Disappearing bees, ecological disaster? cell phones the likely culprit

By David Dell

ON FRIDAY of this week I was attacked by a swarm of angry, African bees. Obviously I was wearing protective gear or I wouldn’t be writing this article. Your fearless, raving reporter was solving the mystery of, why bees are disappearing on this continent in alarming numbers – I may have solved the mystery.

Three months ago I started an article on local bee keeper, Javier Morales. Some friends had an infestation in their rural ranch house at Gariche, near Volcan. Javier came to the ranch house with his two sons, and placed some chemicals in the opening in the wall. Javier was the local expert as his family has been in the bee business for generations.

Suited up aganist the angry African bees.

Bee keepers are a breed-apart from the rest of us –for one thing Javier would not accept any money for his service. He felt an affinity with bees and getting paid to destroy them was something he couldn’t in all conscience be rewarded for.

At the time I told him that there was widespread concern in the US because bees were going absent-without-leave in alarming numbers. "Colony Collapse Disorder," as it is called, is now reaching alarming proportions. The loss of honey is just a small part of the problem. As any schoolboy knows, bees pollinate plants, fruits, trees etc. If the bees disappear then we face an ecological disaster. At that time in May of this year Panama didn’t have problems with its bee colonies, but when we met again this week, the situation has changed dramatically. He tells me that some hives were seeing a 50% decrease in activity. In nearby Santa Clara, his collection of honey has dwindled to virtually nothing.

I figuratively rounded up the usual suspects for him and enquired about pesticide use. This he said was not the culprit. All the farmers that use his pollination service are careful not to use chemicals that might endanger honey production.

Javier was not aware of any "mite" infestation of the hives. Logic would suggest that if there were problems with mites then dead bees would be seen inside the hives – this doesn’t happen.

Then I thought of cell phones or radiation from the growing profusion of towers that pollute our landscape. He mentioned that when attending his hives, if his cell phone rang, he noticed that the bees became disoriented. This is one thing that seems to be evident, the bees leave their hives in a normal manner but then, for reasons still unknown, can’t find their way back home.

The cell phone experiment.
To test this theory I asked Javier to accompany me to some of his hives in the village of San Vicente, near Volcan. I took a video and still camera with me and placed a cell phone near the entrance to the hives. A friend, a respectable distance away, then called the cell phone. When the cell phone rang, the reaction was immediate. Large swarms surrounded my head and were obviously not happy. I dutifully did my journalistic thing and took the necessary still and video shots but then the swarm became even more agitated. (perhaps I hadn’t cleared things with their public relations people) I made an orderly retreat from the hive and walked away. The mad Africans came with me. All it takes, I am told is about 20 or so stings and you are dead.

A Cell phone near the hive agitates and
disorientates the bees.

New GSM cell phone towers.
Are GSM phone towers the cause of the bee problems? A lot of international scientific study supports the theory.

What is GSM?
GSM was formerly known as Group Special Mobile but now stands for Global System for Mobile communications. In North America it uses a 1900 MHz frequency whereas in other parts of the world it uses either 900MHz or 1800 MHz. The first system was online in 1991. The main difference between GSM and the older analog systems is that GSM uses a pulsed microwave system of radiating its signals.

Adverse effects have been noted on the health and well-being of various animal species, specifically cattle, dogs, birds and bees. In one study, cattle (which were found to line up, all facing away from the GSM mast) displayed a variety of problems, including severely reduced milk yields, emaciation, spontaneous abortions, and still births. But when the cattle were moved away from the masts, their condition improved. When they were brought back to the area around the base station mast – the same symptoms occurred. The GSM antennae had been put on towers that had formerly only produced analog signals for TV and radio – these signals had not produced any ill-effects. There are also reports of declines in bird populations.

Chiriqui, is the most important agricultural area in Panama. If the loss of bees continues at the present rate, we could see a total extinction by the end of the year.

In the United States it is estimated there could be direct and indirect losses of $75 billion dollars.

In Panama, the loss of agricultural products could be devastating. Does this mean we have to scrap our cell-phones? No! if we were to switch back to the old analog phones that would solve the problem. They didn’t seem to effect the bees.

One final comment on the GSM debate: the bees have returned to the Gariche ranch house and seemed to be doing well. A recent test with cell phones from Panama’s two leading providers show that in the area of the property where the bees are thriving, there is no GSM signal.

For further information on the effects of GSM, please check out these scientific links.

