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Costa Rica Natural Resources
Click to enlargeCosta Rica is rich in nature, biodiversity and natural resources. Costa Rica’s prime location between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean and between North and South America make it easily accessible from many different locations around the world. The efforts Costa Rica has made for preservation of its rainforest and mountain areas is no secret, but the reasons behind the protection of these natural resources doesn’t just respond to the needs of tourism, but also to the needs of the complete Costa Rican population: the creation of electricity. Costa Rica’s electric production depends on Costa Rica’s rivers and lakes. It is about 82% of Costa Rica’s energy that is produced thanks to the hydropower, only 8% of Costa Rica electricity is generated by oil, and the remaining percentage is for the other sources such as geothermic energy, solar and wind power. And it is no wonder, taking into consideration that Costa Rica’s central plateau receives 77 inches of rain, and that the efficiency of hydropower has no equal with its competition: it can convert 90% of the energy into electricity, when even the best fossil fuel plants can manage about 50% efficiency.
Costa Rica also counts with wind power as a natural resource. Costa Rica’s wind power potential is similar to California’s, however, the wind turbines installed in 1996 in Tilaran proved a lot more expensive than originally planned and is a very small scale operation which benefits only 78 homes. Solar power is another natural resource in Costa Rica. Although expensive for spread use, it has proven very useful in remote areas where the expense of taking water generated electricity would be too high. In other rural areas, the solar oven has gained importance and popularity. This aluminum and glass contraption captures the solar heat and can cook complete meals using only the hot heat of the sun. The other Costa Rica natural resource is geothermal power. There are currently two geothermic power plants in Miravalles volcano which have been working with marked success, and it is possible that in the near future geothermal power will be a main energy source for Costa Rica.
However, another natural resource that is often overlooked in Costa Rica is oxygen production. Having so many trees and so much vegetation assists in photosynthesis and generates oxygen in exchange of carbon dioxide. Oxygen production is not a very commented natural resource just because what we notice is not its presence, but its absence. Having Rain forests and Cloud forests is also a possible natural resource, when these forests are the ones that may house the secrets to cures for cancer or for the common cold. Visit Costa Rica and enjoy the country knowing a bit more about the energy sources used in our peaceful nation. Clean energy that depends on the conservation of our beautiful and biologically diverse environment. Join the Costa Rica conservation efforts by staying in ecolodges or by raising awareness on the importance of the Costa Rica resources.
