Sanitary Populism: The president of Costa Rica Dr. Rodrigo Chaves puts the diversity and lives of five million Costa Ricans at risk.

  

The Environmental Implementation Review, https://youtu.be/6haGnRWS_m0 The president of Costa Rica puts the diversity and lives of five million Costa Ricans at risk by Rafael A. Vilagut-Vega, October, 20th, 2022.

 

The Ombudsman's Office of Costa Rica is conspicuous by its absence.

At a global level, bees are dying, species of insects are disappearing at a considerable speed, and now in Costa Rica, the lives of babies, children, and the elderly are at pronounced risk due to air pollution and a government unable to ensure the health of its inhabitants.

This week I received a communication from the President of the Costa Rican Oil Refinery RECOPE in which they indicated the following:

RECOPE P-04070-2022 point seven (7): Executive Decree No. 43166: "Regulation Reform for the control of polluting emissions produced by motor vehicles with internal combustion engines" (Published on July 13th, 2022). The Presidency of the Republic, MOPT, and MINAE with the support of RECOPE issued a reform to Executive Decree No. 39724 -MOPT-MINAE-S, through which the obligation to raise the fuel quality standard to "euro VI”, thus preventing unnecessary increases from January 2023 in gasoline and diesel, due to unnecessary adjustments in fuel quality.

While in Europe the Euro 7 standard is being debated, in Costa Rica the entry into force of the Euro 6 quality standard that came into force in 2014 is delayed without a technical or scientific study to support it.

 

The following is a summary list of the standards, when they come into force, what they apply to, and which EU directives define the standard.

Euro 1 (1992):For passenger cars—91/441/EEC.
Also for passenger cars and light lorries—93/59/EEC.
Euro 2 (1996) for passenger cars—94/12/EC (& 96/69/EC)For motorcycle—2002/51/EC (row A)—2006/120/EC.
Euro 3 (2000) for any vehicle—98/69/ECFor motorcycle—2002/51/EC (row B)—2006/120/EC.
Euro 4 (2005) for any vehicle—98/69/EC (& 2002/80/EC).
Euro 5 (2009) for light passenger and commercial vehicles—715/2007/EC. Costa Rica is here.
Euro 6 (2014) for light passenger and commercial vehicles—459/2012/EC and 2016/646/EU.
Euro 7 (probably 2025).

The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a series of European Union directives staging the progressive introduction of increasingly stringent standards.

On the other hand, The Clean Air Act (CAA) in the United States, is a comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Among other things, this law authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and public welfare and to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. Diesel exhaust contains 40 substances that the U.S. EPA lists them as hazardous air pollutants. Fifteen of these pollutants are considered probable or known human carcinogens. Nitrogen oxides are by-products of fuel combustion and contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Health effects include coughing, shortness of breath, and decreased lung function.

According to a Study published eleven years ago in India, International Journal of Applied Engineering Research; Effect of Diesel Emissions on Human Health: A Review. Diesel engines have historically been more versatile and cheaper to run than gasoline engines or other sources of power. Unfortunately, the exhaust from these engines contains substances that can pose a risk to human health. Diesel exhaust contains several pollutants that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, acid rain, and climate change, and are harmful to public health alone or in combination with other substances. Diesel emissions also increase pollutant levels including ozone and fine particles. Harmful ozone comes primarily from vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and industrial emissions. Diesel emissions directly release fine particles into the air and on hot days, diesel exhaust from on-road vehicles and off-road equipment increases the level of ground ozone. These high levels of ozone and fine particles are detrimental to public health as well as to the environment. Exposure to diesel exhaust may result in cancer, irritate the eye, nose, throat, and lungs, and it can cause coughs, headaches, and nausea. Exposure to diesel exhaust also causes inflammation in the lungs which may aggravate chronic respiratory symptoms and increase the frequency or intensity of asthma and other health problems.

Diesel exhaust is a mixture containing over 450 different components, including vapors and fine particles. Over 40 chemicals in diesel exhaust are considered toxic air contaminants by the State of California. Exposure to diesel exhaust may result in cancer, irritate the eye, nose, throat, and lungs, and it can cause coughs, headaches, and nausea. Exposure to diesel exhaust also causes inflammation in the lungs which may aggravate chronic respiratory symptoms and increase the frequency or intensity of asthma and other health problems. Cleaner alternatives to diesel engines are readily available. Alternatives include electric, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel, alcohols, etc which are used in many automobiles either light or heavy-duty vehicles. Although initial purchase prices may be higher for alternative fuel vehicles they produce less amount of exhaust.

 

Currently, the deaths of babies from zero to two years of age that have caused the collapse of hospitals in Costa Rica, as well as the decrease in the life expectancy of Costa Ricans, could be more related to air pollution than to SARS- CoV-2. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure the health of its inhabitants and the biodiversity of Costa Rica, otherwise it would be breaking the laws and the Political Constitution.

The "Pura Vida Ticos" are defenseless with a populist president Dr. Rodrigo Chaves-Robles and an Ombudsman Dra. Catalina Crespo-Sancho who has been accused of various crimes and who does not fulfill her duties.

 

Rafael A. Vilagut, ravilagut@ymail.com is a mechanical engineer and a digital entrepreneur, author, researcher, educator, trainer, and teacher. He lives and works between Caracas (Venezuela), Barcelona, Madrid (Spain), and Central America (Costa Rica). LINK: https://linktr.ee/ravilagut