Did you know? Puerto Rico Energy Trivia

Here are a few shocking facts that are shared in the "Coge Pon por al Ambiente" campaign:

• Puerto Rico has more automobiles than people with a license to drive:
  
  • 3.3 million vehicles registered
  • 2.3 million people with a license to drive
  
  Source: Departamento de Transportacioón y Obras Publicas (DTOP)
  
  
• Puerto Rico consumes a thousand million gallons of gasoline per year. This represents 8% of our total energy demand, when the average gasoline consumption around the world is 2%.
  
  Source: Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental
  
  
• In urban areas, the automobile is the most contaminating mode of transportation.
  
  Source: Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental
  
  
• The contribution of each Puerto Rican to global warming and climate change is 230% more than the average per person throughout the world.
  
  Source: Consejo para el Avance en Puerto Rico de la Innovación y la Investigación Cientifica (CAPRI)

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: NARA/EPA via pingnews

Ten ways Puerto Rico can save gas

Today is "Coge Pon por al Ambiente" day, which is sponsored by Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Today, they are suggesting that, instead of your normal habit of jumping in your car and screeching away, you take a bus, use the Tren Urbano, or catch a ride with a friend or family member (carpool).

According to the publicity campaign for the event, you could save $7 a day, by permanently switching to one of these transportation alternatives. Of course, for some (most?) people in Puerto Rico, these alternatives just don't seem very reasonable. They require too much sacrifice (investment in the future?) to be viable options.

Ten ways Puerto Rico can save gas

For those people that just can't seem to find a suitable alternative means of transportation, then here are 10 ways that you can save as much gas (and Money) as possible:

1. Slow down - Simply reduce your speed.
2. Check your tire pressure - Under-inflated tires are one of the most commonly ignored causes of crummy MPG.
3. Check your air filter - A dirty air filter harms performance and economy.
4. Accelerate with care - accelerate moderately.
5. Keep a constant speed - it takes less fuel to keep moving.
6. Get back to nature - At lower speeds you'll save fuel. At higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.
7. Stay with standard tires - Wider tires, will create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy.
8. Clean out your car - You could carrying an extra 40 or 50 lbs. of stuff.
9. Downsize - Smaller cars are more fuel-efficient.
10. Don't drive - Duh.
11. BONUS: Turn it off - Shut off the engine when waiting in lineups or picking up friends and family.
12. DOUBLE BONUS: Switch to regular - Most cars today don't require high-octane premium gas. Check your owner's manual for the recommended octane rating.
13. TRIPLE BONUS: Combine all of your small trips - Continuously starting and turning off your car is pretty tough on your gas mileage. If possible, find one location where you can take care of banking, grocery shopping and other chores.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: * Jerry *

Which company is leading the way?

I finally just got fed-up with throwing them away. When our local recycling program rejected plastic shopping bags, I really had no other option. Either I continued to save them, or I had to start throwing them away. Since I was running out of places to save the bags, that's when I started throwing them away. But I felt so bad, I started saying no to plastic bags.

When I had to buy milk, I would have to tell the clerk that I didn't want a bag, often to very confused and startled faces. You wouldn't believe how adamant I had to be to get some clerks to accept that I didn't want a bag. But after a while they begin to know me as the crazy gringo who doesn't want bags, some would even joke with me about it.

About that same time I started taking my own cloth bags to the supermarket to carry my groceries. Oh and what fun that was! The shocked look on faces of clerks and baggers often made me feel like I was shoplifting or something. I even had one bagger ask for his supervisor to make sure that it was acceptable for him to use my bags instead of the store's plastic bags. The supervisor was like, whatever, but the clerk just couldn't believe what was happening.

Of course, now many supermarkets and stores are starting to promote re-usable bags. So hopefully, the strange looks will start to diminish as more people beside Don Dees start using reusable bags.

Kudos, Wal-Mart of Puerto Rico

So I was ecstatic recently when I heard that Wal-Mart, as part of its commitment to protecting the environment, announced a program to introduce plastic bags made of 15% recyclable materials and to provide recycling containers in all its Puerto Rico stores for customers to return their plastic bags for recycling.

