By Irene Rodriguez Nic Marks Coauthor: Happy Planet

One of the scholars of happiness is at home.

Sin embargo continúa el artículo señalando lo que dice Sylvia Marín,directora de Cambio Climático para América Latina de la organización WWF, :“El premio es también un recordatorio de que hay mucho más por hacer, pues seguimos perdiendo especies únicas de flora y fauna silvestre”.
En esa misma línea, Liana Babbar, directora para Costa Rica de la Organización de Estudios Tropicales, agregó:“En las investigaciones que se han realizado en el país es evidente el impacto del cambio climático en la biodiversidad tropical. Urge trabajar más por su conservación”.

Costa Rica una vez más se destaca entre las naciones del orbe por liderar la causa ecológica e intentar un desarrollo sostenible con nuestro entorno. Si usted está interesado en venir a explorar nuestro singular país o piensa venir a vivir de manera permanente con mucho gusto le hacemos todos los trámites en KR & Associates.

Sergio ARCE A. sarce@nacion.com
Nicoya Peninsula stands out as one of the five world’s healthiest places to live, International Living magazine reported in its latest edition.
The magazine titled its report: Feel younger, live longer: The world’s healthiest places to live in 2010.
The main consideration that the publication evaluated to select the Nicoya peninsula was the longevity of most of its inhabitants, which can reach 100 years.
The magazine echoed a study in 2004, made the demographer Luis Rosero Bixby, the Central American Population Center at the University of Costa Rica.
The research found that in this area mortality over 90 years is 10% lower than in the rest of the country.
That is, if a man of the Nicoya peninsula reaches age 80 can live on average 8.2 years more.
If you reach age 90 can live an average of 4.4 years, as it was published in The Nation earlier in May.
The Nicoya Peninsula is composed of the cantons of Santa Cruz Guanacaste, Nicoya, Hojancha, Carrillo and Nandayure, and the districts of Puntarenas Cóbano, Lepanto and Paquera.
Other aspects that International Living weighed in considering the Nicoya peninsula as one of the healthiest places are: dry climate, the diet of its inhabitants, family ties and tranquility of their surroundings.
Other destinations. The remaining four healthiest places to live are not exactly large cities, quite the contrary.
Like the Nicoya peninsula is quiet and removed from sites city noise.
Among them include the “Valley of Sangrilá, Panama, the Italian island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean and the valley of Vilcabamba in Ecuador.
A special case is that of New Zealand in Oceania. It is the only country that appears on the list as a whole. The publication highlights the beauty of its landscapes and the candor of its 4.3 million inhabitants

Investors wishing to install local in the country should have experience in the industry and show capital of $ 5 million

The chain restaurants, especially chicken, could soon have a new competitor.
Pollo Tropical, owned by the Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. based in Miami, local plans to install in the Caribbean, Central and South America granting franchises to those interested.
The company is looking for people experienced in business that relate to food, such as hotels, catering services and cruises, among others. This requirement is one of the main leaders of the firm, although employers should also have local market knowledge and financial capital available.
Meet the guests would be required to provide details to the menu to suit local tastes.
Regarding the financial requirements to qualify candidates, this is to demonstrate that they have a minimum of $ 5 million as equity and liquid capital that is available to buy cooking equipment and other expenses necessary for the local $ 1 5 million.
“You do not have to spend all this money ($ 6.5 million), but keep this level of financial strength, for without it is very difficult to get loans to build, especially with the recession, because banks are not paying with ease four years ago, “said Marc Mushkin, vice president of International Development of Pollo Tropical.
However, the final cost of opening a facility depend on the extent, location, local capacity and other factors. It takes approximately $ 300 thousand to install a restaurant in a food court in a mall and a cornerback to open wider, the investment could reach $ 2 million.
“We seek people with knowledge to serve the customer and build a restaurant, but other than our competition, will be an ideal family business or hamburgers Italian restaurants, people who want to diversify their restaurants,” said Marc Mushkin.
The brand you find that the premises are located in high-traffic urban areas and middle-class population.
Each restaurant would employ about 30 people depending on their size. In the United States has 91 chain and 3000 local workers.

