tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6716087909843648936.post5978286052241186356..comments2023-09-21T03:36:10.644-06:00Comments on Fabulista De Costa Rica*: Perils in Costa Rican ParadiseKat Sunlovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241336391150267232noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6716087909843648936.post-51471515108484976752012-09-10T17:06:05.211-06:002012-09-10T17:06:05.211-06:00And then, ... there is this eye-opener from a few ...And then, ... there is this eye-opener from a few years ago on 20/20 that I just found now. See the first segment on DDT. Our panic about DDT back in the 70s has cost many, many thousands of lives (mostly children) to malaria because it was no longer available to poor countries. Interesting!<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVK1xQoxhPICasey Bahrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01638230726171327005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6716087909843648936.post-1558576790138018882012-08-21T18:38:34.490-06:002012-08-21T18:38:34.490-06:00Wow! Disturbing info about pesticide use in CR. M...Wow! Disturbing info about pesticide use in CR. My husband and I are thinking of retiring to CR but that could be a deal breaker! So surprising in a country where all we hear about is eco this and eco that. Sorry about eczema. I'm a green makeup artist and suggest to my clients that have eczema or other skin conditions to switch to all chemical-free, non-toxic personal care products. But I'll bet you already know that. Take care.Sheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12343868447942163532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6716087909843648936.post-82164108259880579792012-08-14T16:55:59.528-06:002012-08-14T16:55:59.528-06:00@Casey - Thanks so much for your astute comments. ...@Casey - Thanks so much for your astute comments. The graph cites its source as World Resources Institute, although I was unable to locate the data there. Although somewhat dated, see this article from 2011 for info on the increasing use of pesticides here: http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2011/february/21/costarica11022102.htm<br />Another recent story seems to confirm that: http://www.freshfruitportal.com/2011/12/06/costa-ricas-pesticide-use-is-too-high-claim-scientists/<br />Re coffee, we too drink only organic local coffee but the diet I'm following from http://www.eczema-natural-healing.com/ recommends no "stimulants" so I'm trying to follow that carefully.<br />The 10% figure is curious and wrong, I agree. But it's not my typo. The sentence in the article I took that from was footnoted so I used the data without really analyzing it. Certainly should have... maybe it was their typo. 40,000 and 1% might be more believable, eh? Here's the footnote: Wesseling, C. HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN PESTICIDE ISSUES: EXAMPLES OF INEQUITIES FROM CENTRAL AMERICA(Electronic Source). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. Volume 16(5), September 2005, pp S72-S73. Looks pretty solid but you're right that 400K can't be right. <br />Thanks again!Kat Sunlovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18241336391150267232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6716087909843648936.post-37806422272151911842012-08-14T05:39:30.920-06:002012-08-14T05:39:30.920-06:00I'm sad to hear about the pesticide use (and t...I'm sad to hear about the pesticide use (and that it could be affecting you so much). I had hopes that Costa Rica would buck the trend and be quite organic because of the emphasis on ecologically-friendly practices.Lydiahttp://discovertraveldream.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6716087909843648936.post-19122257701641370792012-08-13T21:03:09.988-06:002012-08-13T21:03:09.988-06:00Hi Kat,
I'd heard that CR was the pesticide l...Hi Kat,<br /><br />I'd heard that CR was the pesticide leader, but never seen the graph. I wish I could find the original study. The site from which the graph comes is not very informative. When I see a big discrepancy like that it makes me skeptical of the study. Also note that the study is over 12 years old. But, yes, the Ticos seem to have a general disregard for safety when spraying stuff, improper clothing and no masks. <br /><br />I'm afraid going organic is not going to happen as the margins are just not there to make it economical for the farmers, especially when people are living just above poverty level.<br /><br />You shouldn't forgo coffee if you can find organic. Fortunately we are a couple Kms from an organic coffee roaster, so that's all we drink. <br /><br />Oh, 400,000 is 10% of the population. Typo?Casey Bahrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01638230726171327005noreply@blogger.com