The tiny nation of Costa Rica is a giant when it comes to environmental stewardship.
![An Environmental Giant](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/11354/275213/5af18558745c4/AN-ENVIRONMENTAL-GIANT.jpg)
In 2008, they embarked on a quest to become one of the world’s first carbon neutral counties. For a nation to become carbon neutral, it must remove as much CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the environment as it puts into it. CO2 is a gas that occurs both naturally and as a result of human activity, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels. Because CO2 traps and holds heat in the atmosphere, it is classified as a greenhouse gas.
According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), there is “no question” that greenhouse gasses are causing the Earth to warm. They also say that “CO2 has contributed more than any driver to climate change between 1750 and 2011.” NASA defines global warming as “the unusually rapid increase in the earth’s average surface temperature over the past century primarily due to the greenhouse gases released as people burn fossil fuels.”
Costa Rica’s decision to pursue carbon neutrality took place during the presidency of Oscar Arias Sanchez. Sanchez, who won the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his role in bringing peace to Central America. During his presidency, Sanchez also worked toward achieving a different kind of peace. He called it “Peace with Nature.”
Sanchez was born in 1940, at a time when approximately 50 percent of Costa Rica was covered by forests. By the time he was elected president in 1986, that number had been reduced to around 21 percent. Costa Rica was widely criticized for having one of the highest deforestation rates in the world.
この記事は Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids の May/June 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids の May/June 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
![Animal Central](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/601250703a3d3/crp_Conservationism-Tapirus-bairdii-Belize-Pharomachrus-mocinno-Guatemala-Panthera-once-Nicaragua-Atelopus-zeteki-Panama-National-animals-of-Central-America.jpg)
Animal Central
From golden frogs to big cats to colorful birds, the national animals of Central America represent the geography and cultures of the region. For a quick sampling of creatures plain and beautiful, common and rare, read on.
![31 Countries Biosphere](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/601245f991a55/crp_Trifinio-Fraternidad-Biosphere-Reserve-Montecristo-Mastiff-Cloud-forests-Mushrooms-Mosses-Climbing-ferns-Lichens-Orchids-Anteaters-Pumas-Spider-monkeys-El-Salvador-Honduras-Guatemala-UNESCO.jpg)
31 Countries Biosphere
The Trifinio Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve is located at a spot where El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras converge. A biosphere is the layer of planet Earth where life exists.
![THE LEGEND OF THE QUETZAL BIRD](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/60123ca2ef843/crp_THE-LEGEND-OFTHE-QUETZAL-BIRD.jpg)
THE LEGEND OF THE QUETZAL BIRD
A Mayan Tale retold by Pat Betteley illustrated by Amanda Shepherd
![Semana Santa GUATEMALA'S HOLY WEEK](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/60124d028640f/crp_Semana-Santa-GUATEMALAS-HOLY-WEEK.jpg)
Semana Santa GUATEMALA'S HOLY WEEK
What if Easter preparations meant dyeing sand, collecting pine needles, and staying up all night to work on an art project that you knew would be ruined the very next day? Well, welcome to Guatemala’s Semana Santa, or Holy Week.
![ME OH-MAYA!](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/601256a317274/crp_ME-OH-MAYA.jpg)
ME OH-MAYA!
The Maya are groups of people who live in parts of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Their ancestors created a great society. At its peak, from 600-900 C.E., the Maya civilization was more advanced than its neighbors in the Americas.
![Playing Games Honduras-style](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/60124a11ce6cf/crp_Playing-Games-Honduras-style.jpg)
Playing Games Honduras-style
Would you play the same games in Honduras that you do in the United States? You might. Children in Honduras enjoy many of the same games North Americans do. They go fishing and shoot baskets. They play sandlot baseball—called bate (BAH tay). They fly kites and ride bikes. Their parents may go horseback riding or play golf or tennis.
![LIVING A LONG LIFE IN THE Blue Zone](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/60124ef506430/crp_LIVING-A-LONG-LIFE-IN-THEBlue-Zone.jpg)
LIVING A LONG LIFE IN THE Blue Zone
Most people would like to live as long a life as possible. No one really knows why some people live longer than others, but did you know that where you live can play a big part in how many years you’ll be alive? If you live in a Blue Zone, chances are that you will live much longer than people in other parts of the world.
![ATTENTION WORLD: Belize Saves Their Coral Reef](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/60124716e253c/crp_ATTENTION-WORLD-Belize-Saves-Their-Coral-Reef.jpg)
ATTENTION WORLD: Belize Saves Their Coral Reef
Sea turtles float in clear waters, colorful corals hug the ocean floor, and aquatic animals glide among the mangrove roots. Welcome to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second-largest coral reef in the world (Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is number one). Several years ago, this reef was in crisis, heading toward destruction. But the people of Belize fought back to save their reef’s health.
![The Panama Canal](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/60124448eb091/crp_The-Panama-Canal.jpg)
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a 51-mile long canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
![This is Central America!](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/11354/573579/601258384bbbd/crp_This-is-Central-America.jpg)
This is Central America!
It’s time to visit Central America. But first, it helps to know exactly where Central America is. Despite its name, it is the southernmost part of North America, which can seem a little confusing. It makes up most of the isthmus dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and has water on both sides.