Costa Rica using nuclear technology to reduce carbon footprint

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report this week regarding Costa Rica's efforts to limit its greenhouse gas emissions and how nuclear techniques can help measure current emissions.

Ana Gabriela Pérez, a researcher at the University of Costa Rica, said techniques involving the study of stable isotopes allow researchers to monitor agricultural processes and quantify emission patterns from farming methods. The country aims to be carbon-neutral by 2021.

With that in mind, research is focused on determining the carbon impact from dairy farms and other agricultural sectors.

"The country needs more reliable data about its own emissions, and it needs to be able to gather those data itself,” Pérez said.

A key component is to lower carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. This can be done partially by removing carbon dioxide from degraded soil through different agricultural practices.

With more-accurate data, the government in Costa Rica will be able to enact policy changes to limit the country's carbon impact and eventually reach carbon neutrality in the dairy sector and nationwide.

This project is operated in partnership with the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).