In addition, Wal-Mart also announced the introduction of reusable bags for packing goods. The cloth bags will be available at all Wal-Mart at affordable prices for the convenience of consumers who want to develop sustainable lifestyles. Using this type of bag contributes to saving energy and raw materials used in the preparation of disposable materials, while helping to reduce the amount of material reaching landfills. (By the way, I just used cloth bags I had from conferences, conventions, and other give-aways. I fold them up and put them in one mega bag and carry them with me when I go to the supermarket.)

Finally, the company has a comprehensive plan to gradually replace all its plastic bags with alternatives made made from 100% recyclable material. Wal-Mart will implement a pilot program in the Fajardo store, with a view to expand to the other 13 units around the island.

Did you know?

The plastic bags that are traditionally used for packing goods in department stores and supermarkets around the world are petroleum products (another dependence on foreign oil) which do not decompose. They are part of the thousands of tons of needless waste reaching landfills each year.

Flower Show at the UPR Botanical Garden

I love nature. I love the smell of it, with its seemingly infinite details and variations; colors, textures, shapes, and patterns. I think this affinity comes from spending a lot of time outdoors as a kid. Today with our "advanced" society, where we are surrounded by concrete; incarcerated inside our air conditioned living rooms playing video games. We are hypnotized by the television, numbing ourselves against the vicious strain of life; we have become disconnected from our past.

We have forgotten that not too long ago we were all directly connected to nature, for our ancestors depended upon their knowledge and appreciation of nature for their very survival; an ability to work the land and produce enough food to live on was critical, even to the point of life or death. By forgetting our shared past we have come to take for granted our fragile dependence upon nature for our continued survival; and like anything that is taken for granted we abuse, misuse, and disrespect. In short, we don't appreciate the value of nature, we litter, we don't conserve, we don't recycle, we exploit, and we destroy.

Perhaps the way to promote conservation of the planet is by re-introducing ourselves to nature. If we can once again treasure the immense beauty of nature, then we wouldn't be as careless and we would reduce our overwhelming impact on the planet. Just a think about it, that's all I'm saying.

Enjoying Nature

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon--instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today." Dale Carnegie

If you'd like to begin your "rehabilitation," then next Saturday, June 21, 2008, make it a point to visit the Zingiberales Society of Puerto Rico Fifth Annual Flower Festival. The Festival will be held at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanico), and, best of all, admission is free to the both the Botanical Garden and the Festival.

The festival, which will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, will include discussions and educational sessions about heliconias, gingers, bananas, tropical trees, garden design, bromileads and much more. The sessions are scheduled throughout the day on the hour and half-hour. The more popular sessions will be held more than once. In addition, there will be many types of potted plants on display and for sale.

Many thanks to the folks at Puerto Rico Day Trips for the news of this interesting festival.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributors: Randy Read & tanakawho

Ten ways to save energy in Puerto Rico

So after that little bogeyman post, let me get back to what I started this morning. There are some pretty simple things each of us can do to reduce our power bills. And no matter how green I think casa Don Dees is, there are still a few things on this list that I've yet to get to. Hint, we've got to go vampire hunting....So I hope you'll find a least one or two worth trying.

Ten ways to save energy

1. Fluorescent Bulbs - Replace traditional, incandescent lighting with Energy Star^® compact fluorescent bulbs and fixtures (especially in the lights you use most).
2. Ceiling Fans - Installing ceiling fans in all of your bedrooms and using them instead of air conditioning can drastically cut your energy costs. Of course, this really isn't an option in Puerto Rico between May and September. Your use may vary, but most winter nights are cool enough with just a ceiling fan.
   
3. Nazi Light Police - Keep lights off in unoccupied rooms and get in the habit of turning off the light every time you leave a room for more than a few minutes.
4. Buy Smart - Purchase an Energy Star^® rated high-efficiency furnace, water heater, washer/dryer, and dishwasher when it’s time to replace worn-out models
5. Turn Down the A/C - Depending on the size of your home, you can save 3% on your cooling costs for every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer. Raising the thermostat from 73 to 78 degrees can mean savings of up to 15% in cooling costs.
   
