a U.N. report shined light on Costa Rica's lack of funds, resources, laws and enforcement to tackle the growing commercial and sexual exploitation of children here.

The report came after Austrian authorities dismantled an international child pornography ring that spanned 77 countries, including Costa Rica, and involves more than 2,000 suspects.

International Police (INTERPOL) are investigating the case in coordination with Austrian authorities, though no one has been arrested in the case, according to INTERPOL official Mercedes Quesada.

500 Pelicans Found Dead In Gulf of Nicoya

Environment and Energy Minister Roberto Dobles this week expressed concern about the fact that approximately 500 brown pelicans were found dead on an islet in the Gulf of Nicoya by Costa Rican Coast Guard officials Friday, according to the wire service ACAN-EFE.

Scientists are “working to identify the cause of these deaths, deaths that were abrupt and as of now have no scientific explanation,” Dobles said, declining to speculate on what killed the birds.

Scientists at Universidad Nacional (UNA) Veterinary School in Heredia, north of San José, are studying the bodies of some of the pelicans, which can weigh up to five kilograms and feed off of fish and other matter along Costa Rica's Pacific coast, reported the daily La Nación.

-Tico Times

Coalition Plans Concert Against Commercial Whaling

Costa Rican musicians, models and soccer players plan to come together tomorrow in support of whales -- they're holding a consciousness-raising concert aimed at urging the Costa Rican government to oppose Japan's plans to resume commercial whaling, according to a statement from the Costa Rican Coalition for Whales, a conglomerate of 12 national and international environmental organizations.

This group has launched a campaign to persuade the Costa Rican government to rejoin the International Whaling Commission, an organization dedicated to whale conservation, the statement said. The commission issued a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, but the Japanese government is seeking to end it to resume the practice of hunting whales for meat and scientific purposes.

Costa Rica has been behind on its dues to the commission since the 1980s and must pay up to be able to vote in June against Japan hunting whales, a practice environmentalists say could hurt whale-related tourism in Costa Rica (TT, Feb. 9).

The free concert will feature Costa Rican rock groups Evolución, Raza Bronce, Bernal Villegas, Santos and Zurdo as well as games for kids. Additionally, Tica model Leonora Jiménez and José Francisco Porras, captain of the National Soccer Team, will take to the stage. These two have declared themselves the “godmother and godfather” of the anti-whaling campaign, the statement said.

The all-day event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and last until 8 p.m. at the Culture Plaza in downtown San José.

Concertgoers will have a chance to sign a petition against whaling and talk with members of environmental groups.

Few plant species can be considered a marvelous discovery that has transformed human culture. Bactris gasipaes is definitely one of those rare cases in which a plant provides a wide variety of products for different uses. The peach palm supplies two of the most delicate and exquisite vegetable products Costa Rica exports to the world: peach palm (pejibaye) and heart of palm (palmito).

It is thought that plantations already existed by the time Columbus arrived on Costa Rica's Caribbean island of Uvita in 1502, which was appropriately named La Huerta (The Vegetable Garden). It wasn't until 1541 to 1546 that the first reference to the peach palm appeared in official colonial records, when Spanish settlers entered the southern hills of the Coaza Cacique territory in today's Talamancas, an area in which a tree locals called “pijibay” (pronounced pe-hee-BYE) was more than prominent and utilized by the locals in many ways.

Conquerors discovered how not only the fruit but also the core of the palm was consumed, and that the palm fronds were used for thatch and the tree trunks for timber. At that time, the peach palm was cultivated throughout southern Mexico and Central America to the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon regions. Although today the peach palm grows in most tropical areas of the globe, its potential production scale is still in its infancy.

Mixing Palm Products: Pejibaye and palmito in Chef Marco's “Mocha Mexicali Sauce” with cumin rice.

Marco González | Tico Times

Costa Rica and Brazil are the leading exporters of peach palm products. Pejibaye and palmito are considered delicacies sent abroad to gourmet markets in the industrialized world. The pejibaye itself is so unique in taste that it has been described as somewhere between a sweet potato and a water chestnut, with a unique bright orange color and nutty texture. It is a versatile ingredient that can be cooked in many ways, either savory or sweet. Flour, starch and oil are extracted from the flesh for both industrial and domestic uses. Palmito is one of the crispiest and delicious of the edible palms; its rich aroma and consistency are comparable to those of tender bamboo shoots.

Chefs from around the globe continue to be inspired by these two ingredients, creating a melting pot of techniques, recipes and ideas. Their versatility means they are adaptable to almost any kind of cuisine, style, technique or flavors. Commonly found in gourmet markets of New York, London and Tokyo, their prices in these far-off locales certainly categorize them as “elite” ingredients, deserving of regal treatment.

Many Costa Rican and Brazilian scientists are dedicated to the collection, distribution and expansion of knowledge of this “perfect palm.” Costa Rica is the largest exporter of peach palms in the world, and one of the top exporters of heart of palm, thanks largely to the effort of Jorge Mora and his colleagues at the University of Costa Rica, whose dedication and hard work are the backbone of the Pejibaye Research and Technology Transfer Program. Gathering all information available, they have created a database of all things peach palm. From seed banking to general information, their efforts to utilize the palm in different ways is finally paying off as peach palm is put to use in new ways, such as animal fodder and industrial raw materials.

Costa Ricans have a keen taste for pejibaye and palmito, and are quite discerning when it comes to quality. Surprisingly, however, the use of pejibaye in local gastronomy is rather shy, and it is usually served simply as boiled peach palm with mayonnaise or in soup or bread. The same goes for heart of palm, usually appearing in salads and in the quintessential Tico pie, pastel de arroz con palmito, a creamy, buttery, cheesy baked dish with simple flavor but lots of character.

For this recipe, I chose to combine the two amazing products from this versatile tree into one recipe, fusing their flavor and providing a Caribbean twist. ¡Buen provecho!