There should be no surprise to readers of this blog that in my opinion Costa Rica is a very unique country. I may have cited the following statistic in a previous post, but it is so amazing that I reiterate here. Costa Rica is a tiny country, with about 0.1% of the land mass of the earth. Yet within its borders dwells 5% of the entire biological diversity of the planet! That biodiversity is in the number of different species of plants, mammals, birds, marine life, insects and even micro-organisms. In fact, new species are discovered in Costa Rica routinely and biologists from around the world come to Costa Rica to do research as a result. The government of Costa Rica has recognized the country’s unique position as a result of these amazing natural resources and has taken action to protect them. So here is another impressive statistic….this one man generated. In Costa Rica, 26% of the entire country is set aside in the form of national park or nature reserve of varying classifications. That my dear friends is more than any country on earth. So yes, we can do something to protect our planet and in my opinion Costa Rica is a country that is a world leader and example for promoting conservation and sustainability. With that said, I must also point out that it is not a perfect model. Costa Rica’s diverse municipalities have much authority in allowing development projects to go forward. The recent development boom in the Northern and Central Pacific has given rise to many abuses of our environmental laws as municipalities have looked the other way, or, worse, taken bribes to allow projects to go forward that should have been stopped in their tracks. However, the national institutions that have the final say have stepped in and have halted many of these bad developments. In my opinion a bad development is one that both ignores its environmental impact for the sake of making more money and also ignores the real appeal of Costa Rica as an eco-tourism destination and not a Mexican Riviera type of experience. The best developments and the ones that are most successful here are those that are careful in minimizing environmental impacts and that are organized and planned so as to highlight the eco-appeal of Costa Rica. The tourism ministry has initiated a program entitled Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST) in order to recognize those developments that meet very rigorous sustainability standards. Costa Rica is also a country that obtains the majority of its electric power from renewable sources like water, wind and solar. But it is Costa Rica’s extensive national park system that really helps Costa Rica shine as a beacon of sustainability and conservation. These days the U.S. and other countries face an energy crisis that has the potential of even igniting wars that could spell the end to human civilization and that is not hyperbolic! It has been established as fact that our lack of environmental consciousness threatens the survival of our planet due to global warming. In times like these the world needs countries that are willing to step out in front and take the lead in terms of promoting a greater environmental awareness. Costa Rica is taking that lead and it makes me proud to call this country home.
Squidoo Lens about Costa Rica as a Sustainability Model
Squidoo Lens on Costa Rica’s National Parks
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