6. Keep the Filters Clean - Check the A/C filter once a month by holding it up to a bright light. If you can't see through it, it's time to clean or replace the filter.
   
7. Line Dry Some Clothes - Install a clothes line in the backyard, well if you have one. Make sure to wash your clothes using a fabric softener, and just hang'em out to dry. This works for a variety of clothes, but is clearly not for everything.
   
8. Turn Down Your Refrigerator - Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use. Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible.
9. Keep A Lid On It - Always cook with lids on your pans, as this keeps the heat inside and speeds up cooking time.
10. Vampire Electronics - I left this till last to give a bit more background. Disconnecting electronics equipment that use stand-by power can save you at least 5% off of your current power bill. It's estimated that each home has anywhere from 10 to 50 of these energy sucking vampires. Some examples of products that consume stand-by power are:
    
    • internal clocks and sensors (computers)
      
    • external clock displays and panel display LEDs (microwaves)
      
    • remote control sensors (televisions)
      
    • battery rechargers
    • communications between a base unit and a portable unit (portable phone).
      
    
    The recommended solution to this problem is to buy a power strip. Plug your vampires into it, and use the power strip on/off switch to completely shut off power to the equipment.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Steven Fernandez

Results from E-Waste Recycling

Recently I mentioned that the Autoridad de Desperdicios Solidos (ADS) sponsored a technology recycling event. Well they've released the results from that event, and from all accounts it seems like it was pretty successful.

According to a representative of the ADS, 105,629 pounds (52.8 tons) of electronic waste was collected, or as we say in the industry a lot of reasons to go out and buy new computers. Javier Quintana Ménendez, Executive Director of the ADS, explained "We succeeded in diverting these items from our landfills. Electronic waste contains heavy metals (yeahhh!!!) and toxins that can contaminate our bodies of water."

Some of the equipment that was recycled included: computers and computer peripherals, uninterruptable power systems, printers, radios, dead iPods, and video game consoles.

Cumbre Social 2008

On Tuesday and continuing on through Wednesday, Cumbre Social, Inc, a not for profit organization dedicated to promote socially responsible behavior, will host the 4th Cumbre Social. The summit aims to stimulate a conversation amongst a multi-sectoral audience consisting of representatives of 125 organizations, all focused on generating proposals for the benefit of Puerto Rico.

While there's no official program available at this time, some of the themes on the agenda include:

• Security and development of the agricultural industry
• Availability of potable water
• The coasts: actual usage and their future in the face of global warming
• The Land Use Plan, in the context of socio-economic development
• Alternative energy: Puerto Rico's role
• Amongst others...

The event will take place on May 6th and 7th and will be held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. For more information, call (787) 273-6784 or e-mail at cumbresocial@prw.net.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: azrainman

10mo Festival del huerto Casero

What a coincidence. It was just the other day that my mother-in-law mentioned to me that we should start a garden in the backyard to save some money. She had been complaining how expensive peppers, aji dulce, and many other produce items were in the local grocery stores. It sounded like a good idea, but having seen most of the plants I've planted wither and die in the heat, it would be nice to get some expert advice before investing a lot of time and money.

So wouldn't you know it? This weekend, May 2nd, 3rd and 4th, at the Estación Experimental Agrícola, in the municipality of Gurabo, they will be celebrating the tenth Festival del Huerto Casero. With seminars and workshops oriented towards teaching you how to create a garden in your house, the festival will also feature kiosks with typical food. As an added incentive to both stop by and get started on your own garden, the organizers of the festival will be giving away 1,675 plants every day of the festival.

Entrance into the festival and parking are free. For more information, call (787) 737-3241 or email Rudy Santos at Rudysantos10@hotmail.com.

