No tengo fotos otra vez. Lo siento.
Economic growth (productivity) and environmental sustainability are two competing interests in Costa Rica. As Prof. Teeter mentioned during the lecture today, it’s a common practice in Costa Rica, along with many other countries, to produce as many cheap, low quality products as possible for the purpose of economic growth. A good example of this is the fast fashion industry, but its success comes at the cost of sustainability due to the pollutants it releases (which compromises environmental sustainability), and its reliance on cruel labor/child labor (compromising sustainability of human rights protection). At the opposite end of this spectrum is supporting environmental sustainability through buying more expensive, high quality clothing. This is in line with the 16th principle for a circular economy from lecture today: buying quality as opposed to quantity. However, it may not be accessible for all Ticos to adhere to this principle given the lofty price that many sustainably branded clothing companies charge for their products.
A second example of competing interests within Costa Rica includes conservation of the natural environment and economic growth/productivity again. The Quakers’ arrival in Monteverde in the 1950s resulted in economic prosperity in the region, yet it also contributed to deforestation and a diminish in biodiversity. Eventually the Quakers realized their harmful impact on Monteverde’s natural environment, and shifted their focus towards preserving the environment. An example of this is the Golden Toad Conservation, which still resulted in economic growth through tourism, though not at the cost of deforestation and biodiversity losses.
A challenge that all of Costa Rica faces is climate change, and also how its economy relies 90% on tourism, according to our lecture on sustainable economies. During the pandemic, for example, Costa Rica’s economy plummeted due to the steep decrease in tourists visiting the country. A challenge specific to Monteverde due to climate change is the future of the Cloud Forest Conservancy. Our tour guide said that at the rate that global warming is happening, the forest may not have the ecological requirements to be called a Cloud Forest anymore by the geological definition, and several predators are already starting to move into parts of the conservancy and attack endemic animals like the quetzal.
If I had to choose between conservation, sustainability, and productivity, I would choose sustainability, but first I should clarify how I am defining sustainability: making the right decisions to improve and then maintain economic/social/environmental/etc conditions in order to establish a strong foundation for future generations to prosper. I think under my definition, conservation may also be included within protecting environmental sustainability…but all in all, I definitely would prioritize sustainability over productivity because no matter how great the profit may be, I want to ensure a steady future for later generations, be it environmentally, socially, etc.