Yes, Costa Rica has large hydroelectric resources.

Still, more than 2/3 of Costa Rica's energy comes from imported fossil fuels; even more in times of drought.

Most of these imported fossil fuels are used for transportation.

Sure, Costa Rica could build more dams and use electric vehicles, but there's nothing good about new dams.

Personally, I think these "feel good" stories are welcomed by the fossil fuel industry because they dupe people into thinking we are making progress when, in fact, world fossil fuel use is increasing with no end in sight. The "natural" gas industry and it's feckless minions are selling us a lie.

New wind and solar power are generally backed up by gas and hydroelectric plants. Those are "better than coal" but it doesn't matter, it's still death by poison, it just takes a little longer, the fourth day rather than the third.

The biggest industrial projects in human history are happening right now. Humans are developing huge gas fields that will easily meet the current demand and more for many decades.

Unfortunately this will mean the end of the natural environment we know, and possibly the end of this civilization.

I don't think the oligarchs of this world care. They believe they will be safe behind their walls, that, okay, they'll lose their beach houses, but so what? The melting polar ice will expose more opportunities for gas development!

They are wrong of course. If this brittle world economy fails they will be the targets of our discontent.

One of the basic flaws of human beings is that we never imagine what happens after we get what we wished for.

Exponential growth always ends badly, whether it's population growth or economic "growth."

Replacing coal with natural gas and installing lots of solar and wind powered bling doesn't address that basic problem.

It's not even a matter of perfect being an enemy of the good. This thing we now call "economic productivity" is a direct measure of the damage we are doing to the natural environment and our own human spirit.