Here is a list of the training and workshops:

Viernes, 2 de mayo de 2008

SALÓN A
8:30 AM Actos Protocolarios
10:30 AM Apertura Oficial del Festival
11:00 AM El huerto casero - Agro Melvin Irrizarry
12:30 AM Huertos en envases - Agro. Carlos Gautier
2:00 PM Preparación de germinados - Agro. Melvin Irrizarry

SALÓN B
10:00 AM Trazabilidad e infiltración en hortalizas - Dra. Lynette Orellana
11:00 AM Demostración de injertos en cítricos - Agro. Néstor Flores
11:30 AM Manejo de plagas en el huerto - Dr. Hipólito O’faril
2:30 PM Seguridad en el manejo de plaguicidas - Agro. Ada Acosta

Sábado, 3 de mayo de 2008

SALÓN A
10:00 AM Identificación de frutas exóticas - Agro. José Zamora
11:30 AM Propagación de raíces, farináceos - Agro. Manuel Díaz
y tubérculos para el huerto
1:00 PM Identificación de frutas exóticas - Agro. José Zamora
tropicales
2:30: PM Cultivo Hidropónico - Agro. Eliacim Caraballo

SALÓN B
9:00 AM Manejo de enfermedades en el huerto - Agro. Ada N. Alvarado
10:30 AM Propagación de hortalizas - Agro. Pablo R. Marrero
12:00 PM Manejo de enfermedades en el huerto - Agro. Ada N. Alvarado
2:00 PM Huertos en tiestos “Earth Box” - Dr. Ginés Martínez

Domingo, 4 de mayo de 2008

SALÓN A
9:00 AM El Huerto Casero - Agro. Carlos Gautier
10:00 AM Manejo de enfermedades en huerto - Agro. Wanda Almodóvar
11:00 AM Demostración de injertos de cítricos - Agro. Néstor A. Flores
11:30 AM Propagación de raíces, farináceos - Agro. Manuel Díaz
y tubérculos en el huerto
1:00 PM Manejo de enfermedades en el huerto - Agro. Wanda Almodóvar
2:30 PM Propagación de hortalizas - Agro. Pablo Marrero

SALÓN B
10:00 AM Cultivo de hortalizas - Agro. Luis R. Santiago
11:30 AM Principios de propagación - Agro. Aníbal Arocho
de hortalizas
1:00 PM Introducción a Sistemas de - Agro. Yamil Toro
Riego Doméstico
2:15 PM Preparación de Composta - Agro. Rudy Santos

Clean-up for Fort San Cristóbal Beach

This Saturday morning, the National Park Service (NPS) is sponsoring a clean up of the beach below Fort San Cristóbal. The clean-up will take place from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. For more information call (787) 729-6777.

If you plan on helping out, park at the lower parking lot, just off of Avenida Muñoz Rivera, and meet up at the upper parking lot, just at the top of Lomita Tres Reyes, on Calle Norzagaray. The NPS will provide all of the materials necessary and lead you down the trail to the beach to be cleaned, which is below "The Devil's Guerite". You know the ghost story about the "The Devil's Guerite", right?

Did You Know?
Fort San Cristobal is the biggest fortification, it covers 27 acres, built by the Spanish in America. It's construction began in 1634 and took approximately 150 years.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: WTL photos

Agrópolis 2008 has mooooved to Caguas

Agrópolis, which is billed as "La Feria del Pais" or perhaps "The Country Fair," if you will, has moved! While the fair has been previously held at different locations in San Juan, this year it really is in the country. The country of Caguas, to be exact. From April 25th through May 4th, the agricultural fair will be held on the grounds of the Jardín Botánico y Cultural Center.

Agrópolis provides an opportunity to learn about and buy agricultural products produced on our beautiful little island. It will open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 8:30 am a 9:00 pm, and Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 am a 5:00 pm. The fair will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission to Agrópolis is the same as admission to the Jardín Botánico. Hey, it's like two for one, pay to get into the fair and you also get to see the Jardín Botánico. General admission is $6 (+ IVU), children over 3 years old and senior citizens are $3 (+IVU). Groups of more than 20 people or schools will be $5 (+ IVU). Tickets will be available at the entrance to the Jardín Botánico. For more information, call (787) 641-2164.

