Costa Rica is Dedicated to Preserving the Very Environment that Makes it Popular.

Costa Rica has established itself as a Central American leader for all things environmental, striving to protect its natural resources and promote environmental tourism throughout the country. Now, Costa Rica is part of a small, elite group of world nations, as well as the only developing nation, to pledge to go “green”.

In February 2008, together with Iceland, New Zealand, and Norway, Costa Rica announced its goal to become carbon neutral. The country’s 2021 goal date is the earliest of the bunch, but hope is strong. “If any country can do it, it’s Costa Rica,” national climate change strategist, Sergio Musmanni, said. “We have been at the forefront of the climate change issue for years. A large percentage of our electricity… already comes from renewable energy sources. And we are in the tropics. We don’t have problems heating up our homes and buildings during the winter.”

Indeed, Costa Rica’s industries and people seem to support this goal, with almost everyone doing their part. Banana farmers, like Dole for example, look to new recycling initiatives to dispose of plastic banana encasements, reduce fuel expenditures, and reduce overall emissions. Local groups throughout the country have begun general recycling initiatives. Franklin Chang, Costa Rica business owner and ex-NASA astronaut, has looked into converting waste into plasma, a form of energy.

Becoming carbon-neutral is not only about reducing emissions, but off-setting those that cannot be avoided. In Costa Rica, much of this carbon neutralization will be achieved through reforestation, helping to promote and protect a huge slice of the world’s biodiversity. In 2007, the Costa Rica government planted more than five million trees, a world record, and plans to plant an additional seven million in 2008. Trees and plants “breathe” carbon dioxide, so more trees mean more neutralized carbon emissions.

“You can see the growth here in the tropics. It’s incredible. In four months, they can grow 50 to 60cm (20-24 inches)… The tree starts absorbing carbon dioxide from when it’s a seedling. Especially during the first 10 to 15 years, it’s a very efficient way of absorbing carbon from the atmosphere,” Earth University professor, Ricardo Russo, confirmed.

In addition to reforestation and recycling tactics, Costa Rica has put transportation reform on the front burner. “The real challenge for Costa Rica is transportation. Most of our emissions come from this sector. We really have to start making changes in how Costa Ricans are moving, but as the economy grows, if more people want to have their own cars, we have to take that into account,” explained Musmanni. One possible solution: hybrid and electric cars, which have traditionally been taxed at normal import tax rates, will be treated to reduced tax rates, allowing more Costa Ricans to afford them.

In addition to ground transportation, Costa Rica looks to the skies, where the world’s first carbon-neutral airline, Nature Air, conducts its daily business. “We are in the right position in this country to be the crucible for the changes that the rest of the world is looking for. We cannot let it fail. We need to get everyone on our side to make this small experiment in something very radical but very necessary work… We need to be an example to the rest of the world,” Nature Air chief executive, Alex Khajavi, explained passionately.

Costa Rica is poised to make history, becoming the first carbon-neutral country in the world. Truly, with its environmental history and eco-friendly present, no other country seems as well-placed to achieve this environmental goal.

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Filed under: Travel on August 11th, 2008