The European Parliament.
The Physiological and Environmental effects of Non-ionising
Electro-Magnetic Radiation.
Dr Gerard Hyland, University of Warwick, Department of
Physics, Coventry, England www.powerwatch.org.uk/tech/Hyland1.htm
G.J. Hyland, The Lancet, 356, 1833ˆ1836, (2000) Scientific Advisory System: ŒMobile Phones and Health‚ HM Government 1999; Vol.II, Appendix 15, pp.86-91;
J.R. Goldsmith, Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health, 1, 47-57 (1995), and Public Health Review, 25, 123-149 (1997)

The bookworm corner

Latest books in English

Tourism needs new legal framework, says Blades

By Marijulia Pujol Lloyd

THE SINGER, COMPOSER, ACTOR, lawyer, Tourism Minister and Director of the Panamanian Tourist Bureau (IPAT), Rubén Blades is a man with many plans and little time to make them into reality. He has been in the job for three years and wants to transform dramatically the tourist industry in the two years left to him during the term of the present government.

Blades told me that the first three years in charge of the Bureau he carefully analyzed the Master Plan 1994-2000 and came to the conclusion that it was a failure, because it only worked in the capital. He also criticized the tourism incentive law, which he said was full of faults and had the tendency of favor the big companies, without taking into account the medium and micro enterprise. It also created confusion between real estate and the tourist investment.

“The law which regulates tourism in Panama is 47 years old and it does not require that all tourist activities registered. This makes it impossible to have benchmarks to measure the efficiency of the services which are offered to tourists”, Blades pointed out.

Taking these factors into account, the Tourism Minister decided to propose three bills to address these problems to encourage, develop and exploit tourism. They are going to be introduced to the Legislative Assembly over the next few weeks, as part of the strategy for the implementation of the Master Plan for the Sustainable Tourism Development 2007-2020.

The master plan, which has cost of $575,270.00, will define the course of tourism in Panama for the next fourteen years. “The organic bill, will create the Ministry of Tourism and a new administrative structure in the capital and in the interior. Every province will have its own tourist bureau. Within the ministry, there will be a special department to supervise the development and implementation of the master plan”, added Blades.

The second bill will regulate tourism all over the country. All those involved in tourism activities will have to be registered with the ministry, and Blades believesthat will help improve the level of quality of the industry. The idea is to regulate the tour operators, travel agencies, travel agencies and tourists´ transport, to mention a few.

The third bill will be an incentive law and will help those companies which want to invest in tourism. It will also define the joint jurisdictions which are outside of the remit of the IPAT, such as national parks, which are also the responsibility of the National Agency for the Environment (ANAM).

Minister Blades informed that “the new incentive law will not have anything to do with the real estate sector. Residential tourism does not exist, because once a foreigner buys a property, he ceases to be a tourist and acquires a different status”.

“For the new master plan to work it is necessary to know the tourist attractions in each province, the areas which need support and find ways to solve problems. With the aim of finding the most important tourist places in the country, the IPAT is going to launch a new campaign called: The nine wonders of Panama, where the people from every province will vote to select the most popular tourist site“, informed Blades.

Also planned is the renovation of the tourist center of San Carlos, the creation of rural hostels to promote internal tourism and increase cooperation among the different government entities to build roads, where is a need for them and sanitize potential tourist places.

Talking about his future personal plans Blades said that he does not have any presidential aspirations and more than likely will return to his musical and acting career. He also wants to invest in tourism, but his number one priority right now is to develop and increase the level of tourism in Panama.

Need for “cross border” tourism stressed at Tierras Altas Chamber anniversary dinner

By David Dell

Tourism’s importance to Panama’s future was front and center at the first anniversary dinner to commemorate the founding of the Tierras Altas, Chamber of Commerce.

The dinner was held in the picturesque setting of the Hotel Bambito’s poolside room. The function started with some introductory speeches from the chamber’s President, Annabella Rios De Esquivel. There was a special welcome to a delegation from Limon, Costa Rica, headed by the President of the Port of Limon Chamber of Commerce, Noel Ferguson McKnight.

Mr. Erick Onibarra, Regional Director of IPAT
and Annabella Rios de Esquivel, president of
the Tierras Altas Chamber of Commerce.

The main presentation of the night stressed the need for greater awareness and facilities for the handicapped. Although laws exist in Panama for the incapacitated, few facilities outside of government offices have been changed to allow for access for both tourists and locals. A Powerpoint presentation was shown by Laura Ceballos, secretary of SENADIS, (Secretaria Nacional Para La Integracion Social De Las Personas Con Discapacidad ). Señora Ceballos highlighted the fact that disabled persons could still lead fully functional lives if facilities allowed. She handled the computer presentation from her wheelchair.