The activities planned for the Agrópolis include:

• la Plaza del Mercado;
• kioscos de plantas y árboles;
• artesanías;
• productos orgánicos,
• exhibiciones de la finca;
• restaurantes de comida típica;
• machinas
• y la tienda "Del País".

In addition, throughout the fair, as is typical, there will be a variety of musical attractions. Among the stars that will perform during this year's fair are: Fiel a la Vega, la PVC, la Sonora Ponceña, Andrés Jiménez y la Sexta Copa Agrópolis de Trovadores. At this time, there is no schedule of when these artists will perform. I would guess during the evenings on weekend.

Agriculture Sub-secretary Osvaldo Rivera, indicated that: "in Agrópolis we are going to celebrate a variety of activities, like Earth Week, including Tree Day, Youth Day, Farmer Day, Conservationists Day, and the Night of the Agroempresario."

Happy Earth Day!

I found this interesting article over at the Associated Content website about the origins of Earth Day:

"While Earth Day is the most celebrated "Environmental" Holiday, most people do not know its origins. Many people think it is just about recycling or planting trees, but there is more to Earth Day, as it was established as a way to bring social awareness about the status of the Earth's environment to all people, and allow participants to band together to bring change and shed light on environmentally-destructive practices. Here is a guide designed to provide insight about this little-known celebration and find out how it has become one of the most celebrated holidays united over a billion people all on the same day. [To read more...]"

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: pingnews.com

Unexploded Bombs Detonated in Puerto Rico

Yesterday it probably sounded and felt more like Iraq in Vieques, than the island paradise it really is. That's because the contractor, Pika International, in charge of removing munitions from the island was detonating some of the live ordinance left after the U.S. Navy ceded the Vieques Naval Training Range back to Puerto Rico back in 2003.

The United States has pledged $200 million for the abandoned bombing range, which according to a news report and an interesting collection of photographic images from Fox News, about 775 acres have been cleared since the cleanup began in 2005.

E-Waste Recycling with the ADS

The Autoridad de Desperdicios Solidos (ADS) is celebrating "Recycling Month" by sponsoring a technology recycling collection this Saturday, April 19th. This is the second time the ADS has sponsored a computer recycling collection.

There will be six collection centers around the island. In the San Juan metropolitan are, the collections will take place in the Sagrado Corazón Train Station. The remaining collection locations around the island are at:

• Caguas - Consolidated Mall, Ave. Gautier Benítez
• Humacao - Recinto Universitario, UPRH
• Ponce - Complejo La Guancha
• Isabela - Plaza de Festivales
• Mayagüez - Coliseo Recinto, RUM

The collection centers will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. During those hours, they will be accepting:

• Computers and peripherals
• Printers
• Fax Machines
• DVD Players
• Video Cassette Players
• Video Consoles (Playstation, Atari, Gameboy, PSP, etc.)
• Cellular telephones and chargers
• Ink cartridges.

For additional information , call (787) 765-7575 or (866) 732-4252.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Southernpixel

La Hora del Planeta

A lot of times, we believe as individuals, we are powerless. However, we are always hearing about how the efforts of one person starts something that takes off and explodes beyond anyone's wildest imagination. Where does that disconnect come from?

This is just such a case. Because of one little question, "How can we inspire people to take action on climate change?" Asked by a young girl, a student from Sydney Australia, this Saturday at 8:00 p.m., hundreds of thousands of people and tens of thousands of companies around the world will turn off their lights for 60 minutes.

Organized by the World Wildlife Foundation, and locally supported by Banco Popular this event calls for citizens and companies to join forces to create awareness of global climate change. The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better. Furthermore, it cements the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced.

What can you do?

