Julie Boulton (the greening of) — Issue #16

Julie Boulton
Aug 27, 2017 · 7 min read

The Republic of Costa Rica. It is in Central America. I’ve never been there (I’ve never been futher south than San Francisco). I’d really like to go there because it looks amazing. In fact it might just be Utopia, (not the most excellent TV show that seems to parody my day job Utopia but the real deal). In fact, I am so excited about Costa Rica that I am dedicating this edition of my newsletter to it.

Let’s get the country facts out of the way first — then we can meditate on the fact that, when in Costa Rica you can rescue baby sloths and hang out at the only Sloth Sanctuary on Earth, (who doesn’t love a sloth?).

You find Costa Rica on that thin land mass you find on the globe, sitting in- between Mexico and South America. Nicaragua is above it and Panama sits below it. Its total land mass is 51,100 sq km, which makes it roughly around the same size as the Netherlands, a country that I also love, mostly because they eat a lot of cheese and obsess over the colour orange.

What Costa Rica lacks in size, (at only 0.03% of the Earth’s surface it is small), it makes up in biological diversity. It contains nearly 6% of the world’s entire biodiversity, a number greater than the USA and Europe combined. For example, more than 10% of the world’s butterflies can be found in Costa Rica! People who know things about biodiversity say Costa Rica’s unbelievable variety of flora and fauna has something to do with its geography — the fact that the country is tightly sandwiched between two impressive coast lines and that the land in between the seas, (Caribbean and Pacific), consists of some massive mountains, including some volcanic ones. But they also acknowledge that it has something to do with the fact that in 1948 Costa Rica said goodbye to its standing army and redirected its defence funds toward education, healthcare and the environment.

While there have been some hiccups with environmental management (logging of forests was quite drastic for some time), overall Costa Rica has placed a huge emphasis on the need to protect and preserve its surrounds. And it has paid off. Today, Costa Rica is ranked the second most environmentally sustainable country in the world, (World Energy Council) and is first on the Happy Planet Index.

Its efforts on environmental sustainability are impressive:

  • More than a quarter of the country has some form of environmental protection over it (there are more than 100 different protected sites to visit);
  • Landowners are paid to preserve old-growth forests and to plant new trees. As a result, forest cover has risen from 24% in 1985 to close to 51% today;
  • Funds are channeled from fuel taxes, car stamp duties and energy fees to pay for nature reserve management and environmental services like clean air, fresh water and biodiversity protection;
  • It established a national commission on biodiversity, made up of scientists, civil servants and indigenous representatives, which proposes policies to the government and promotes green education among the public;
  • It has vowed to become the first carbon neutral country in the world by 2021, by promoting the use of biofuels, hybrid vehicles and clean energy. (And it’s close — in 2015, the country was able to produce 99% of its electricity from renewable sources, (78% is hydroelectric sourced and 18% is from geothermal and wind power), and during one 75-day stretch, the entire country ran on renewable resources only.)

It gets better though. Not only can you book a Buttercup Tour to hang out with the sloths at Sloth Sanctuary while in Costa Rica but the country has just announced that it is aiming to be the first country in the world to ban single use plastics! By 2021 — in four years — plastic water bottles, plastic utensils, plastic bags, plastic cups will be gone, replaced with renewable and water-soluble alternatives: those that biodegrade within six months. Wow!

Here is an excerpt from a blog post on UNDP’s website by the Costa Rica government (full excerpt below) that sums up what the strategies the country will employ to achieve its goal:

Being a country free of single use plastics is our mantra and our mission. It’s not going to be easy, and the government can’t do it alone. To promote these changes, we need all sectors — public and private — to commit to actions to replace single-use plastic through five strategic actions: municipal incentives, policies and institutional guidelines for suppliers; replacement of single-use plastic products; research and development — and investment in strategic initiatives. We also need the leadership and participation of all: women, men, boys and girls.

I love this. I love this a lot! Almost as much as I love the sloth video below. Who is coming to Costa Rica with me, (we can compensate the carbon offset from our airline travel by going to www.fonafifo.com and contributing to the “Clean Trip” initiative)?

jb


Extra information on Costa Rica

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1468835218778?1503346274

Costa Rica — Happy Planet Indexhappyplanetindex.org
1st of 140. This tropical Central-American country is home to the greatest density of species in the world. Costa Rica’s GDP per capita is less than a quarter of the size of many Western European and North American countries, and is primarily based on tourism, agriculture and exports.

Costa Rica recognised for biodiversity protection | Environment | The Guardian

www.theguardian.com
Central American nation wins 2010 Future Policy award for pioneering legal protection of natural wealth

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Costa Rica: World Leader for the Environment — YouTubewww.youtube.com
With over half of the country covered in woodland and some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world, Costa Rica is encouraging landowners to preser…

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How To Save The World: Costa Rica’s Eco Boom — YouTubewww.youtube.com
How To Save The World: Eric Campbell criss-crosses the continents to see just what is at stake for humanity, interviewing scientists determined to find solut…

Greentique hotels costa rica sustainability p1010401 cc 1920x1080
Greentique hotels costa rica sustainability p1010401 cc 1920x1080

Costa Rica Ecotourism — Greentique Hotels & Wildlife Refugewww.greentiquehotels.com
Experience genuine Costa Rica ecotourism with Greentique Hotels & Wildlife Refuge, a leader in sustainable hospitality. See how we’re protecting this nations beautiful natural resources while giving back to the Costa Rican communities at the same time.

Clara in factory
Clara in factory

A Legacy of Coffee Farming | Rainforest Alliancewww.rainforest-alliance.org
We sent our Follow the Farmer contest winner Clara Jessup to the beautiful town of Santa Maria de Dota, Costa Rica, where she met fourth-generation coffee farmer Miguel Badilla Urena and visited his farm.

BTW Costa Rica coffee beans are considered the best in the world — last year a crop of special Costa Rica beans sold out in USA Starbucks stores in under an hour!

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Cq5dam.web.1280.1280

Costa Rica paves the way to end single-use plastics | UNDPwww.undp.org

Costa Rica has ambitious and innovative plans to boost gains on the economic and social fronts while protecting the environment. Just a decade ago the country announced that by 2021 it would be carbon neutral. It now announces another goal for the next four years: to be the first country in the world with a comprehensive national strategy to eliminate single-use plastics.

Costa rica 150x150
Costa rica 150x150

Plastics, Be Gone! Costa Rica To Enact A Plastics Ban | The Problem With Plasticscleantechnica.com
Soon plastic waste will no longer clog up Costa Rica’s landfills, as that country has announced it will embark on a single-use plastics ban by 2021. Costa Rica wants to become the world’s first country to achieve a comprehensive national strategy to eliminate single-use plastics. A global environmental leader, Costa Rica has already achieved numerous 100% renewable energy periods. The goal to eliminate single-use plastics coincides with Costa Rica’s 2021 goal of being carbon neutral — which was set a decade ago.

Final words on Costa Rica

“We are declaring peace with nature,” said Mario Fernández Silva, the ambassador of Costa Rica. “We feel a strong sense of responsibility about looking after our wealth of biodiversity. Our attitude is not progressive, it is conservative. Our view is that until we know what we have, it is our duty to protect it.”

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Julie Boulton

Written by

writer of random thoughts on life | weekly environmental newsletter, Julie Boulton (the greening of) | obsessed by roadside goods | julieboulton75.com

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