San Jose, Costa Rica's Green Initiatives
San José, Costa Rica is at the center of a Central American country suddenly taking the gold standard for national environmental stewardship. Focusing on responsible ecotourism, aiming and exerting real effort to be the world's first zero net carbon emissions nation, and offering ecological wonders from the ocean floor to the rain forest treetops, the capital of Costa Rica is becoming a paragon of sustainable communities.
BIOGAS
by Daniel P. Kray, Editor
May, 2007
Outside the capital city, rural Costa Ricans are beginning to explore the potential for biogas in the place of firewood for home uses, such as cooking. Deforestation was a critical problem for the country until very recently, and continues to be an eminent concern, especially as the national economy tries to establish itself firmly on the footing of ecotourism revenues.
In remote areas, household cooking relies on either firewood or on liquid fuels at exorbitant prices. Programs such as the Santa Fe Women's Group provide simple, inexpensive biodigester tanks to convert animal wastes and plant material into methane piped straight into the kitchen, producing a hot blue flame free of charge. The system is self-supporting and prevents methane from being released into the atmosphere, where it is a potent greenhouse gas.
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ECO-TOURISM
by Daniel P. Kray, Editor
May, 2007
The Costa Rican federal government, seated in San Jose, passed a tax bylaw that granted tourism-related businesses (hotels, car rental companies, eco-tour operators, resorts) that made investments in the national eco-tourism market a 12-year tax moratorium, all in order to promote the expansion of ecotourism alongside the preservation of the country's rich ecology. The policy was a success, as tourism quickly supplanted forest-destroying mono-crops like bananas as the country's top source of foreign currency.
Subsequently Costa Rica, through it's Ministry of Tourism, wrote official eco-tourism standards to certify proper, environmentally sensitive practices for the tourism industry countrywide. These standards help to protect the country's biodiversity, all the more important as Costa Rica represents 5% of total global biodiversity and the largest percentage of protected land of any nation. The country succeeds in this while still promoting economic expansion that successfully spreads benefits throughout Costa Rican society, from the very poorest to the wealthy elite.
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RENEWABLE ENERGY
by Daniel P. Kray, Editor
May, 2007
Remarkably, the entire country of Costa Rica gets 95% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind, hydro-electric, and geothermal. Altogether, it is aiming by 2021 to become the first carbon-neutral country in the world. Global Climate change puts the country's carbon-neutrality at risk, however, as rainfall patterns have shifted, reducing the amount of hydropower available. Increases in geothermal, wind, and solar resources are being attempted, along with improved efficiency measures in lighting and appliances.
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