Mc. Wee Ming Fung presidente de la Cámara de Turismo de Chiriqui,
y Mc. Enzo Polo presidente de la Cámara de Comercio de David.

30 day Visa for US and Canada to stay.
In Conversation with the regional director of IPAT Mr. Erick Oribarra, I asked if the 30 day limit on tourist stays was likely to be changed, as this was a source of irritation for US and Canadian visitors. He doubted there would be a change back to the old 90 day limit.

Cross Border tourism?
The Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce delegation were keen to promote cross-border tourism with Panama as they saw the competition for the region coming from Mexico. Mr. McKnight pointed out that when people tour Europe they invariably travel to several countries during their trip. He said we should encourage tourists so see several Central American countries during their vacation. In this way we could all benefit.

“Papa Noel” Mr. Ramon Mejia,
“Santa Claus” of the Highlands.

Even Father Christmas was there.
A lighter moment came in the evenings festivities when I noticed a white haired gentleman operating a video camera. His appearance was that of a genial Father Christmas – which is exactly what Ramon de Mejia does in the winter months. He is “Papa Noel” for the David, Chiriqui area.

Chiriqui, Panama’s premiere tourist destination?
In the past, the highlands of Chiriqui may have been an obscure place to visit or retire – that is no longer the case. The Internet has brought Panama and particularly Chiriqui, to the forefront of world retirement and tourism attention. The Tierras Altas Chamber of Commerce is clearly riding on the crest of a potentially large tourist wave.

Also present at the dinner were Lic. Wee Ming Fung, President of (Camara De Turismo Chiriqui) and Lic. Enzo Polo, President of the Chamber of Commerce of David.

Many famous people are investing here

Carlos Slim, world’s richest man, eyes Panama

By Steven Rich, Marketing Manager for Panama Offshore Legal Services

Bill Gates once said that nothing good came from being the richest man in the world. The money was fine, but the attention was awful.

Lucky for him, Bill Gates may no longer be the richest man in the world.

Fortune magazine recently claimed Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim as the wealthiest man in the world worth $59 billion. His wealth jumped $12 billion in the past year surpassing Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. He partially owns America Movil wireless company, Carso Global Telecom, and Saks, Inc. the American retailer company. The 67-year-old son of a Mexico City shopkeeper of Lebanese descent has made it to the top. He became super rich in the 1990’s when he bought state controlled businesses from the Mexican government at basement-level prices. Now he provides telephone services, restaurants, car parts, roads, cd’s, books, and plastic goods throughout Mexico.

Controls 90 per cent of Mexican phones.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development recently reported that Mexican small businesses paid among the highest telephone fees in the world, around $132 per month versus $60 per month in the United States. Carlos Slim controls 90 per cent of the Mexican landline business and 70 per cent of the mobile phone industry.

Business Week magazine proclaimed that Carlos Slim, “For the past two decades, has shown an uncanny ability to spot undervalued companies and turn them into lean, profitable machines.”

Now Carlos Slim is investing heavily into Panama. Slim intends to invest in Panama’s infrastructure, energy and telecommunications industries. Eventually, $7.47 billion will be invested in Panama’s infrastructure through his company Impulsora del Desarrollo y Empleo en America Latina (IDEAL).

One of IDEAL’s subsidiaries, Cicsa Panama, won the bid to build hydroelectric projects in Bajo Mina and Baitun in Chiriqui province worth $250 million. The Bajo de Mina project on the Chiriqui Viejo river near Costa Rica will construct two 27-megawatt generators. The Baitun project located on the same river includes two 35-megawatt generators.

Another IDEAL subsidiary, Cilsa Panama-Minera Maria, won part of the bid to excavate the first phase of the Panama Canal expansion worth $44.4 million.

Slim also intends to invest in Panama mobile phone services. Panama currently only has two such services with Cable & Wireless and Telefonica Moviles Panama. Slim’s 30% ownership in the giant wireless company, America Movil, is worth $31 Billion.

Carlos Slim is also reportedly interested in building a tourism resort on Isla Colon in Bocas del Toro.

Philanthropist, too

Philanthropist Carlos Slim just launched a $500 million nonprofit health institute in Mexico aimed at helping the Latin American poor. Panamanian first lady Vivian de Torrijos attended the groundbreaking ceremony in late September. This is an unusual event since unlike Bill Gates, he has avoided charitable giving, saying he is in the business of fixing problems, not "going around like Santa Claus".

