Surfers and surf vacation fanatics can be proud that Costa Rica now ranks as one of the top 5 places in the world for being the cleanest country. Below is an article about the findings of a recently published study by Yale and Columbia.

The Universities of Yale and Columbia have published their collaborative study called 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI.) The study uses over 40 metrics which are collected from each country and then compiled to produce comparative results for ranking purposes. Costa Rica ranked for the first time in this study in the top of all countries in the world. To give this perspective here are the top five in order of performance: Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Costa Rica. The USA ranked 39, Mexico 47, and China 105

Some east metrics for industrialized countries to achieve high numbers on are the water quality or water stress metrics. Given that most industrial nations have infrastructure to support itself, the ability to provide clean drinking more…

costa rica rainforest,cleanest country in the world,THE COUNTRY COSTA RICA,environmental fanatics,costa rican rainforest images,Costa rica tips how to be the cleanest country,clean water rank costa rica,costa rica is it a clean country,costa rica conservation programs,costa rica air pollution metrics,what country is costa rica in

It is called the Pororoca in central Brazil and takes around 21 hours by plane, bus, 4×4 and then boat to get to. Everything you can imagine about the Aamazon jungle exists in this area, giant killer snakes,  man eating piranhas, and no break…. just the longest wave in the world.

I found this other video on this page that shows another radical video of this river in the middle of the Amazon Jungle.

man eating piranha,amazon piranha,piranhas in the amazon river,pictures of man eating piranha,parona,man eating snake brazil,man eating piranhas,giant piranha,condition called jungle rock,amazon river/piranha,surf amazon river at a speed of 1591841216

Has anyone read this article written by the New York Times and syndicated around the web under the authors name? The author Thomas L. Friedman seems to have experienced a Costa Rica that is written by Burson-Marsteller the powerhouse public relations firm that the Costa Rican government pays millions per year to keep the sustainable Costa Rican image alive and well in the media. 

Here is the article in full:

Thomas L. Friedman: Costa Rica sets a standard for sustainable growth

LIBERIA, Costa Rica — Sailing down Costa Rica’s Tempisque River on an eco-tour, I watched a crocodile devour a brown bass with one gulp. It took only a few seconds. The croc’s head emerged from the muddy waters near the bank with the foot-long fish writhing in its jaws. He crunched it a couple of times with razor-sharp teeth and then, with just the slightest flip of his snout, swallowed the fish whole. Never saw that before. more…

costa rica sustainability,Sustainability in Costa Rica,sustainability costa rica,what has the costa rican government done to keep its tourism sustainable,costa rica sustainable,costa rican sustainability,sostenibility of costa rica,why is costa rica so sustainable

YES! Claims the local goverment and the AyA, wich is the abbreviation for the Costa Rica water and sewer ministry. After the latest round of water tests in and around the river mouths and various locations up and down the beach, the AyA determined that the beach in Jaco is safe. Was that a long sentence or what? 

As many of us know who live here in Jaco that the rivers that spill into the ocean are heavily polluted with septic wastes that are untreated. Just walking by over a river here in town, you can smell the terrible odors that are associated with untreated sewage. Luckily for Jaco and all of the surfers, the government realized they needed to get firm with violators who are polluting the rivers. Last year, Jaco was in the news because of very high levels of bacteria coliforms in the water tested at the beach. The result was a media frenzy here in Costa Rica and an embarressment for many in the tourist trade. After all, Costa Rica stands for ecological protection and sustainability. What one preaches they better practice when they invite the media to the dance. 

The tourisim minister, the tourism council, and even local leaders were humbled in light of the dangerous bacteria levels becoming public knowledge. There is nothing like potential loss of face here in Costa Rica to motivate a public official or council. Many people questioned AyA’s motivations for releasing the test results to the media without consulting the local government first. Some say it was the word war between the Garabito municipality and the AyA on who was going to take care of the drinking water for the community that led to the public disclosure of the test results. more…

is jaco costa rica safe,jaco beach safety,jaco beach water pollution,jaco costa rica is it safe,2011 pollution test of jaco beach,jaco costa rica sewage,jaco safe,unsafe beach,water in jacó costa rica,jaco beach water,jaco beach warning,jaco beach pollution,is the water clear at jaco beach,how safe is jaco