Often large news sites and media outlets highlight the biggest issue facing our planet: global warming. I know the impact of climate change and that large change needs to be made soon for the future of our planet; however, I believe there should be more examples set and followed like that of the Costa Rican sustainable efforts.

Worldwide there is blatant deforestation, especially in the tropics. For example, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia all are facing mass deforestation which leads to loss of habitat and therefore less biodiversity in places like the Amazon which boasts one of the most bio-diverse climates in the world. The reason these countries are often so heavily deforested is their history of being overused by private companies and landowners. Costa Rica like other tropical countries has had its land abused and deforested in the past which is why their initiative that has reduced deforestation by 98% is so important and an example that should be followed by other countries.

While many countries have a hard time switching and using recycling bins/services the Costa Rican government created a “pay to throw” system that increased recycling by 469% by charging residents for what they throw in the waste by weight. This is a good and cost-effective system that encourages better sustainable practices while also not using tax money.

The United States has vast national parks with abundant scenery and natural beauty protected from harm; however, the amount of land that the national parks in the U.S. take up is roughly 3.6% of the total land in the U.S. which is dwarfed by the behemoth 25% of the land of Costa Rica which is fully protected. Outside of national parks, there are often loopholes to conservation efforts that cause habitat loss, pollution, or deforestation which is why designating such a large area for conservation is so important for Costa Rica’s natural biodiversity.

Costa Rica’s sustainable initiatives of reducing deforestation, increasing recycling, and conserving large amounts of land are, or should be, trendsetting for other countries around the world which is why I am excited to visit to learn more about Costa Rica’s sustainable efforts and its influence on other countries to do the same.