Costa Rica on my mind

Recently Ive been republishing my most popular posts, with so many new people reading each day I just hate the thought of these being lost forever to the archives, This story below is in the top 5 easy, If you havnt read it already, Enjoy!

I'm not super keen on technology... That's not to say I don't use it, or embrace it for that mater... but I'm careful it never becomes the be all and end all, the only means to any kind of satisfactory end.... having said that - praise Jebus for my god damn iPhone. Ive had it for about a year now and its only in the last couple of weeks I've jumped on the whole application bandwagon...

You see, I recently downloaded the New York Times Application to my iPhone, this gives me daily news updates, the top 20 emailed stories, does my washing for me - you know that kind of thing.... If it wasn't for this technology I never would of stumbled across a story titled (No) Drill, Baby, Drill about a little place called Costa Rica... The best kind of reading is the learning kind, that sets a fire in your heart and lights up your mind, not to mention forces you to have a long hard look at yourself, your government, your country... the way things are and the way they should be.

They say you learn something new every day and this is what this story taught me today....

• More than 25% of Costa Rica is protected land
• They have a neat little system called "Payment for environmental services" which is all about honest growth... If you have a farm that sells bananas but destroys a carbon-absorbing and species-preserving forest then that my friend is not "honest growth" Nobody gets to treat climate, water, coral, fish and forests as a free resource they can use and abuse as they please anymore.
• Costa Rica has one Minister for Energy, Environment, mines and water. Now that you don't have your Minister of Environment going 10 rounds with your Minster of Energy over drilling for cheap oil you have time on your hands to make some smart decisions, like.... oh I don't know... investing in hydro-electric power, wind and geo-thermal - Costa Rica now rakes in 95% of its energy from these renuables.

Impressed? I sure as hell was....It's nice to know someone, somewhere in the world has their head screwed on straight.... making sure photographers like Michael Marquand have pristine landscapes to take mind blowing photos of.

Digging Michael's shots above? Click here if you'd like to see more Costa Rican beauty by the man himself and keep the story above in mind... you never know when you'll be in a position to make a difference.