So when are we all going to drive hybrids, no wait, ride our bikes everywhere? And eat local. And shut down the corporate polluters. And reduce our reliance on oil, foreign or domestic? Next year, maybe? Uh, maybe not. But in the meantime, you can rate your home state with other U.S. states in terms of "green"ness. And mock the states that rank lower than yours. But I'll bet you'll be surprised who made the top ten (though the bottom-dwellers probably already know who they are).
So Forbes did an America's Greenest States thing, which, I don't know, may be useful, or not, depending on your perspective (and maybe which state you call home). They evaluated things like carbon footprint, "green" architecture and design, energy consumption, toxic waste, clean water and clean air.
So you're already thinking environmentalist states, right? And maybe the clean air of the Rockies? What about New Jersey?
New Jersey?? ("get a rope")
Oh hell, I'll just give you the top ten:
- Vermont
- Oregon
- Washington
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- New York
- Arizona
Yeah, I'm having trouble with a couple of those, too. Probably the same ones you're thinking of. And what about California, something of a leader in "green" legislation? Well, have you ever seen the brown air of L.A. or the Bay Area? Yeah, that. We used to have smog alerts when I was a kid, I'll bet they still do.
The bottom, you ask? You had to ask. [sigh]
Last five are: Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Indiana, and the lovely West Virginia. Mostly because they just don't care.
Want the full list? Here you go! Now, mock away!
