An Environmental Giant

The tiny nation of Costa Rica is a giant when it comes to environmental stewardship.

- Christine Graf

In 2008, they embarked on a quest to become one of the world’s first carbon neutral counties. For a nation to become carbon neutral, it must remove as much CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the environment as it puts into it. CO2 is a gas that occurs both naturally and as a result of human activity, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels. Because CO2 traps and holds heat in the atmosphere, it is classified as a greenhouse gas.

According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), there is “no question” that greenhouse gasses are causing the Earth to warm. They also say that “CO2 has contributed more than any driver to climate change between 1750 and 2011.” NASA defines global warming as “the unusually rapid increase in the earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels.”

Costa Rica’s decision to pursue carbon neutrality took place during the presidency of Oscar Arias Sanchez. Sanchez, who won the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his role in bringing peace to Central America. During his presidency, Sanchez also worked toward achieving a different kind of peace. He called it “Peace with Nature.”