Resetting our Goals

Development for the United States took place during the industrial revolution. The development of my home country led to the destruction of the bison, incredibly high levels of pollution, and monstrous smoke stacks. This was a great thing in that it bolstered the strongest economy in the world. However, it is in many ways a shortsighted development that reeked havoc on mother nature and the earth we inhabit. Here in Costa Rica the situation of development is perhaps as worldly as that of the United States because of its importance to the biological health of the globe. Development in Costa Rica has been largely based on ecotourism and agriculture. Because of its tropical climate and biodiversity ecotourism is a good fit for CR. Ecotourism supports environmentally friendly systems within the nation and internationally. Tourists exposed to the successes of Costa Rica’s ecotourism may bring those ideas back to their home country. Ecotourism serves both the economy of Costa Rica and the education of the world. It reveals that the need to preserve the biological function of the earth is essential to the human way of life. Tropical areas including CR are particularly important to this.