I love all things travel. A result of living in a fly-over state, I presume. This last year I was fortunate enough to travel to Costa Rica. It was f***ing beautiful. Anyone who’s visited will tell you the same.

Costa Rica is setting the mold for long-term energy sustainability.

However, months later I find myself still struck by a lesser known fact about our southern Tico neighbors. Costa Rica runs on about 99% renewable energy. Talk about sustainable.

It may sound like a C-list Sci-Fi movie plot, but it’s true. Costa Rica is running on almost 100% renewable energy. It’s very refreshing considering the current political landscape in more populous countries.

Often you hear those same larger country’s politicians kick the can down the road with the same lazy public statement. Something usually to the effect of “By 2030 we plan to be 50% reliant on renewable sources”. None of that BS. Costa Rica is committed to right now, and they’re doing it well.

Per Newsweek, Costa Rica has run on renewable energy for 300 straight days. That energy comes from 3 main sources.

Hydroelectricity - 78% - Ya know… harvesting energy from river currents. That kind of thing.
Wind Power - 10% - Harvested using wind turbines in high-wind regions.
Geothermal - 10% - Energy harvested from the underground heat near active or dormant volcanoes.
Other Sources - 2% - The remaining renewable sources are things like solar power and biomass.

So… what’s the hold up for the more influential countries?

I’ve always heard the same excuse… “Costa Rica has more sunshine for solar energy, more rivers for hydroelectricity, and more volcanic activity for geothermal energy.”.

While it’s true that Costa Rica has an abundance of renewable resources, what if I told you they weren’t the only country to run 100% on renewables? Not. Even. Close.

That’s right, Iceland, Norway, Albania, Ethiopia, Paraguay, and Zambia are all at, or very near 100% reliability on renewables. I know what you’re thinking. Iceland?? Yup. The same Iceland with very little sunshine and wind. They rely more heavily on geothermal energy.

And that’s the point here. Just because a region may be short on wind or sun, doesn’t mean they can’t rely on renewables. It’s often going to take a unique mixture of resources depending on the location.

Regions with fewer rivers might rely more heavily on wind farms.

For example, in my home state of Kansas, wind farms are becoming a more and more common sight.

The folks over at The Solutions Project have put together a roadmap to 100% sustainability. They even breakdown the resource by geographical location.

One challenge still remains. The cost of storing energy.

So let’s say Seattle, WA doesn’t get any sun or wind for an extended amount of time. Well, solar energy can be stored during more sunny days somewhere nearby. That stored energy will then be used when that region is in need. However, the cost to store that energy isn’t attractive to many investors. Something that researchers and some politicians are continuing to work on.

Which brings me to my last point… If conserving the planet is your priority, go out and vote for like-minded candidates.

One big reason that Costa Rica and other countries have been able to take the mantle of sustainability is because of their leadership.

Costa Rica recently elected Carlos Quesada to the presidency. He is committed to completely de-carbonizing the country in coming years. Meaning that even 100% of vehicles will run on renewables. He has even offered to host the 2019 UN Climate talks after Brazil’s leaders rescinded the countries offer. Keep fighting the good fight, Costa Rica.

So, the science is there. We CAN go renewable, it’s just a matter of getting the information out there and putting our time, money and votes in the right place.

Planet Over Profit, my friends.

Costa Rica - Down to Earth