Earth Day: Pura Vida

We Live On A Damaged Planet. Let Us Turn To Costa Rica For Inspiration On What Can Be Done

Story by Cara DeGette
Photos by Mark Silverstein

Costa Rican people are reported to be among the happiest on earth. They live amid a landscape comprised of a half-million plant and animal species — accounting for nearly 4 percent of all the species in the world.

This is thanks to their own handiwork. In the 1970s and 1980s, Costa Rica, which is bordered by Nicaragua and Panama, had one of the highest rates of deforestation in Latin America. By 1987, as the environmental news platform earth.org has detailed, nearly half of its forest cover had been destroyed. The country’s government intervened, making Costa Rica the foremost tropical country in the world to tackle deforestation. Cutting down trees without approval was criminalized. A unique program was installed to pay farmers to protect watersheds, conserve biodiversity and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions.

Today — barely 50 years later — close to 60 percent of Costa Rica is forested once again. Fully a quarter of the landmass is protected. More than 98 percent of the country’s energy is renewable. Its government, and its people, have vowed to become carbon neutral by 2050.

To be sure, there is still much work to be done in Costa Rica, population 5 million. For example, in its capitol, San José, the streets are typically jammed with traffic, and the public transport is often unreliable. But the country has been globally celebrated for its decades-long commitment to ambitious policies to combat climate change and protect the planet’s natural resources. For good reason.

In honor of Earth Day, April 22, this month we’re highlighting the fruits of effective green policy leadership — beautiful, exotic creatures that are able to thrive in their natural habitats.