Hello everybody, I’m Anthony Adams from Downers Grove, IL, and I will be traveling to Costa Rica for the Pitt Plus3 Program in just a few days. I am interested in studying Supply Chain with a certificate in International Business in the CBA. I enjoy following sports and spending time with my friends, especially in new places! I’m excited to practice my Spanish with the host families and Ticos and I’m looking forward to gaining some knowledge about the roots of the coffee industry.

While Costa Rica is not necessarily a large country in terms of area, its environmentally conscious mindset has placed it among the world leaders in handling environmental concerns. In 2018, current Costa Rican president Carlos Alvarado Quesada announced his plan to make his country carbon-neutral by 2021. While this plan has faced several setbacks since its origin, current incentives and regulations have put the president’s program back on track. The burning of natural gases, coal, and oil has not been prohibited, but firms who use excess amounts of these non-renewable resources are required to partake in cartoon eco-friendly practices, like planting forests or attempting to use carbon dioxide from the air for energy.

Another project that has previously proven successful for Costa Rica is using “clean technology”, that is, equipment powered by renewable energy. Currently, Costa Rica is capable of powering itself for months at a time by using only renewable resources; this is mostly a byproduct of the plentiful rains in the country and their ability to be harnessed as hydropower. In an effort to advance its self-sustainability, the Costa Rican government has implemented more solar and wind power programs, especially in the more rural parts of the nation. As a result of all this, I am impressed with Costa Rica’s progressiveness in respect to its environmental awareness, and I look forward to learning more about the country!