Vanessa Chaves
vachaves@larepublica.net

http://www.larepublica.net/app/cms/www/index.php?pk_articulo=37815

july 14, 2010

Over 50% of company directors in Latin America see the loss of biodiversity on Earth as a challenge to business growth.
We are entrepreneurs from Africa with 45% and the European managers, this percentage drops to 20%.
This is what the report says “The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Tebb), conducted by the Environment Programme United Nations and presented yesterday in London.
One in four company directors is the loss of biodiversity as a challenge to address because it is a strategic issue in business growth, indicating that the concept “green” the economy is gaining ground in the corporate agenda.
According to Tebbe, “business managers who do not develop a sustainable management of their businesses may be outside the tuning market.”
Another study, also included in the Tebbe, shows that 60% of consumers surveyed in America and Europe are aware of the loss of biodiversity.
Brazil is the leader, with over 90% of consumers concerned about this issue.
In addition, over 80% of consumers polled said they would stop buying products from companies that ignore ethical and environmental considerations into their procurement practices.
Pavan Sukhdev, Tebbe study leader, said “the economic importance of biodiversity and ecosystems is emerging from the invisible to the visible spectrum,” as more and more companies “are listening and acting to build twenty-first century enterprise more sustainable. ”
“Unless the business world to join in the concern over the loss of biodiversity, there is nothing to do,” Sukhdev said while presenting the report.
He cites the case of Rio Tinto as an example of a company committed to achieving a net positive impact on biodiversity, working with conservation experts in the development of new methodologies “compensation” in Madagascar, Australia and North America.
Other companies with similar commitments are: Coca Cola, which has pledged to eliminate its impact on water resources by 2020, or the Canadian electricity supply BC Hydro, which is committed to improving their environmental impact.
In addition, global sales of organic foods in 2007 totaled $ 46 billion, triple the figure recorded in 1999, and sales of products described as “sustainable” in the environment quadrupled between 2005 and 2007.
Tebbe The report argues that, in addition to mitigating the adverse impacts, companies can also generate revenue from the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, as forestry and fisheries depend on healthy ecosystems to ensure profits.
The deputy director of the UN Environment Programme, Angela Cropper, noted that the sectors that have contributed to the loss of biodiversity have been tourism, forestry and mining, but it is precisely these sectors that are now most threatened by scarcity of biodiversity.
“It is time to promote an economic model that enables growth and covering the global consumption without damaging ecosystems and environmental assets,” he said.
Josh Bishop, coordinator of Tebbe, recalled that the primary sector is only responsible for the environmental impact, but “a chain of responsibility that extends from the industrial sector, trade and services, because everything in the economy interconnected. ”
“It’s not only assess the impact, but the dependency is not only risks but also opportunities, not just the future but the present, and not just of countries development but also in developed countries, “Bishop said about the problems of biodiversity loss.

London
EFE

The Presidency sector entities and private operators were overtones of consensus yesterday was in fact end the monopoly of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) on services such as cellular telephony, Internet and voice over IP.

International brands such as Claro, Tigo, Cable & Wireless, Digicel and Telefonica ready then your marketing strategies to compete for every customer.

These companies compete in a poster competition which will be published within six weeks, announced yesterday the Minister of the Presidency, Marco Vargas, in an attempt because the Government is not a spectator in the opening of telecommunications.

The executive promised a strong lobby among all institutions involved to try to catch up since the signing of the Telecommunications Act in June 2008.

Only two hours after this announcement, the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel) admitted to having already decided to publish the cartel in mid-August.

He said the chairman of his Council, George Miley, from Peru, who did not know the announcement by Vargas.

At the same time, on Tuesday, ICE signed contracts to allow three businesses to connect to their networks and give new Internet services and IP telephony to the general public.

This item was given after 11 months of intensive negotiations, as the ICE officials refused to give the firms access Intertel Worldwide, Dodona SRL (Amnet) and BBG Global AG.

These new decisions are made five days after the House of Infocommunication and Technology sent to the Office of the President a letter strongly criticized the process of opening.

