Econ Log 5: PES and poverty 16/3/10

1. Payment for Environmental Services can help reduce poverty if implemented with that goal in mind. Regulations would need to target poor participants and be carried out in a manner that is accessible and affordable for the poor. A detailed assessment must be done on the land that is subject to the PES program and the family and work force that lives off it. If this were the case, then yes, PES can help reduce poverty, but only in those specific areas that are poverty-stricken but contain viable land. A negative side effect of PES may be the decrease in land for agriculture and therefore an increase in food prices, which would affect those poor who were not viable for participation in the PES program. Therefore, PES could help a select group of poverty stricken people out of poverty but overall it seems more likely that it would have a negative effect on the majority of the poor.

2. Assuming a poverty stricken area is located on land that is eligible for PES, there are still many obstacles faced by the upstream service providers. They must assure that there is a secure tenure and investment needs are met. Many poor don’t have access to credit if investment needs are not readily met. After determining the profitability of the PES practice, the landowners must have the resources available, whether that means more labor or different tools, to alter their land use to that of the PES standards.

3. Socio-economic impacts of the PES program are associated with the implementation stage and land use change. In some cases, like in the prevention of deforestation rather than cultivation of land, less labor is needed from the local community. Thus, though PES may help one family out of poverty, it may do more damage than good on a local community. More obvious impacts include an increased income for the landowners and tenants, and payment by downstream service users who receive the services. The need for institutions to regulate PES implementation and payment may lead to better social organization and community capital potential.

NRM Log 5: Coffee Plantation 16/3/10

Visiting the organic coffee plantation last Thursday was a much-needed educational experience for me. I had only understood organic farming as not using fertilizers, but Thursday I learned there are many more benefits from it. The most important for me was learning how organic farming remove the role of mega companies from agriculture and keep more of the profit local. Since fertilizer is not needed, that money is not paid to huge agrochemical companies, but instead the farm needs more labor to make up for the lack of chemical fertilizers. Therefore, more locals are hired to complete this labor, keeping the profit of the farm localized. Local profit is enough in itself for me to support and buy organic products. The big companies have enough money already! The only potential change that needs follow is the removal of the organic companies that Gerardo’s farm sells 80% of its coffee to. This large company acts as a middleman and takes profit from the local organic farms.

Lastly, I also learned today that coffee DOES taste good. So good! I had no idea. Now I only hope I don’t get addicted to the caffeine!

TE Log 2: Cloud Forests 12/3/10

TE Log 2: Cloud Forests 12/3/10

Cloud forests, like the one in Monteverde, are important for humans for two main reasons. First, cloud forests are dense in flora, which acts as a carbon sink, absorbing 25% of terrestrial carbon. Forests absorb 15% of the carbon that humans emit annually. This is why deforestation is one of the leading contributors to climate change and an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. We need forested land like in Monteverde to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Cloud forests are also important to humans because of their role in the hydrological cycle. Cloud forests are very wet and store water because the input does not equal the output. Puddles, like the one we saw in Monteverde, store water within the forest, which helps regulate the climate when there is a drought. Precipitation and evaporation from these stored puddles can provide atmospheric water to be cycled when otherwise a drought would plague the region. In summary, cloud forests are important because they are carbon sinks and because they help regulate the hydrological cycle.

Culture Log 3: Gender roles and family structure

12/3/10

During my homestay this past weekend I noticed many differences between the family structure and gender roles present as opposed to those I have grown up with. In my house, my mom has always been the bread winner, while my dad, by choice, was home after school to take care of my sister and I. In the Ramirez household, la madre, Ana, estaba en la cocina o en la sala todo el día. Solo salió de la casa para ir al mercado por comida. In the United States, the gender roles have been blurred during the 20th century due to the fight for women's equality. In the US, a women's role in the kitchen is seen as discriminatory, pero en Costa Rica es tradición y es correcta.

In the United States, it is seen as a failure when children still live at home past the age of about 18-20. Children go off to college and once they graduate, they are not expected to live at home, except for maybe a transitional month or two. Pero, en Costa Rica es normal que los hijos viven en sus casas hasta se casan. In America, this would be looked down upon. Lastly, a difference that I wish was rather a similarity, is that aquí en Costa Rica todos los vecinos que pasan por la calle son primos. Durante el sabado, la casa estuvo llena de relativos. I haven't seen much of my mom's side of the family in over 10 years. My dad's side is very close, but physically we live across the country so visits are as frequent as possible, but still only twice a year. This is probably due to the development and size of the US, but it is something I wish we could change. (Though I'm not one to talk, as I attend college 3,000 miles away from my home..)

NRM: Five things for Sustainability

9/3/2010

1. Recycle and compost everything I can.

2. Check the products I buy for sustainability and try to buy more locally grown crops.

3. Continue what I have started being here and don't eat meat, since it is not sustainable.

4. Take public transportation when I can and carpool when I drive in a car.

5. Since I found out how much water flushing uses, a little limerick. When it's yellow, let it mellow. When it's brown, flush it down.

Econ and NRM Globalization Log: 1/3/10

Globalization in Costa Rica would have many positive socioeconomic impacts because the country has excellent national sovereignty and environmental laws already in place. With free trade opening up, more of Costa Rica’s crops would gain access to the global market, increasing the average GDP per capita. However, more globalization and trade would provide better resources and infrastructure, increasing tourism to Costa Rica. While this seems positive, it would bring an increasing amount of foreign investors into the country, which would encroach on the local culture, lifestyle and property.

If this were the case, and Costa Rica’s tourism increased drastically with its heightened integration into the global economy, there would also be a rapid expiration of the country’s natural resources and ecosystems. Without better regulations and protections decided upon quickly for incoming investors and developers, Costa Rica would face potentially irreversible impacts on their environment and resource supply. On a positive note, free trade would allow for a greater spread of information and technology, much of which could be used to increase industrial and agricultural efficiency. This would reduce Costa Rica’s carbon footprint and help mitigate the negative effects of global warming.

NRM Log 3: Tarcoles River Basin Commission 26/2/10

Bottom up natural resource management can have the most positive impact because of complete participation and public involvement, but it is also fragile when officials at the top have too much control.
In the case of the Tarcoles River Basin Commission, we can observe a clear example of the benefits and weaknesses of bottom up natural resource management. The commission had the greatest potential to have a true positive influence on the waste management in the river. This was mostly due to careful research and planning that was put into the process every step of the way. This care was necessary for winning upper level support when starting at the bottom. Therefore, a very careful and successful plan was constructed to deal with the pollution in the Tarcoles River. In addition, much public support was won along the way due to tireless diplomacy and spread of potential models of integrated river management put forth in their struggle to be heard.
However, all this work and potential was cut short due to a common weakness in bottom up natural resource management. When changes at the top have the power to alter the entire commission goals and replace officials, all the efforts can be lost. In the case of the Tarcoles River, a change in government allowed for a change in the commission president, and therefore crippled the commission’s success. Ideally, the best resource management plan would be initiated from the bottom up but would then be supported and led by an official at the top, thus ensuring a carefully planned model with uninterrupted implementation.