An International Address: Second Vice-President Kevin Casas spoke in New York yesterday before the Forum on Social Strategies in Latin America, organized by the U.N. Development Programme (PNUD) and the Spanish government.

ROME, Italy -- Vice-Minister of Energy and Environment Jorge Rodríguez yesterday presented to the Italian government Costa Rica's “Peace with Nature” initiative to protect the environment.

National Book Fair
Including cultural shows, bargains on reading material, and more, today through Sunday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Zapote, former bullfighting ring.

Jam Session
With the Jazz Café Trio, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 253-8933, www.jazzcafecostarica.com

Construction began yesterday on a new building at the private National Biodiversity Institute (INBio), a research center in the Central Valley town of Santo Domingo de Heredia, thanks to a recent donation by the Korean Embassy.

The building, to be called the Center for Biodiversity Research, will house a new facility with high-tech tools dedicated to researching sustainable uses for Costa Rica's extraordinary biodiversity, according to a joint statement from the embassy and INBio. These could include the use of natural resources in the bio-technology and pharmaceutical fields.

“This will be the first stone not only in the building, but also in a relationship of collaboration and scientific exchange between Korean and Costa Rican experts in issues of mutual interest, including biodiversity and biotechnology,” said the statement.

Both countries hope the center will also provide training opportunities for Costa Rican citizens in related fields.

The Korean government donated $1 million for the building's construction and $5 million for continued research projects there, which it hopes to unravel over the course of 10 years.

-Tico Times

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

Police yesterday uprooted and destroyed 800,000 marijuana plants growing in the mountains of the southern Caribbean Talamanca region, according to a statement from the Public Security Ministry.

Many of the plants on these illegal plantations measured as tall as three meters and were ready to be cut for consumption, the statement said. Police burned most of the plants on site upon discovering them, but they brought a small sample to the Public Security Ministry's headquarters for closer examination, said spokeswoman Marielos Barboza.

This marijuana round-up was part of the Public Security Ministry's efforts to cut off drug trafficking where it begins, said Minister Fernando Berrocal.

“Every one of the plants that was cut by police would have gone on to contaminate the hands of citizens,” he said.

So far this year, police have destroyed more than 2 million marijuana plants all over the country.

ROME, Italy -- Vice-Minister of Energy and Environment Jorge Rodríguez yesterday presented to the Italian government Costa Rica's “Peace with Nature” initiative to protect the environment.

President Oscar Arias inaugurated this initiative by presenting a document stating the country's intention to become “neutral in terms of carbon emissions, expand natural reserves and their conservation,” Rodríguez explained.

The vice-minister spoke yesterday during a press conference on the environment held at Modena University in northern Italy, explaining that Peace with Nature is an “invitation” to the rest of the world to take action in defending the environment.

The organizers of the conference reported that the Italian provinces of Modena and Ferrara, as well as several companies and organizations, are taking on “innovative initiatives” modeled after Costa Rica's National Forest Financing Fund (FONAFIFO).