Costa Rica Ecolodge Ups
Environmental Ante
OSA PENINSULA, Costa
Rica—Actions speak louder than
words, especially when it comes
to issues of
sustainability—that’s why Lapa
Rios Ecolodge, honored as
Rainforest Alliance’s 2007
Sustainable Standard-Setter, is
announcing an environmentally
conscious transition to
primarily biodiesel powered
electricity.
In an effort to support
alternative fuels and energy,
Lapa Rios is pioneering the use
of biodiesel in Costa Rica,
resulting in lower carbon
emissions and cleaner-burning
fuels that will hopefully
influence similar practices
throughout the entire
hospitality industry and
translate into reduced effects
of global warming.
The biodiesel, purchased from
the Costa Rican company Energias
Biodegradable (one of the first
biodiesel producers in the
country) and partially sourced
from Lapa Rios’ own recycled
kitchen grease, is a
diesel-equivalent processed fuel
derived from biological sources
like vegetable oil, boasting 75
percent less carbon emissions
than traditional diesel fuel.
It’s also a biodegradable energy
source that’s less toxic than
table salt—making it an ideal
addition to Lapa Rios’ acclaimed
Sustainability Program.
To allow the resort’s electrical
generation system to adjust, the
biodiesel must be introduced
slowly; thus, Lapa Rios has
begun by using a mix of five
percent biodiesel with 95
percent diesel blend. In the
following three months, the
biodiesel-to-diesel ratio will
climb to allow a 60 percent
biodiesel run resort electricity
system.
In addition, Lapa Rios has also
begun introducing biodiesel
(currently at 30 percent
biodiesel) to its transportation
services, including on-property
pickup trucks and guest
transport vehicles. This effort
will improve carbon emissions as
well, continually shrinking Lapa
Rios’ ecological footprint.
Dedicated to providing the
ultimate harmonious escape since
1993, Lapa Rios is tucked within
1,000 acres of Central America’s
last remaining lowland tropical
rainforest and overlooks the
beautiful Pacific Ocean.
Offering interactive tourism
with great respect for the
social-cultural and ecological
interests of local communities,
the upscale wilderness resort
features high service standards
as well as the ability to
protect and regenerate the
natural environment and local
customs.
Built as a private nature
reserve, Lapa Rios blends
seamlessly among its
surroundings, featuring 16
suiita-thatch bungalows perched
350 feet above the churning sea,
and a main lodge that houses a
fine-dining restaurant and bar –
all hidden beneath the dense,
tropical canopy.
Not only do guests contribute to
the conservation of the
rainforest with a stay at Lapa
Rios, they are offered the
opportunity to learn about and
truly experience a sustainable
environment at its best. From
Sunday night “sustainability
chats” – where local
conservationist groups discuss
environmental issues with guests
– to Tico Cooking Classes taught
by local women and featuring
Costa Rican cuisine, Lapa Rios
Ecolodge thrives in educating
eco-minded travelers. |
|
|
|
|
