Costa Rica Fossil Fuel-Free for 99 Percent of 2015

A great and green achievement was reaped by Costa Rica this year, as almost all of the energy produced in the country for 2015 was from renewable sources.

Huffington Post reported that the Central American country was able to prove that it can do away with fossil fuels in energy generation, since it greatly affects the environment and the changing climate.

It added that for 285 days this year, Costa Rica "completely eschewed fossil fuels in its energy generation," based from official records quoted by Huffington Post.

The country was able to prove that great measures can be done to avoid the changing climate in the world from worsening.

With about 200 nations recently signing a pact in Paris to do away with the use of fossil fuels, Costa Rica is one step away from proving that the agreement is attainable.

Earlier this year, the developing country was able to survive for 75 days, only relying on renewable energy for their electricity. This resulted in lower electricity costs and prices for the residents in the country, as per Huffington Post.

It also mentioned that the country started its efforts to save the environment years ago, investing into renewable power sources like geothermal energy and a river system.

Despite this positive initiative from the country, The Guardian said there is still a downside to it, since hydropower would need consistent rainfall.

A few months ago, the country suffered one of the worst droughts it ever experienced, forcing companies to burn fuel and release greenhouse gases, which also caused rates to increase.

"This unpredictability in rain patterns isn't unique to Costa Rica and is considered to be one of the primary effects of climate change," noted the same report adding that the abundant clean power could be gone in a day.

It was also highlighted in a Tico Times report that one of the biggest challenges to the country's aim to be carbon neutral is its air pollution, caused by high vehicle emissions.

Cars and other vehicles in Costa Rica are said to emit more than half of the carbon dioxide emissions of the country, which is a primary contributor to a worsening climate.

But National Renewable Energy Laboratory section manager for strategy and implementation Andrea Watson said in the Huffington Post report that Costa Rica is on the right path to achieving its goal.

She claimed that the country is a perfect example for the goal of the Paris agreement on battling climate change.

"The idea is that there is a path. Costa Rica has demonstrated that," she added.