SEATTLE — In the mid-20th century, increased U.S. demand for inexpensive beef caused farmers in the Nandamojo River Basin in Costa Rica to burn down vast amounts of forest to create grazing room for beef cattle. This opened room for profit in the short term, but over time, due to the lack of trees and native grasses, wind and rain caused rapid erosion. The fertile Nandamojo river basin began to experience serious environmental problems related to the erosion, all exasperated by climate change. As the weather in the valley became hotter and dryer, the Nandamojo river has suffered severely, drying…