¡Hola! My name is James Sisti and this week I will be going to Costa Rica as part of the Plus3 program at the University of Pittsburgh. As a prospective Chemical Engineer, I am extremely excited to learn about the growth, processing, and exploration of coffee and bananas as well as the impacts both industries have on the economy and the environment. After learning that Costa Rica is one of the highest ranking environmentally sustainable countries in the world, I did some light research to see what initiatives they have in affect to keep their ranking and increase ecotourism.

One initiative I was very interested to read about is their goal to become a carbon neutral country. This means that they will only rely on renewable energy sources for power and they will not use fossil fuels at all. I am amazed to see that Costa Rica not only protects their environment, but also uses it to their advantage. With volcanoes, rivers, wind, and solar power, Costa Rica has reduced their use of fossil fuels to less than 2% which is outstanding.

Another initiative Costa Rica has is to ban all single use plastics within the upcoming years. In America, the war against non-reusable plastics has become very relevant with major companies changing their products to be recyclable, but it is reassuring to see Costa Rica working toward banning all single use plastics completely. After reading about all the efforts that Costa Rica is making to protect the environment, I find myself even more enthused to travel there and learn about their culture and industries. I cannot wait to share more of what I learn and experience on this trip! Until time, thanks for chiming in.