Why Costa Rica beats Britain in the conservation stakes | Letters

Readers respond to George Monbiot's article comparing a rich nation's environmental failures and a poor one's successGeorge Monbiot asks why Costa Rica has been able to restore its once despoiled natural environment while the much wealthier UK has failed to do so (Opinion, 21 April). One reason is its decision to abolish its army in 1949. Its government had decided that it would rather spend money on health, education and the environment than on the military. You can see how this came about in the 2016 film A Bold Peace.In contrast, the UK is not only spending more than ?205bn on the replacement of the Trident nuclear-armed submarine fleet, but in the this year's spring budget announced an additional ?5bn on defence over the next two years and a further ?2bn in subsequent years to 2027-28. The situation is even more dire when one considers what an increase in emissions there will be from even more manufacturing of tanks, bombs, planes and military hardware. Rae StreetLittleborough, Greater Manchester Continue reading...