1. Sign up for Earth Hour 2008
2. Get involved and create a bigger, better Earth Hour
3. Reduce your impact on climate change
4. Create your own Earth Hour event
5. Know your footprint and challenge your friends

This is actually the second year for the event, which was mostly confined to Australia in 2007. On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney central business district during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

For me, more than awareness of global climate change, I believe the importance of this event is raising awareness of energy conservation. Whether we are facing climate change or not, conserving the valuable resources we have been given on this planet is always a good idea. Just as I've tried to raise awareness of water conservation here as well, we must all strive to conserve all of the energy and water we can. Especially for those of us who have children, because when we conserve, we only so for the benefit of our children, grandchildren, etc. What parent wouldn't give the food from their mouths for their own hungry child? Well let's give them the water in our mouths and the gasoline from our tanks for when they are thirsty or need the energy 50 years from now.

Note: One company that has already pledged to join the effort is the San Juan Holiday Inn, in Isla Verde. I commend the organization for joining the effort and ask everyone to recognize their contribution by considering them for a future vacation.

Christmas Tree Recycling in Puerto Rico

Day after day, post after post, all I see is indifference. Oblivious to the impact, oblivious to the consequence, oblivious of the future; we ignore our actions until, regrettably, it is too late. How many species must be lost forever? How much of our history will we permit to decay into dust? How much peril do we want to force upon our children?

Last week, we took down all of the Christmas decorations and stored everything away until next year. I dragged the Christmas Tree over to the side of the house. It had served us well, maybe turning out to be one of the prettiest in recent years. But it had been faithful, and I was determined to make sure that it's sacrifice would not be left unhonored, so on Saturday I strapped it to the top of the family minivan and hauled it over to WalMart. With the absence of Pueblo, WalMart has raised the standard and assumed the role of local tree recycling center in most cities here in Puerto Rico.

However, walking through our neighborhood this weekend, I've found that other families have also gone through their post-Christmas ritual and put Christmas away for another year. But instead of giving their Christmas Tree the final honor and recycling it, they have pitched them to the curb for the garbage men to haul away to our landfills. It saddens me that we can so quickly disassociate responsibly disposing of our trees from the entire sentiment of Christmas: Peace, Love, Joy, Alegria.

I found this ancient Chinese philosophy recently that seems appropriate:

If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be duty in the character.
If there is duty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

Righteousness, duty, harmony, order, peace. So for everyone who used a live Christmas Tree this last holiday season, let's do our duty and dispose of those trees responsibly. According to the Autoridad de Despdicios Sólidos (ADS) Puerto Rico will recycle some 30,000 trees this year. I wonder how many are sold throughout Puerto Rico? To facilitate tree recycling the ADS will be at the Acuaexpresso in Hato Rey next weekend, the 19th and 20th, and the last weekend of January, the 26th and 27th. If that is too far, as I mentioned, Wal-Mart Super Centers in Caguas, Manatí, Ponce, Santa Isabel, Cayey, and Carolina will also be participating as recycling centers. For more information visit the ADS website or call (787) 765-7575.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: wetwebwork

Five beaches awarded exclusive Blue Flags

This week five beaches in Puerto Rico were awarded Blue Flags from the Foundation of Environmental Education. The five beaches are now available in a custom map on DóndeEs.com. The beaches receiving the distinction are: the Seven Seas in Fajardo, Escambrón in San Juan, the La Monserrate in Luquillo, Punta Salinas in Toa Baja, and the Carolina public beach.

The Blue Flag is a voluntary and exclusive eco-label awarded in 2007 to more than 3300 beaches and marinas in 36 countries across Europe, Morocco, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and the Caribbean.

The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development at beaches and marinas through publicly awarding sites that meet strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services. A few of the issues covered in the criteria include cleanliness, provisions for waste and recycling, zoning of activities, and environmental education activities for a variety of people. The program has also recently started a voluntary scheme for private boat owners called the Individual Blue Flag, which boaters can fly if they have signed and agreed to follow an environmental code of conduct.

