Hello! My name is Austin Cheney, and I am a chemical engineering major from Beavercreek, Ohio. Because I haven’t travelled much outside the United States, I am very excited for the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica. I would not necessarily call myself a coffee connoisseur, but I definitely enjoy a cup of coffee. The agricultural practices behind growing coffee cherries and the processing into the eventual cup of coffee fascinate me, and I am looking forward to learning about these processes on the trip. Aside from the more technical aspects of the program, I look forward to experiencing a new culture, trying some new food, and taking in the scenery!
When I saw that Costa Rica ranks highly in the World Energy Council’s (WEC) “environmental sustainability” ranking, I was initially surprised. Generally speaking, without much knowledge on any Central American countries, I was always under the impression that they lacked financial means to focus on more progressive efforts like sustainability. Thinking back to our pre-trip lectures, I’m starting to realize that Costa Rica has focused on sustainability for many years with its reforestation efforts. The statistic from the WEC alone was enough to make Costa Rica impressive, cutting-edge, and progressive in my eyes.
Costa Rica received the “Champions of the Earth” award in 2019, the highest sustainability award given by the United Nations. We can see that Costa Rica’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions make this award well-deserved. First off, Costa Rica already produces an impressive 95% of its electricity from renewable sources, the majority through hydroelectric methods. By 2030, they aim to produce 100% of their electricity from renewable sources. In addition to the production of electricity, modifications to the transportation sector will help curb greenhouse gas emissions. By 2035, Costa Rica aims for the electrification of 70% of public transportation vehicles (buses and taxis). Just like electricity production, they do not intend to stop there. By 2050, Costa Rica intends for all public transportation to be powered by electricity.
In the agricultural sector, Costa Rica is looking to Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) to allow for broad emission reduction. NAMAs are regarded as any governmental policy that work to reduce carbon emissions. These NAMAs already have applications in coffee and livestock, and Costa Rica is working on similar initiatives for bananas and other agricultural products. Costa Rica’s primary goals related to agricultural sustainability are more efficient food systems and meeting global climate change agreements. All of these initiatives impressed me, and I now find Costa Rica to be a leader in sustainability efforts.