Bill Clinton offered 30-minute talk yesterday in a packed auditorium in Costa Rica. He stated that Costa Rica is a world example of clean development and that Costa Rica should consider building an electric car plant in its territory, in his speech last night in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Costa Rica has already attracted high-tech industry and is at the same time, a country renowned for its fight to protect the envoronment.
Also, at night there is excess production of clean energy that could be exploited by charging the batteries of these cars, he said.
Clinton closed last night at the Hotel Real Intercontinental (Escazú), the Second Forum on Sustainability and Happiness.
In December last year, on an official trip to Japan, the president, Laura Chinchilla, proposed to Toyota Motor Corporation to open a training laboratory in Costa Rica for mechanics specializing in hybrid and electric vehicles.
Clinton’s talk began a few minutes before 7 pm.
With folksy tone and making some jokes, the U.S. made a half-hour exposure, related to sustainable development.Then, for another half hour, answered several questions posed by the activity organizer, Javier del Campo, Terra Partners.
Clinton also recommend finding a company that has an interest in the production of electric cars in the country, saying it is necessary to look for private investors in clean energy.
As noted, the crisis in Europe is not generating the optimal global environment for such investments but Latin American countries can be attractive for investors, if they have projects like making green cars in a green country.
“Many social investors and are not looking for astronomical return on investment,” said Clinton who ruled the greatest world power between 1993 and 2001.
“Do something that others can see and that is proof that, in the long run, can be sustainable.” This was the general advice that gave Clinton, who also recommended creating an appropriate incentive structure.
Clinton said, when you meet someone who doubts that the development of environmentally friendly really helps improve the lives of a people, gives a simple recommendation: “Go to Costa Rica.”
“If there is no way to do this successfully, how is that Costa Rica is doing it? How is Costa Rica, by far the richest country in Central America and at the same time, protects its forests? “He asked the audience.
Clinton went so far as to classify Costa Rica as “the greenest in the world economy” and that this situation was not “an accident”, although it is likely that 40 or 50 years ago nobody in the country would have imagined that arrive to where we are.
More advice by Clinton was to respect and recognize the contribution of indigenous peoples.
“We live in a world that values money too. We made a mistake by not paying indigenous peoples in sustainable use of forests and biodiversity, “he said.
Now, he said, there is a risk that plants or animals that may be key in finding cures for diseases like cancer, are destroyed, even though these flora and fauna have been protected for years.
