On the journey

By Guest Writer PG, post was originally prepared for a School Paper

There should be no denying of the fact that the earth’s mean temperature is gradually increasing, this is a fact based on scientific measurements. Debating anyone who says otherwise is a waste of time; one can wake up someone who is asleep, but one can’t wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep.  The debate should be more centered towards whether the climate change is human induced or not, or how can we reverse the trend, or do we even have to do anything if the earth can act both as the sink and the source of green house gases (GHG), or are we prepared for any acute climatic catastrophes, etc.

The earth’s temperature, since 1850, has warmed by 1.0 to 1.7⁰F, there are clear signs that glaciers are melting, and the increase in the sea level have been recorded too, these are facts. The sun, the source of energy for our planet, emits the shortwave radiation which is re-radiated back in form of long-wave radiation (thermal or heat energy) after coming into the contact of earth’s surface. The GHG’s, which are transparent to shortwave, traps the long-wave radiation and confines it within the earth’s atmosphere; this is a scientific fact. Hence, the more GHG’s in atmosphere, less heat escapes and earth gets warmer, a simple correlation. Plotting the available human induced GHG emissions against recorded temperature shows strong correlation, a very strong indicator that current climate change is human induced.

There are also strong scientific evidences that help in supporting the claim that current climate change may not be human induced. Based on the study of fossils, minerals and geography, earth in past had gone through periods of extreme warm and ice periods, much before human could have influenced the change. Compared to those historical changes in climate, the scientific data on temperature does not span back enough to be deemed as absolutely conclusive. The earth does require the presence of GHG’s in the atmosphere to keep itself warm, or else it will freeze if all long-wave radiation escapes outside to the space. Thus, GHGs are responsible for maintaining the optimal earth’s temperature, long before any excessive human influence. Also, GHG’s are emitted by nature too. View full article »

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

It was a time well spent. I’m glad I chose to go as a volunteer and not as a tourist. I believe this has given me a better perspective of life in Costa Rica, which would not have been possible by touristy sightseeing. I’m going to remember this place, the city, the family, the relaxed life, and the happy people around. However, it’s the Pura Vida attitude that has impressed me the most.

Pura Vida! Hasta Luego!

Note: For those interested, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities in Costa Rica and many other countries around the world. A simple internet search should yield plenty of results. I went through International Volunteer HQ, based in New Zealand. Costs vary depending on where you go, how long you stay and a host of other factors, but in general, volunteering is cheaper than going to another country as a tourist through vacation packages. Then there is the contentment of being of help to other communities. I wouldn’t trade this experience for any vacation package. Simple!

Note: All the pictures are from the writer. The previous postings of this Costa Rica Diary  can be read here: Part 1,Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

Today was going to be the most exciting day of my trip. I had reserved for a rafting and a canopy tour a few days ago. I was especially excited because I had convinced another volunteer who had never rafted before to go rafting. Although she had just been to a canopy tour a couple of weeks before, she agreed to go on the combine tour because I had put enough excitement in my words while explaining how much fun rafting can be, especially on the Pacuare river, recognized by some, including the National Geographic, as one of the best whitewater rivers in the world.

The bus came to pick us up around nine. In the bus were a bunch of Frenchmen, Chileans and one American. We drove through Cartago, one of the other bigger cities in Costa Rica. The driver showed us a volcanic mountain along the spectacular two hour drive. Two rafts, two guides and a photographer were waiting for us when we got there. It was a beautiful river surrounded by green mountains. The air was fresh. The day was beautiful. The sun was out and it almost seemed like it was waiting to watch us paddle the river. It was a perfect setting for a great run down the river.

After quick safety instructions, we were all ready to experience the thrill. My friend was nervous, especially because the water was very cold and guide had said that if someone fell off the raft, it was up to them to make it to the shore. Of course, he knew better but thought it was funny to scare others. I was really excited, as this was one of the things that I had really wanted to do while I was down there. I had run a few whitewater rivers in the US but this was going to be different. This was a whole new continent, a whole new group of people whom I will very likely never meet again. But that didn’t bother me. All I was focused on at that point was to experience the Class III thrill and make it to the shore without scratching a bone.

The five-kilometer run was very quick. The first half kilometer was not very exciting as we hit many rocks but the remainder of the trip was filled with the guide yelling “paddle forward,” “right back”, “left back,” and “duck” along with a couple of profanities. By being on the front of the raft, I was one of the two leaders which made me feel extra responsible but I was confident that no one was going to die. As long as no lives were spared I was okay with someone falling into the river. That would just add to the excitement- I thought. I nearly became the victim when I was almost thrown out of the boat while maneuvering, or more appropriately – trying to maneuver, through a rapid. The raft bounced off the river. The guide had yelled “duck” which meant “hold on to the paddle and grab the freaking rope.” I did. But I only managed to hold the paddle underneath my arm. It was too late before I could find my rope. The next thing I know is I have half my body out of the boat and parallel to the river. First thing that occurred to me was to somehow avoid any rock that was going to be on my way as I fell off the boat. But then, I also quickly remembered that my foot was tangled to a “grip” on the floor of the boat. I pulled my leg to make sure that my grip was tight. As we were coming down the rapid, the boat hit a huge splash of water coming towards the boat in the opposite direction. The splash couldn’t have timed itself any better. I was soon back up in the boat, this time better prepared and even more excited to tackle another rapid. View full article »