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kpete

(72,022 posts) Sun Mar 22, 2015, 10:29 AM Mar 2015

Let's "ABOLISH The Military & Declare Peace With Nature" Too!

Costa Rica got 100 percent of its energy from renewables for 75 days straight this year, the state-run Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) announced this week.

The Latin American country hasn’t had to use fossil fuels at all so far in 2015, due to heavy rains that have kept hydroelectric power plants going strong. Wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy have also helped power the country this year

........

Part of the reason why Costa Rica can devote so much funding to environmental issues is that the country abolished its military in 1948, allowing it to divert funds that would have gone towards defense needs to the environment, healthcare, and education.

“We are declaring peace with nature,” Costa Rican ambassador Mario Fernández Silva said in 2010. “We feel a strong sense of responsibility about looking after our wealth of biodiversity. Our attitude is not progressive, it is conservative. Our view is that until we know what we have, it is our duty to protect it.”

MORE:
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/21/3636823/costa-rica-renewables/

8 replies

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Let's "ABOLISH The Military & Declare Peace With Nature" Too! (Original Post) kpete Mar 2015 OP

Wow. Costa Rica is ahead of us in so many ways. peacebird Mar 2015 #1

The story is a little more complex than that. geek tragedy Mar 2015 #2

Even so, they are light years ahead of us on energy. And not causing "collateral damage" around peacebird Mar 2015 #3

True dat. nt geek tragedy Mar 2015 #5

The reason Costa Rica can afford to abolish its military is, of course, the US military. Donald Ian Rankin Mar 2015 #4

Exactly... Oktober Mar 2015 #6

Yep SickOfTheOnePct Mar 2015 #7

So why dont we? ncjustice80 Mar 2015 #8

peacebird

(14,195 posts)

1. Wow. Costa Rica is ahead of us in so many ways.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 10:31 AM

Mar 2015

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)

2. The story is a little more complex than that.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 10:34 AM

Mar 2015

Yes, Costa Rica has many admirable policies. But it also is not "at peace with nature." They have cut deals with both Taiwan to allow shark-finning off the Pacific coast, and are planning an international airport in the country's largest mangrove forest area to drive mass tourism in its most pristine area, the Osa peninsula.

Money is always a dangerous enemy.

peacebird

(14,195 posts)

3. Even so, they are light years ahead of us on energy. And not causing "collateral damage" around

Reply to geek tragedy (Reply #2)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 10:37 AM

Mar 2015

the world.... I would say far fewer people will die as a result of their airport or shark fin fishing than from our drone strikes and bombing campaigns.

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)

5. True dat. nt

Reply to peacebird (Reply #3)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 11:37 AM

Mar 2015

Donald Ian Rankin

(13,598 posts)

4. The reason Costa Rica can afford to abolish its military is, of course, the US military.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 10:44 AM

Mar 2015

Costa Rican national security is underwritten by the USA.

Oktober

(1,488 posts)

6. Exactly...

Reply to Donald Ian Rankin (Reply #4)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 11:38 AM

Mar 2015

SickOfTheOnePct

(7,290 posts)

7. Yep

Reply to Donald Ian Rankin (Reply #4)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 11:50 AM

Mar 2015

I would venture to say that if we stopped, as you termed it, underwriting the defense of other countries, we would have multi-billions of dollars available for other priorities.

ncjustice80

(948 posts)

8. So why dont we?

Reply to SickOfTheOnePct (Reply #7)

Sun Mar 22, 2015, 08:11 PM

Mar 2015

The answer being the MIC, of course. Too much money in getting gullible kids to join up and murder brown people :/

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