Green-Living"
in Costa-Rica is Model for Future Communities
Brendan Cunningham, Babylon High School Student
Newspaper, Long Island
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to enlarge photo
Just in Case, We Can Live in
Costa Rica
Creating a Green “Plan B.”
Philadelphia, PA
— Talk to Al Benner about his
“Costa Rica Vacation Property”, and you’ll
get the sense you’re listening to a survivalist,
ecologist, farmer and surfer all rolled into
one. Al is one of many Americans who believe
our economy is going in the toilet
(Global Warming). We’re running out of
fossil fuel, and we’re making our air
unbreathable. He’s convinced he needs a “Plan
B.”
A
successful entrepreneur with twin toddlers,
three businesses and three countries, Al is one
of a growing number of Americans who feel that
they need to think about what they will do when
things get bad. Since 9-11, many believe we
could face - due to terrorists, or a lack of
resources or both, a sort of “Mad Max” future.
Fuel and food will be scarce, violence will be
rampant and people will struggle to feed and
protect their families. And these same people,
Al included, have been born and raised in the
America we know – a land of shopping malls and
two car garages.
Enter Al’s Plan B. “We’ve decided to create a
place where we can grow our own food, live “off
the grid” with sustainable energy, and basically
escape if things get bad here. And, in the
meantime, it’s a nice vacation spot.” Al, his
wife and a few friends purchased 150 acres of
farm land in the mountains overlooking the
Pacific Coast in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Each took dibs on a two acre, ocean view lot,
and they are selling 15 or 20 more lots to “like
minded” people who may have the same near-term
Costa Rica vacation or long-term escape plan
instincts. The rest of the rugged, mountainous
“farm” is set aside to reforest, grow food or
explore.
Energy independent,
“Finca Las Brisas” (Farm of the Breezes),
will be an
eco community where people can build a
modest vacation home if they agree to conserve
energy, work with local people and resources,
and avoid the excesses and commercialism that
runs rampant in America, and frankly even in
eco-conscious Costa Rica. Community members
can even work the land and share in the harvest
if they like.
For more information about the Finca Las Brisas
project, visit
www.fincalasbrisas.org or email
darlenecoker@fincalasbrisas.org.
'Sustainable'
Communities Take Foothold in C.R.
San Jose, Costa
Rica - Dave Sherwood, Tico Times Staff