The criteria involved with the obtaining the distinction are:

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND INFORMATION

• Information relating to coastal zone ecosystems and natural, sensitive areas in the coastal zone must be displayed
• Information about bathing water quality must be displayed
• Information about the Blue Flag Programme must be displayed
• Code of conduct for the beach area must be displayed and the laws governing beach use must be easily available to the public upon request
• A minimum of 5 environmental education activities must be offered

WATER QUALITY

• Compliance with the requirements and standards for excellent bathing water quality
• No industrial or sewage related discharges may affect the beach area
• Monitoring on the health of coral reefs located in the vicinity of the beach
• Compliance of the community with requirements for sewage treatment and effluent quality
• Algae or other vegetation should be left to decay on the beach unless it constitutes a nuisance

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

• A beach management committee must be established to be in charge of instituting environmental management systems and conduct regular environmental audits of the beach facility
• The beach must comply with all regulations affecting the location and operation of the beach (coastal zone planning and environmental legislation)
• The beach must be clean
• Waste disposal bins/receptacles must be available on/by the beach in adequate numbers, regularly maintained and emptied
• Facilities for receiving recyclable waste materials must be available on/by the beach
• Adequate and clean sanitary facilities with controlled sewage disposal
• On the beach there will be no unauthorised camping or driving and no dumping
• Regulation concerning dogs and other domestic animals on the beach must be strictly enforced
• All buildings and equipment of the beach must be properly maintained
• Sustainable means of transportation must be promoted in the beach area

SAFETY AND SERVICES

• An adequate number of lifeguards and/or lifesaving equipment must be available at the beach
• First aid equipment must be available on the beach
• There must be management of different users and uses of the beach so as to prevent conflicts and accidents
• An emergency plans to cope with pollution safety risks must be in place
• There must be safe access to the beach
• The beach area must be patrolled
• A supply of potable drinking water must be available on the beach
• A minimum of one Blue Flag beach in each municipality must have access and toilet facilities provided for disabled persons
• Map of the beach indicating different facilities must be displayed

Beach Clean-up of Fortín San Juan de la Cruz

The United States National Park Service is sponsoring a clean-up of the Fort Saint John of the Cross (Fortín San Juan de la Cruz, better known as el Cañuelo). The fort, probably the least visited and least well known of all of the Spanish foritifcation of San Juan, is located on the Islas de Cabras in Toa Baja. The clean-up is scheduled for Saturday 29th from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The fort was originally built in wood in 1610. Due to its location at the entrance of the San Juan bay, and in front of the Fort San Felipe del Morro, across the bay, it provided a strategic point to create a crossfire for any invading ships entering the bay, filling a gap in the artillery coverage. It is said that, at one time, there was a huge chain crossing from El Morro to El Cañuelo that was stretched during attacks to provide a physical barricade across the bay entrance.

The fort also guarded the mouth of the Bayamón River on the other side. The fort played an important role during a Dutch attack to the island. At that time it was burnt to ashes. However, the Spaniards rebuilt it in the 1670s.

The square fort is about 80 feet (24 m) per side, with one guerite (garita in Spanish). Originally built on a rocky islet, nearby Isla de Cabras (Goat Island) was artificially expanded to incorporate it.

Although difficult for tourists to find, the site features fabulous views of Boca Vieja Cove to the west and San Juan Bay to the east. The fort interior is closed to the public, but one can walk around its walls. Isla de Cabras is connected to the main island by a short bridge.

WikiCommons Creative Commons Contributor Today: Carlo Giovannetti (a.k.a. Thief12)

Successful effort to clean Puerto Rico's coasts

Lead by Alberto Marti, president of Scuba Dogs, 9,457 volunteers fanned out across Puerto Rico last Saturday to participate in International Clean the Coast day, which I announced here before. The army of volunteers were able to clean over 121 different locations; locations that varied from beaches, rivers, lakes, mangroves, to bays and estuaries. In total there were over 170 miles of coast cleaned during the day.

In total, almost 380,000 pounds of trash were collected during the event, leaving many wondering where so much trash came from. According to Marti, he believes that 80% of the trash did not originate from maritime activities, but was probably thrown there from inland. Of course, one of the side effects of this colossal effort, or at least Marti hopes, is that people awaken their conscience and convert into part of the solution by proactively eliminate the problem of contamination.

