The Green Republic: A Conservation History of Costa Rica
Editorial Reviews
Review
While journalists, policymakers, and others have pointed to Costa Rica as a model of conservation policy, Evans questions whether it is appropriate to call Costa Rica a "green republic". Using a wide range of sources, including interviews, archives, and newspapers, Evans paints a complex and nuanced picture of how conservation emerged in twentieth-century Costa Rica.
Book Description
''Sterling Evans has written a passionate yet balanced account of the history of conservation in Costa Rica. Both environmental historians and activists will gain from this book a great appreciation of the work that went into protecting Costa Rica's natural heritage, along with the work that still must be done.'' --Lane Simonian, author of Defending the Land of the Jaguar: A History of Conservation in Mexico With over 25 percent of its land set aside in national parks and other protected areas, Costa Rica is renowned worldwide as "the green republic." In this very readable history of conservation in Costa Rica, Sterling Evans explores the establishment of the country's national park system as a response to the rapid destruction of its tropical ecosystems due to the expansion of export-related agriculture. Drawing on interviews with key players in the conservation movement, as well as archival research, Evans traces the emergence of a conservation ethic among Costa Ricans and the tangible forms it has taken. In Part I, he describes the development of the national park system and "the grand contradiction" that conservation occurred simultaneously with massive deforestation in unprotected areas. In Part II, he examines other aspects of Costa Rica's conservation experience, including the important roles played by environmental education and nongovernmental organizations, campesino and indigenous movements, ecotourism, and the work of the National Biodiversity Institute.
The Green Republic: A Conservation History of Costa Rica,Sterling Evans,University of Texas Press,0292721013,Costa Rica,Environmental Conservation & Protection - General,Environmental Science,Environmental Studies,Government policy,History,Latin America - Central America,Nature,Nature conservation,Nature/Ecology
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