President Torrijos even got a helping hand from Carlos Slim who lent our president a private jet to attend the pope’s funeral in 2005 when all flights were booked.

Other famous people are also investing in Panama. Sean Connery, Mick Jagger, and Mel Gibson own properties in the interior. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt bought the penthouse in Donald Trump’s Ocean Club in Punta Pacifica. Of course, movie legend John Wayne used to own an island in Panama many years ago. Invest with the rich and famous in Panama!

Ocean Pacific Paradise announces

“Vegetable steel” bamboo to be used at mega project at Sajalices

A NEW MEGA building project in Sajalices, near Chame will use a native bamboo, known as “vegetable steel” as one of their primary building materials. The developers Ocean Pacific Paradise (OPP) with its architect, Carolina Zuluaga Zubieta decided to used this material, because of its strength, beauty and versatility.

The Panamanian variety of the bamboo is the guadua angustifolia known as the plant (not a tree but a grass) with the fastest growth, ten centimeters per day, and the strongest in the world.

Heliconia

OPP is going to use the guadua with “macana” and teak to create natural spaces in its buildings . The company is also planning to grow this plant around the project, so it can be used by the locals to make handicraft and furniture in special workshops, which will be built by the developers with the purpose of creating jobs in the area.

The “guadua” is a sustainable resource, because it obtains its final height at 120 days, this allows a great level of exploitation in a reduced time because it matures in four or five years. Every part of the plant has multiple uses -medicine, food and building material. It is sometimes referred to as “vegetable steel” since it has more resistance to tension in pounds per square inch than steel.

Cañaveral

The houses built by the OPP developers will have all their window frames, stairs, ceilings and balconies made of guadua. This project, which will take around ten years to develop, will have around 1000 dwellings including apartments, also a hotel, casino, cabins, infinity pool, a mall, supermarket, health center, training center, aqua-park, restaurants, mini-golf, eco-paths and a heliport. It is just over an hour from Panama City.

OPP´s concept is to create an eco-friendly neighborhood, where residents and visitors can enjoy the mangroves and wildlife, and at the same have all the modern conveniences without any compromises to their lifestyle.

Limoncillo

The project will be built on 160 hectares. The first phase will have 168 lots of 800m2 and the houses, which all have individuals swimming pools, will start at $120,000.

For more information about this project call: 265-4828

Book launch

Hubba Hubba

Paradise will never be the same again

Touted as a Caribbean “tour de farce” Hubba Hubba, a new novel by best-selling author Cindy Cody, is now available for sale in Panama. Cody, who lives in Boquete, formerly spent 10 years in Bocas del Toro, and found island life rich with material for a comedic novel in the tradition of Don’t Stop the Carnival, and books by Hiassen and Buffett.

Says Cindy: “Those who know Panama, Bocas, or simply the Caribbean in general, will find much familiar ground here. I think many readers who have made the leap from “civilization” will resonate with the tropical milieu and cast of loveable, loopy, and sometimes twisted characters who appear in these pages. Richard Darlington, a wealthy New Yorker, has only one dream—to escape to paradise and keep it a secret from everyone he knows. As he soon discovers, though, there’s a lot more to his new lifestyle than a cold beer and a nice sea view.”

Cody’s previous book, Banana Bay, is also set in Panama and was released in hardcover in 2004. It hit the bestseller list south of Boston the same year.

Meanwhile, Cody wanted to try her hand at comedy. She told

Author Cindy Cody

The Visitor: “Hubba Hubba is one of my favorite books.  I don't think I've ever been so entertained writing anything.  As the characters developed a life and language of their own, I often laughed out loud—delighted (as I hope readers will be) by the absurdities, ironies, and the downright craziness which are so much a part island life.”

“For everyone who ever had a fantasy of starting over, Richard Darlington will serve as inspiration (or maybe a reality check!) for their own dreams of escape. Paradise is so laden with the ripe, promising fruit of re- invention and happiness. My only advice: Don’t stand under the coconut palms!”

Hubba Hubba is available in paperback in Panama at: Hombre de la Mancha, Excedra Book, and Gran Morrison, Via España. In Chiriqui at: Read & Relax, Boquete, The Bookmark, Dolega; In Bocas del Toro at: The Buena Vista Restaurant, Starfish Coffee, and The Bravo Center.

Also available from Amazon.com.

Visit the author’s website on www.cindycody.com Contact the author on: go2hubbahubba@yahoo.com