Costa Rica: Green vs. Gold | Global 3000

Costa Rica is proud of its reputation as one of the greenest countries in the world. The country's vast flora and fauna attract about 1.5 million tourists a year. And around 27% of Costa Rica's land is under nature protection.But the country is also rich in valuable mineral resources, and foreign companies are eager to step in. A debate over one gold mine has been raging for years in Costa Rica. A Canadian company wants to mine for gold, but environmentalists are standing in the way. The company's CEO says the mine would create important jobs and bring the government significant tax revenues. But environmental activists say it would destroy the rain forest and pollute the nearby river.