This year's effort exceeds the efforts of last years coast clean-up. Last year 8,900 volunteers cleaned up 335,903 pounds of trash from 104 different locations. Personally, I hope (which I think they will) the annual participation continues to rise. I commend Marti for his leadership and congratulate everybody that participated. I second Marti's wish that these events strike at the heart of the pollution problem we have on our beaches and waterways. It would be better to not dirty our beaches in the first place, then maybe we won't need over 10,000 volunteers. However, considering how oblivious most of our fellow residents are of their actions and behavior, I'm afraid we will be depending on Marti for a long time to come.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: yasmapaz

Limpieza Internacional de Costas '07

Scuba Dogs of Puerto Rico is gearing up for their annual program of International Coastal Cleanup for the month of September. In order to ensure that they have enough volunteers and volunteer leaders, they are asking for volunteers to contact them and indicate whether they are willing to become a Clean-up Captain.

Saturday September 15th, is International Coastal Cleanup Day and it will begin at 8:00 a.m. Scuba Dogs will provide training to volunteers in the collection of trash from bodies of water. The training will include the necessary instruction, materials, and snacks.

If you're interested in volunteering to become a Cleanup Captain, you can register by communicating your name, your contact telephone number, and the body of water (beach, river, or lake) where you want to become the clean-up leader.

The International Coastal Cleanup is impelled world-wide by The Ocean Conservancy every year on the same date, third Saturday of September. You can contact Scuba Dogs at:
• Phone - 787-783-6377
• Fax - 787-793-3301
• email - limpieza@scubadogs.net
• Website - www.scubadogs.net (Inscription in line)
• Local - Samaritan Good Street, Gardenville, Guaynabo (next to the Urban Train of Torrimar)

Expo Huracanes y Casa Segura 2007

As we continue to slough our way through another hurricane season, it never hurts to remind ourselves of their destructive power. Univision Puerto Rico and a host of sponsors want to help and are offering their recommendations on how to prepare for a hurricane in Expo Huracanes y Casa Segura 2007.

All indicators point to an active 2007 hurricane season, and while Puerto Rico has been lucky recently, this might be the year our luck ends. So as we head into the most active storm months of the season, maybe it couldn't hurt to invest some time in prevention.

The event, which is hosted by Ada Mozón and Astrid Diaz, will be held in Plaza Las Americas from July 30th until August 5th. Sra. Mozón is the Chief of Meteorology for Univision News and she is the first and only person in Puerto Rico to obtain the "Seal of Broadcasting of the American Meteorological Society".

Sra. Diaz Actualmente Díaz is a principal associate of the firm Bermúdez Delgado Díaz- Estudio de Arquitectura. She also produces documentaries and television programs about architecture themes.

Schedule of activities:

• Monday July 30th, 11:00 a.m. - Inauguration of the Expo in the “Casa Segura de Ada y Astrid”. In the central atrium on the first floor of Plaza Las Américas. There will be a press conference and live recording of the Noticias Univisión.
• Friday August 3rd, 2:00 p.m. - Activity “Viernes Verde en Plaza - Calentamiento Global” with the participation of engineers, architects, US Green Building Chapter and diverse environmental associations. They will be distributing educational material and a commerative "Green" token of attendance.
• Saturday August 4th, 9:30 a.m. - Special activity for teachers of Earth Sciences and architecture students.
• Saturday August 4th, 2:00 p.m. - Activity for children with Remi and other celebrities.
• Sunday August 5th, 4:00 p.m. - Exposition Closing ceremony, with the participation of members of the media, including radio, television y prensa.

Daily activities in the “Casa de Ada y Astrid”:

• “Diseño para una Casa Segura y Casa Verde/Calentamiento Global”- Astrid Díaz
• “Huracanes Intensos y Calentamiento Global”- Ada Monzón
• Transmission of daily reports for “Las Noticias Univisión”
• Comienza “Huracanes y Casa Segura TV”- circuito de pantalla en tarima con vídeos educativos de 9:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m.
• Diariamente se repartirán las guias educativas y el mapa gratuitamente al público de la Expo
• Inauguración exhibición “Proyectos de Casas y Casa Ecoquí”

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: GISuser.com