“Of course they have influenced the criticism,” Vargas agreed yesterday three weeks after President Laura Chinchilla said he would not accept Zapote pressure to install a parallel to drive the process of opening.

Vargas said yesterday that, by agreement of the Governing Council, takes and careful coordination between the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (Aresep), the Sutel and ICE.

Also involved the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAET) and the Science and Technology (MICIT), since the former has served as rector of telecommunications and pierce the second by a bill presented by the Government in August.

“If we coordinate and talking to different institutions, if we disappear friction, would make an enormous contribution and allow ourselves to consider the goal of August (to remove the sign),” Vargas said yesterday.

The opening of the telecommunications market is a work in progress since Congress ratified the law ended the monopoly of the ICE, as part of NAFTA.

The optimism, low levels of stress, balanced diets and active lifestyles are three times more important than genetic factor to live healthily, says International Living magazine.
These items are available in places where the weather is nice, since  the stability and the sun available most of the year make people spend more time outdoors and be more active.
The improved access to natural foods diet, while a moderate pace of life reduces anxiety and creates an open culture  of interpersonal relationships that contribute to quality of life.
Costa Rica ranks third in places that are naturally healthy for life by having these and other features.

Silvia Pardo
spardo@larepublica.net

This year, Expotur, a tourism marketing exhibition, aims to promote the country into eight niches to diversify the arrival of foreigners. 
 It is to promote Costa Rica as a place not only ecological and adventure, image and positioned on the outside, but also as an ideal destination for seniors to relax, make successful business entrepreneurs, young people enjoy the beaches and life night, children learn from natural and all enjoy the Costa Rican culture. 
The idea is to extend the country’s market by offering not traditionally exploited as has happened with adventure tourism, the ecological and health, but have great growth potential. 
The new offerings are foreigners rural tourism and community development, conferences and conventions, seniors, educational and youth. This to increase the number of visitors to Costa Rica. 
Expotur 2010 will be held from 16 to 23 May at the Ramada Plaza Herradura Hotel in San Antonio de Belén. The activity was attended by about 200 foreign companies, mostly Canadian and American, who will have meetings with more than 350 national and Central American entrepreneurs to buy their services and products.
“In past editions, Expotur has generated some 70 000 passengers per year, we hope to overcome the current figure,” said Patricia Duarte, executive director of the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals, which organized the fair. 
For this year, aims to promote the country to these same destinations as well as Turkey and Israel. 
As for the influx of people, are expected around 15 000 Costa Ricans, who may take advantage of offers available and activities taking entrepreneurs in the industry. 
“The activity to increase the competitiveness and strengthening the country’s tourism sector. At the same time, it strengthens the destination image of Costa Rica as a nation committed to sustainability, “said Carlos Ricardo Benavides, Minister of Tourism.

Vanessa Chaves Vanessa Chaves
vachaves@larepublica.net vachaves@larepublica.net

Costa Rica was launched to attract foreign retirees and, as a first step, it facilitates the creation of specialized communities for this population.

 Photos

 These areas would benefit from specially designed and constructed homes to meet this segment, and services such as laundry, nursing and cleaning.

 The plan will be implemented by the Association of Retired Communities Costa Rica (Proretire), aimed at the country lodge in the coming years to about 10,000 foreigners over 50 years, mostly U.S., Canada and Spain.

Proretire was officially presented yesterday during the first Latin American congress of medical tourism, which is done here.

 Some members of this association are Pacific Plaza / Proexsa, private hospitals CIMA, Biblical and Metropolitan, GBK, Promed and the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT).

 Another founding member is the Costa Rican Coalition for Development Initiatives (INCD), whose work focuses on identifying companies or foreign investors to develop specialized complexes for retirees.

 Information Ministries of Foreign Trade and Competitiveness estimate that these 10,000 retirees who would live here over the next four years would generate revenue of $ 340 million annually.

 This amount would receive Costa Rica for concepts such as house payments, food, medicine and recreation, but also for the salaries of 40,000 new jobs that would generate the arrival of that population.