By rachels522
It is no secret the global climate change is a major problem. In fact, part of the reason I flew 7,000 miles to Costa Rica was to study ways to decrease global climate change and it’s effect on the environment. It is also not a secret that one of the worst contributors to carbon in the environment is our use of gasoline and fuel. Therefore, it is slightly ironic that I flew all this way in order to study how to reduce the amount of carbon that we put into the environment. My flights to and from Costa Rica are not the only times I am in a vehicle. My program spends a month traveling around the country, often by bus. It is incredible how much a sustainability student can contribute to the problem.
Thank goodness my professors thought about this problem! We are working with an organization known as Costa Rica Conservation Foundation (CRCF) that works on reforestation. Costa Rica suffered some of the most devastating deforestation in the world during the 1980s. This organization is working on establishing a biological corridor from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean. My classmates and I went into the field to help the CRCF with data collection. We recorded the height of the trees among other important factors that help determine how long a tree will survive in the wild and how quickly it will grow. After working in the field we calculated how many trees we would have to plant to offset our carbon emissions on the trip as well as getting to and from Costa Rica. Our program provider, CIEE, is donating the money necessary to have this many trees planted. Due to this we can truly say that we are trying to make this program as carbon neutral as possible.
I was surprised just how many factors go into calculating how many trees and exactly which trees should be planted. For example, one must calculate the mortality rate of the trees and the natural biodiversity of the trees. Furthermore, one must take into account where the trees should be planted based on ideas such as if farmers will maintain the land, if the trees are in a windy area, and if the trees will be part of a biological corridor. All of these factors will need to be taken into account in the international carbon market. It can be expensive to monitor trees. Furthermore, it is not an exact science.
It is great to see that reforestation efforts are occurring in Costa Rica. I am happy that my program has taken into account the carbon that we produce and is working to minimize our impact on the environment. I can’t wait to start thinking about ways to minimize the carbon footprint of the GW campus!