US Underperforms India In Environment Study

The US ranks at the bottom of the G8 in a Yale/Columbia Universities report studying environmental and social factors. India scores better than the US, which only narrowly outperforms China.

The report features global trends and reveals close links between gross domestic product per capita, greenhouse gas emissions/agricultural policies and sanitation, indoor air quality, as well as a country's success in fighting disease.

The top ten of the list, in which countries can score 100 at best on the combined indicators as well as 20 other measures, is heavily populated by European countries. Switserland leads, earning its top place because of a greenhouse gas efficient policies mostly.

The researchers were impressed with its use of hydroelectric power and the Swiss railway dominated transport system in general. The number two spot was taken by Sweden, followed by Norway and Finland, Austria, France, Latvia, Costa Rica, Colombia and New Zealand, which scored 87 points. In a similar study released in 2006, New Zealand, now tenth, was the top performer. The researchers assigned climate change a heavier weighting in their most recent study, which accounts for New Zealand's fall.

The US, with a score of 81.0, ranked 39th on the list. In terms of regional smog, the US was the absolute bottom of all 149 surveyed countries. The results were presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. An FT poll asking `What Should Be The Top Of The Agenda At Davos?´ underscored the survey's actuality; `Climate change´ topped the list at 25.1%, followed closely by ´US recession´ (18.4%). Poverty was third, scoring 15%.

The Bush administration says it is planning a program to cut ozone damaging emissions by 90% in ten years. The focus is on cutting diesel emissions from heavy vehicles like trucks and diesel powered building equipment. Such a move would be welcome news but let’s also hope that greenhouse gas emissions are toned down because at a quarter of the new releases of greenhouse gas emissions, the US’ record is shameful. That’s not least because over the last few years this situation has deteriorated.