To enable visiting American President Bill Clinton to deliver a rousing speech in favor of the environment, Costa Rican officials ordered a swath of pristine rain forest bulldozed and replaced by a 350-foot strip of asphalt. The asphalt helped the President, who was still hobbling from a knee injury, to get to a platform that had been built for the occasion. "The Costa Ricans were eager to pave the walkway for the President," a White House staffer commented. "They seemed to understand how important a photo-op this was for us."

†