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Environmentalists Killing Monkeys August 20, 2007

Posted by admin in : Real Estate, Investing , add a comment

A part of what was once Costa Rica’s first National Park was in the process of being destroyed by men wielding machetes. They were employees of an American owned real estate company, chopping down the jungle, on behalf of an American real estate developer. It was land that had once belonged to Manuel Antonio National park, it was home to the endangered Titi Monkey, land behind my small hotel.

It wasn’t the first time, they had come to clear the forest, and it wouldn’t be the last. I had stopped them before, but this time it appeared that they were preparing a path for the bulldozers. I sent out an urgent call to my environmentalist friend in San Jose, but the men with machetes were doing their job quicker than usual, and I prepared to take action on my own.

One of my employees was an artist, and I had him create a huge plywood sign, that if the bulldozer appeared I would hang on the road- xx Real Estate kills monkeys. It was very graphic, showing a dead monkey with a noose around it’s head, and a knife dripping with blood.

My environmentalist friend appeared on the scene in time, put a halt to the chopping, and I never got to hang the sign. “Good thing you didn’t.” he told me, “you would have been sued or worse.” Mine was only one battle of many being fought to preserve Costa Rica’s environment.

The illegal deforestation of the jungle, is a necessary tactic used by real estate developers, done in order to be able to sell the property.  Costa Rica has strict environmental laws on what trees can be chopped down, which land can be developed, and how the land can be used. If they sell you land with monkeys, trees, birds, and butterflies, you may not be able to build. If their are no trees, well then there aren’t any restrictions, and the land is easier to sell and develop.

If you go to the office of xx Costa Rica Real Estate company, or any real estate company in Costa Rica, you are likely to see pictures of monkeys, birds, and beaches. Photos of the places they are destroying.  And you are helping them.

Me? “But I’m an environmentalist! I sort my trash, hike the woods on the weekend, and send a $30 check to the Sierra Club every year. I love monkeys, birds, and butterflies. I want to live or retire in Costa Rica to enjoy the nature.”

In many cases, environmentalists (and you may call yourself one), are helping to destroy the environment. Do you want to help or hurt? If you want to help the Costa Rica environment here are some things you can do:

1. Realize that you are part of the problem
Just in the fact that you come to Costa Rica, or decide to live in Costa Rica, you are having a negative impact on the environment.  It’s unavoidable. We consume air, water and energy. We need food to eat, water to drink, and electricity and gas to live and move. Your sewage flows into the sea, forests are cleared for crops and cattle, and dams are built for water and electricity. Our very existence has a negative effect on the environment. But exist we do so…

2. Minimize your existence
Also known as  sustainable living,  small  footprint, carbon neutral, and a host of other incomprehensible euphemisms. The point is to try and have the least impact on the enviroment. When it comes to Costa Rica real estate and living, you can minimize your impact by, minimizing your consumption. Things you can do:
- Don’t buy development properties in nature areas. You only encourage illegal deforestation.
-  Don’t buy an air-conditioned house. If its too hot for you at the beach - then don’t live at the beach.
- No swimming pools. They consume a tremendous amount of fresh water and require toxic chemicals
- Avoid golf courses. Fertilizers and pesticides are required to keep the greens green.

3. Encourage better land use and evironmental living practices
- Reduce your meat consumption
- Buy organic shade grown coffee
- Shop at your farmers market
- Use the bus instead of the car

These are just a few of the actions you can take to help the environment. If you have others please comment.

Sorting your trash, donating to environmental groups, and kayaking, are all very positive and helpful for the environment. But just understand, that if you come to Costa Rica and buy a four bedroom villa, with a swimming pool, on a golf course - you are probably an environmentalist killing monkeys.

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Preserving Costa Rica - Hometown Heroes! March 17, 2007

Posted by admin in : Real Estate, Living, Retirement , 1 comment so far

whitefacemonkey.jpgPeople Preserving Costa Rica
Many people are becoming aware of the, environmental and social destruction taking place in Costa Rica, due to illegal and un-planned real estate development. One of the wonderful things about Costa Rica, is that it attracts a large number of people, who love nature and culture. And many of them have been fighting to preserve Costa Rica’s environment and society for a very long time. They are a part of what makes Costa Rica special, and I am proud to call, a few of them my friends.

Costa Rica SlothChip and Jennifer own a hotel in Manuel Antonio, along with Jeanine their talented and beautiful daughter, run a foundation called “Kids Saving the Rainforest” . Kids Saving the Rainforest has been educating not only, visitors to Manuel Antonio National Park, but world-wide through school classrooms the importance of preserving Costa Rica’s environment. Jeanine will be leaving Costa Rica soon, to attend university, where she will study environmental issues in the United States. And then she plans to return to Costa Rica to benefit the nation with her expertise.

Matt Cook who started the Fund for Costa Rica, is a special friend of mine (we share many values in common), who is fighting to preserve Costa Rica. He has been warning people for years about the danger, facing the environment in Costa Rica, from un-checked real estate development. And how this will affect the environment and the tourism industry. He has been very busy lately, slapping lawsuits on reckless real estate developers, and he appears to be having success. Matt got his start in environmental defense, in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica, trying to save the Mono Titi monkey from extinction. He has now broadened his approach to include other parts of Costa Rica.

Matt and his group of paid environmental volunteers, using GPS technology monitor the development around Manuel Antonio, and notify the appropriate authorities to investigate possible illegal deforestation and development. He has helped me fight, two different American owned real estate companies, in their attempts to deforest, land that lies behind the Banana Tree Hotel, and that is contiguous to Manuel Antonio National Park.

toucan.jpgI’ve never met Jack Ewing - but he is my friend. Anyone who tries to protect and preserve Costa Rica is a friend of mine. He lives about one hour south of me, at his large environmental preserve Hacienda Baru, that attracts thousands of visitors per year. At Hacienda Baru, Tourists can enjoy a preserved and protected tropical rainforest and beach, and witness Jack’s re-forestation projects. Jack didn’t start out an environmentalist, quite the opposite, he came to Costa Rica to cattle ranch. A wise investment - and probably the greatest destructive cause - of rainforest deforestation.

Jack Ewing must have had an epiphany, which I am sure you can find him mention, in one of his many books and well written article. He became one of the first environmentalists in Costa Rica. And more importantly, he has worked tirelessly for decades, in doing something that actually makes a difference. He has taken his Costa Rica ranch land and is transforming it back into it’s natural state. Jack realized, back when I was still eating Coco Puffs cereal, that the trends were negative, and that action must be taken to preserve our way of life and the life of the planet. Jack Ewing is a visionary, teacher, and poet. He is one of the reasons I love Costa Rica so much and why I remain so positive.

Ramsay

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