Page 484 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

454 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

governments, I think, produces the most damage as it is fuelled by vast
amounts of money, power, and consumerism.
Luckily, there is some oasis of hope in the world. There are some entire
countries and some very large areas within countries where people have
chosen to protect and preserve for the benefit of future generations of humans,
animals, plants, and the earth itself. I wish each country of the earth was in this
list (perhaps they all are?), but I am going to concentrate on Costa Rica as it
has been one of the leaders in sustainable living for many years. Costa Rica is
one of the best democracies in the world, primary education is obligatory,
there is free education at preschool and high-school levels, there is no army
and no recreational hunting, and the sanitary standards are high.