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Top 5 Greenest Countries And Why

By Amy C.

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 01Jun2011
Word count: 503
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Of the 163 countries to participate in a recent study that was conducted by Columbia and Yale Universities some were stand outs when it came to being green. Using the standard Environmental Performance Index they set out to determine the worlds greenest countries. Measuring each country by 25 performance indicators the results were astounding.

1. The study showed that Iceland was by far the greenest country. This is surprising since in 2008 it was 11th on the list. Their scores for climate change was a 90.3, which means that although there have been drastic climate changes throughout the rest of the world they have experienced very little. Their environmental health score was 95.1. This means that the population suffers from very few illnesses that can be traced to pollution or other environmental factors.

2. Switzerland came in second with a 89.1 EPI. This is down one form 2008, now it has an environmental health score of 92.3. The country has strict environmental laws. And they are vigorously enforced. One of these laws prohibits automobiles form certain areas of he country. You can walk or ride a bike but nothing that emits Co2 emissions are allowed to be in the area.

3. Surprisingly Costa Rica holds the third position. Its EPI is a whopping 86.4 and the environmental health score is only slightly lower at 82.2. the country suffered very little climate change at 78.6 and they scored a perfect 100 as did Switzerland in the area of forestry. The country has declared its intent to become " carbon Neutral" in the next 10 years. They are projecting it will be so in 2021. The country is famous for its Ecotourism and it seems that it is working quite well.

4. Sweden is number four with an 86.0 EPI score. They were third a few years back but have slipped down one tier. They still hold steady with a 100 in forestry. They currently run the country on systems that produces 28% of its energy from renewable sources. This country is aiming to go carbon neutral by the year 2020. With the efforts and mandates they are looking to institute it is entirely possible.

5. Norway is your 5th greenest country on this planet. The country has an EPI of 81.1 and with their ban on all oil-powered systems they could easily get to the number one position in a few short years.

The United States and China are two countries that score very poorly considering the overall wealth of each nation, especially when compared to the smaller countries like Costa Rica. If the poorer countries can take a stand for he environment why can't we. Southwestern areas like Arizona and southern California have a lot days that are sunny they can certainly improve their green index by resorting to solar fountains, solar water heaters, or rain barrels. Especially given the tiny amount of rain these states receive, it would be very effective for these states to consider using Rain Barrels.

Amy C. invites you to browse delightful collection of solar fountains and rain barrels to create an ecological and sustainable garden decor.

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